Gen info
The Calophyllum genus is composed of about 200 species with a pantropical distribution. Some species are part of many indigenous systems of folkloric treatment for a wide range of maladies – tumors, inflammation, ulcers, pain.

Botany
An erect tree, growing to a height of about 25 meters. Leaves are opposite, slightly hairy, oblong, about 10 cm long and 3 cm wide, with numerous parallel and closely set veins. Panicles are shorter orequal to the leaves in length, erect or standing from the upper leaf axils. Flowers are creamy white, about 2 cm across. Fruit is ellipsoid.

Distribution
In primary forests, in low and medium altitudes.

Constituents
Seeds yield bitaog oil, greening yellow in color, sometimes used as illuminant.
70 to 75% of the oil can be extracted from the kernels.
Contains a resin which may be used as a natural varnish.

Uses
Folkloric
Sap of the bark, when mixed with sulphur, used in the treatment of boils and wounds.
For asthma, a piece of cloth moistened with the sap is applied to the breast of a patient.
Others
Oil sometimes used as illuminant.

Studies
• Chromanones / Anti-Cancer: Chromanones and Dihydrocoumarins from Calophyllum blancoi: Study on the extract of Calophyllum blancoi yielded six pyranochromanone derivaties; some compounds showed mild activity against KB (human oral epidermoid carcinoma) and Hela (human cervical epitheloid carcinoma) tumor cell lines.
• Xanthones / Anti-Viral: Root phytochemical studies in Taiwan isolated three new pyranoxanthones – blancoxanthone, acetyl blancoxanthone, and 3-hydroxyblancoxanthone. Biological study of the isolated xanthones revealed that blancoxanthone exhibited significant anti-coronavirus activity.
• Betulinic Acid / Anti-Melanoma: Three Calophyllum species–C. blancoi, C. gracilipes, C. teysmannii–isolated betulinic acid, a strongly cytotoxic triterpene reportedly useful for the treatment of melanoma.

Availability
Wildcrafted.