Dulcamara
	gallery   Dulcamara

Family: Crassulaceae (Stonecorp or orpine family)

Description:

The plant increscent 50 – 60 cm, robust stem of average 12 mm at the bottom, 7 mm upwards, internodia 2- 11, 5 cm; The shape of the widely denticular leaf is egg-shaped by the base and towards the top is getting lanceolarly narrower. The leaves growing in the cross shape reach the length of 135 – 165 mm and width of 47 – 55 mm. A whity frosting appears; Corymb is the top inflorescence; 280 mm high, 150 mm wide, peducles are glabrous of 10 mm length, on which is the glabrous goblet of campanulaceous shape lengt 13 – 15 mm, bottom part is coloured in the light pink, top in light green till light yellow. The original location of this endemit is Madagascar from where it was subsequently introduced into Central and South America countries, where it is regularly grown. Until the recent times, the plant was grown only as a decorative one and for the healers’ usage but not long ago, the studies about its content substances have started and along with the growing demand its production increased as well. The ongoing studies foreshadow its promising usage as an antivirotic and immunostimulant.The ethnomedical study held by iberoamerican healers in the city of New York referred to its frequent usage for treatment of cancer, especially the female genitalia ones and of leucemia.In Brazil where it is called Saião, it is commonly used by ethnomedicine for treating headaches, swollen lymph nodes, skin disease “rose” as a lungs tonic, topically then on burns and other skin injuries. It has been experiencing its unusual boom in the last two, three years in Ecuador, where the local television repeatedly informed about its usage for treating many diseases confirmed by the cured patients. It concerned diabetes mellitus, various kinds of tumour and in particular AIDS. Its successful treatment was reported also by Ecuadorean physician Dr. Francisco Andino who has applied it to number of patients during the recent years. We recommend using in average 2 cm of the leave in the midday and 2 cm of the leave in the evening. Thanks to its succulent nature, the leaves are growing back again. In Ecuador and Peru, the leaves extracts already exits, whether self-contained or in a combination with other herbs used mainly for supporting the immune system.
Also Dr. Duke’s ethnomedical database indicates the promising medical effects as regards presence of the content substances.
Unfortunately the whole scientific studies are still missing.

Contraindications:

Not described.

Side effects:

The extract from leaves may decrease spermatogenesis.

More information you can look on the site about ordinary preparation of the herbal remedies

Phytochemical composition:

Anthocyanins, catechol-tannins, coumarins, flavonones, sterols, triterpenes