Clerodendron infortunatum

It is common throughout India. It is a hill glory bower gregarious shrub, 1-2 m high. The quadrangular branches are covered with silly yellowish hair. Oppositely arranged leaves are oval, 10-20 cm long, hairy. The base of the leaf is heart-shaped. White flowers, tinged with pink, occur in large panicles. The five white petals are tinged pink at the base. Four long stamens, 3 cm, protrude out of the flower. It is flowering in March-April.

Phytochemical investigation of the plant revealed the presence of alkyl sterols and 2,-(3, 4 dehydroxyphenyl) ethanol 1-O-α-2rhamnopyranosyl-(1→3)-β-D-(4-O-caffeoyl) glycopyranoside (acteoside) in this plant. The plant was also found to contain triterpenes, steroids and flavonoids. Novel crystalline compounds such as clerodolone, clerodone, clerodol and a sterol designated clerosterol have been isolated from the root. Seven sugars namely raffinose, lactose, maltose, sucrose, galactose, glucose and fructose were identified. 

Its homoeopathic mother tincture is prepared from leaves. It is covered by Homoeopathic Pharmacopoeia of India. Introduced by S. C. Ghose in Drugs of Hindoostan.

It is chiefly used in gastric intestinal trouble. Diarrhoea associated with nausea; colic due to worm affections; stools are liquid, deep yellow, frothy; nausea is a prominent symptom, associated with watering in mouth-ptyalism. In Indian medicine, the leaves and root may are used in the treatment of the skin diseases and tumor. The leaves may be administered in substitution of Chirata. Fresh juice of leaves is anthelmintic, febrifuge in malaria of children. Traditionally extract of the leaves is given orally in fever and bowel troubles in the Kuki and Rongmei tribes in the North-East India. Fresh leaf-juice is introduced in the rectum for removal of ascarids. Leaves and flowers are used to cure scorpion sting. In herbal medicine, the leaf and root are widely used as antidandruff, antipyretic, ascaricide, laxative, vermifuge, and in treatments of convulsion, diabetes, gravel, malaria, scabies, skin diseases, sore, spasm, scorpion sting, snake bite and tumor. It is taking to increase milk secretion for post-labor. In many traditional practices the leaves and root are widely used as antihyperglycemic..

Recommended dose – Φ in drop doses and diluted up to the equivalent of 3rd attenuation and above.

References: 

1. http://www.flowersofindia.net/catalog/slides/Hill%20Glory%20Bower.html

2. Ashish Modi J., Khadabadi S. S., Deore S. L, In vitro Anthelmintic Activity of Clerodendrum infortunatum, International Journal of PharmTech Research,Vol.2(1), Jan- Mar 2010, pp: 375-377.

3. Sannigrahi Santanu, Mazumder Upal Kanti, Pal Dilipkumar, Mishra Silpi Lipsa Hepatoprotective potential of methanol extract of Clerodendrum infortunatum Linn. against CCl4 induced hepatotoxicity in rats, Vol : 5( 20), 2009, pp: 394-399.

4. Manzoor-Khuda M, Sarela S (1965). “Constituents of Clerodendron infortunatum (bhat)—I : Isolation of clerodolone, clerodone, clerodol and clerosterol”. Tetrahedron 21 (4): 797–802. doi:10.1016/0040-4020(65)80012-6.

5. http://www.flowersofindia.net/catalog/slides/Hill%20Glory%20Bower.html

6. Sharma HK, Chhangte L, Dolui AK (2001). “Traditional medicinal plants in Mizoram, India”. Fitoterapia 72 (2): 146–161. doi:10.1016/S0367-326X(00)00278-1. 

7. Rahman A-U, Zaman K (1989). “Medicinal plants with hypoglycemic activity”. J Ethnopharmacol 26 (1): 1–55. doi:10.1016/0378-8741(89)90112-8. PMID 2664356.