Blumea balsamifera

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"Sambong" redirects here. For the Korean writer, see Jeong Do-jeon.
Blumea balsamifera
Blumea balsamifera Blanco2.403-cropped.jpg
Sambong (Blumea balsamifera)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:

Plantae

(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Asterids
Order: Asterales
Family:

Asteraceae

Subfamily:

Asteroideae

Tribe: Inuleae
Genus:

Blumea

Species:

B. balsamifera

Binomial name
Blumea balsamifera
(L.) DC.
Blumea balsamifera is a flowering plant belonging to the Blumea genus, Asteraceae
family.

Contents [hide]
1

Description

Use in the Philippines

Uses elsewhere in Asia

See also

References

Description[edit]
In the Philippines, where it is most commonly known as sambong, Blumea
balsamifera is used in traditional herbal medicine for the common cold and as a
diuretic.[1][2][3] It is also used for infected wounds, respiratory infections, and
stomach pains in Thai and Chinese folk medicine.[4]

The genus Blumea is found in the tropical and sub-tropical zones of Asia, especially
the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia. Blumea balsamifera is one of its
species that is used in Southeast Asia. A weed, this plant is a ruderal species that
often grows on disturbed land,[1] and in grasslands.[3] It has been described
physically as:

Softly hairy, half woody, strongly aromatic shrub, 1-4 meters (m) high. Simple,
alternate, broadly elongated leaves, 7-20 cm long, with toothed margin and
appendaged or divided base. Loose yellow flower head scattered along muchbranched leafy panicles. Two types of discoid flowers: peripheral ones tiny, more
numerous, with tubular corolla; central flowers few, large with campanulate corolla.
Anther cells tailed at base. Fruit (achene) dry, 1-seeded, 10-ribbed, hairy at top.

Sambong listing at Stuart X Change list of Medicinal plants [1]

Use in the Philippines[edit]
In most of the Philippines, B. balsamifera is called sambong (pronounced with pure
vowels as sahm-BOHNG) in the Tagalog language, but in Visayas it is known as
bukadkad, and in Ilocos it is sometimes called subusob, subsub, or sobsob.[1][3][5]
Its primary uses are as a diuretic (or "water pill") and to treat symptoms of the
common cold.[2][3][5] As a diuretic, sambong is an herb used to treat urolithiasis
(urinary tract or kidney stones) and urinary tract infections,[2] and thus reduces
high blood pressure.[5] Sambong works as an expectorant, an anti-diarrheal and an
anti-spasmotic, all of which treat some symptoms of the common cold.[1][2][3][5] It
is also sometimes used as an astringent for wounds.[1][5] It is approved by the
Philippine Department of Health, Institute of Traditional and Alternative Health Care,
[5] and by the Bureau of Plant Industries of the Department of Agriculture.[2]

No claim has been made by any responsible practitioner that it would cure the
common cold or kidney disease, and it has "No Approved Therapeutic Claims".
Rather the only legitimate claim is that it relieves symptoms.[2][3]

The active ingredients exist in the volatile oil, made from the leaves of the
sambong, which have mostly camphor and limonene, but also has traces of borneol,
saponin, sesquiterpene, and tannin.[1][3]

Sambong is available as a tea, and may be purchased commercially.[2][3] The tea

has a woody taste, with hint of menthol, described on an official Government of the
Philippines website as "a strong camphoraceous odor and a pungent taste".[3]

Uses elsewhere in Asia[edit]

In Thai folklore, it is called Naat () and is reputed to ward off spirits.[6] It is also
used in the treatment of infection.[4]

In addition, it is used in traditional Chinese medicine,[4] in Malay folk medicine, and

in Indian Ayurvedic medicine.[7]

Besides its medicinal uses, it may also be used as a decorative dry plant.

See also[edit]
Bitter melon
Chinese food therapy
Mae Nak
References[edit]
^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g Sambong listing at Stuart X Change list of Medicinal
plants. Accessed December 25, 2009.

^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g Bernardo M. Villegas, "Business and Society: High-value

crops", Manila Bulletin, November 29, 2009, found at Manila Bulletin. Accessed
December 25, 2009.
^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i
http://www.bpi.da.gov.ph/Publications/mp/html/s/sambong.htm - Bureau of Plant
Industry of the Department of Agriculture of the Republic of Philippines Official
government website. Accessed December 25, 2009.
^ Jump up to: a b c Uthai Sakee, Sujira Maneerat; et al. (2011). "Antimicrobial
activity of Blumea balsamifera (Lin.) DC. extracts and essential oil". Natural Product
Research. 25 (19): 18491856. doi:10.1080/14786419.2010.485573. PMID
21500092.
^ Jump up to: a b c d e f Philippine Herbal Medicine website. Accessed December
25, 2009.
Jump up ^ "The Legend of Mae Nak Phra Khanong at Wat Mahabut, Bangkok,
Thailand". Bangkok Picture. Retrieved 29 January 2014.
Jump up ^ Md. Nazrul Islam Bhuiyan, Jasim Uddin Chowdhury; et al. (2009).
"Chemical components in volatile oil from Blumea balsamifera (L.) DC." (PDF).
Bangladesh Journal of Botany. 38 (1): 107109.
Categories: InuleaeFlora of AsiaPlants used in AyurvedaPlants used in traditional
Chinese medicine
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