Nutrition, Health Benefits and Applications of Pluchea indica (L.) Less LeavesO. Suriyaphan*
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Pluchea indica (L.) Less (“Khlu” in Thai) is one of the most well-known indigenous medicinal plants of Southeast Asia and other warm climate countries. In Thailand, Khlu, traditionally used as folk medicine, is used for the treatment of kidney stones (stem), hemorrhoid (bark), inflammation, lumbago, and leucorrhoea (leaves). Consumption of Khlu leaves as a culinary herb offers significant health-promoting compounds, such as, dietary fiber, calcium, β-carotene, chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid and quercetin. Khlu tea has been commercially available in Thailand as a health-promoting drink. To date, several studies have revealed that both aqueous and alcohol extracts from Khlu leaves show high efficacy in the inhibition of lipid oxidation, scavenging of free radicals, and reduction of ferric ion. Furthermore, pharmacological activity of alcohol extracts of Khlu leaves have demonstrated anti-inflammatory, antinociceptive, and anti-tuberculosis properties. In addition, a recent study reported that the crude aqueous extract of Khlu leaves could potentially be used as a new anti-cancer agent due to its ability to inhibit the proliferation and migration of human brain malignant glioma cancer cells (GBM8401) and human cervical cancer cells (HeLa cells).
Keyword:
Pluchea indica (L.) Less, Leaf, Khlu, Nutrition, Antioxidant activity, Anti-cancer agent
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