Labisia pumila

Description

Labisia is a herbaceous plant that grows in low clusters, with solitary or rarely branching stems and fine, hairy roots. The leaves are oblong-shaped, hairy on its underside and can grow to 20–40 cm in length. The inflorescence are brown and 5–6 cm long. The plant thrives under the shade, away from direct sunlight, and grows well in moist or loamy soil. It propagates by its rhizomes, leaves and/or seeds, and when cultivated is harvested about a year after planting. The plant is indigenous to Malaysia, but also found in Sumatra, Java and Borneo. Three varieties of Labisia pumila have been described: var. alata, var. lanceolata and var. pumila.

The popular name for the plant is kacip Fatimah ("Fatimah's betel cutter"; compare to tongkat ali, i.e. Ali's walking stick). Other common names of the plant include selusoh Fatimah, pokok pinggan, rumput palis, tadah matahari, mata pelanduk rimba, bunga belungkas hutan, remoyan batu, and angkoh.

Uses

In folk medicine L. pumila was thought to be useful for a number of applications, including labor induction and treating venereal disease and flatulence. The plant has been researched for use in making cosmeceutical products.

The plant's extract has been commercially formulated for consumption in capsule and tablet form, as well as an ingredient in energy drinks. In Malaysia Labisia pumila was highlighted in 2010 as one of five local herbs to developed commercially on a large scale via the Economic Transformation Programme.

Chemical constituents

Despite its long history of traditional use, the active components and mode of action have not been well studied, though some preliminary research has been published. It has been reported that Labisia contains two novel benzoquinoid compounds, as well as gallic acid, caffeic acid, rutin, and myricetin. One study claims that the leaves contain significantly higher level of saponins compared to its stems and roots.

References

References

1. . (n.d.). ["Labisia pumila (Blume) Fern.-Vill."](https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:588713-1). *The Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew*.
2. Wan Hassan, W.E.. (2006). "Healing herbs of Malaysia". Kuala Lumpur: Federal Land Development Authority (FELDA).
3. (2005). "''Labisia pumila'', in Herbs of Malaysia". Times Edition.
4. Noor'ain bt. Shamsuddin. (2014-01-20). "Kacip Fatimah". MyHealth portal by the Malaysian Ministry of Health.
5. (2012). "Review on Labisia pumila (Kacip Fatimah): bioactive phytochemicals and skin collagen synthesis promoting herb". Fitoterapia.
6. Azman, Sulhi. (2017-08-02). "Power Root boosts stake in UAE unit". TheEdgeMarkets.com.
7. "EPP 1 High-Value Herbal Products". Performance Management and Delivery Unit (PEMANDU).
8. Prime Minister's Department, Malaysia. (2017). "Malaysia Productivity Blueprint: Driving Productivity of the Nation". Economic Planning Unit.
9. (2009). "Sub-acute toxicity evaluation of an aqueous extract of Labisia pumila, a Malaysian herb". [[Food and Chemical Toxicology]].
10. (2011). "Phytochemical analysis and antimicrobial activities of methanolic extracts of leaf, stem and root from different varieties of Labisa pumila Benth". Molecules.
11. (2011). "Alkyl phenols and saponins from the roots of Labisia pumila (Kacip Fatimah)". Phytochemistry.
12. (1999). "Studies on Labisia pumila herb and its commercial products". J Pharm Pharmacol.