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Botany
Smooth, deciduous
tree, 3 to 10 meters high.
Leavesw are opposite, oblong-ovate, 4-6 cm long with a pointed
tip and rounded base.
Flowers are pink, 2 cm long, with a truncate calyx.
The pods are narrow, oblong to oblanceolate, 10 t 14 cm longs,
2 cm wide, containing 6 to 8 seeds.
Distribution
The tree is common
in the southern Tagalog areas,
shedding leaves around December and flowering February
and March.
Parts
utilized
Leaves, bark, roots.
Constituents
Leaves: coumarin
Uses
Folkloric
Dermatitis, skin itching:
Apply juice or decoction of leaves, bark or roots on the skin as antipruritic.
Fresh leaves applied to the skin as insect repellant.
As counterirritant: Crush leaves and apply as poultice for rheumatic
pains, sprains and closed fractures.
Sap of bark, leaves and roots have been used for wound healing.
Treatment of scabies.
Studies
• Potential
as anti-pseudomonas drug: Crude extract of Gliricidium sepium
showed potential antipseudomonas drug potential with an in vitro study
showing a minimum inhibitory concentration at 1%.
• Clinical Trail on the Effectiveness of Gliricidia sepium (kakawati)
in Treating Patients with Scabies: the study concluded that the "kakawati"
preparation is as effective as sulfur lotion in the treatment of scabies.
Others
Wood is hard and durable
used for small housing needs, posts, implement handles and firewood.
Leaves have a fetid smell; crushed, used to rid dogs of fleas and ticks
and cattle, of ticks.
Preparation for
scabies treatment:
Ingredients:
1. White candelsticks (4)
2. Coconut oil or any cooking oil: 500 cc
3. Kakawati leaves 250 g
Instructions:
1. Clean kakawati leaves thoroughly
2. Chop leaves finely
3. Add 250 g (approximately 1 glass) of finely chopped leaves into 2
glasses of coconut oil.
4. Mix while boiling.
5. Gather leaves on the surface of the oil, then drain using a strainer.
6. Get 4 white candles ('esperma") and chop finely.
7. Add to the boiled preparation and mix until all chopped candles are
melted.
8. Again, using a strainer, drain and transfer mixture into a clean
glass container. Let it cool.
Availability
Wild-crafted.
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