Botany
Mamalis is a tree occasionally reaching heights of 20 meters, although it is usually much smaller. Whole tree is smooth except for its inflorescence. Leaves are narrowly elliptic, 6 to 15 centimeters long, and less than 2 centimeters wide, and gradually narrowed at both ends. Flowers are white, fragrant, about 6 millimeters long, crowded in panicles 5 to 8 centimeters in length. Fruit is small, globular, pale yellow to orange, somewhat rounded when fresh, 6 to 8 millimeters in diameter. Seeds are about 8, flattened, covered with a glossy red, oily and sticky mucus, with an odor reminiscent of petroleum.

Distribution
- In secondary forests at low and medium altitudes, ascending to 1,400 meters, from northern Luzon to Palawan and Mindanao.
- Native to the Philippines, China, Taiwan, and Indonesia.

Constituents
• Fruit yields a volatile oil, 1%; dihydroterpene.
• Leaves yield calcium oxalate and amygdalin.
• Stems yield amygdalin and fats.
• Study yielded two eudesmane-type sesquiterpene glycosides and the known triterpene betulin. (2)
• Fruits and oil: Fruits are quite small. One tree yields about 16 kilos of fruit which after grinding yields on distillation 21 cubic centimeters of pleasant smelling oil. The oil properties suggests the oil consists principally of the same hydroterpene found in the oil of the petroleum nut. (4)
• Crude extract of leaves yielded alkaloids, triterpenoids, flavonoids, and tannins. (see study below) (5)

Properties
- Antibacterial, antipyretic.
- Studies have suggested genotoxic, cytotoxic, mutagenic, clastogenic properties.

Parts used
Leaves, bark, fruit juice.

Uses
Folkloric
- Aromatic decoction of leaves used by women for postpartum baths.
- Decoction of bark used for fever and cough.
- Powdered bark in small doses used as antipyretic.
- Powdered bark also used as febrifuge; in large doses, a general antidote.
- Also used for bronchitis.
- Decoction of leaves used as aromatic bath after childbirth or prolonged illness.
- Fruit juice and decoction used for cleansing wounds.
Others
- Wood: Used for jewelry beads; firewood.
- Oil: Fruit yields an essential oil.

Studies
• Genotoxicity: Of 138 Philippine medicinal plant preparations studied, only 12, including P. pentandrum, exhibited detectable genotoxicity in any system. (1)
• Sesquiterpene Glycosides: Study of chloroform extract yielded two novel eudesmane-type sesquiterpene glycosides and a known triterpene betulin. (2)
• Cytotoxicity / Brine Shrimp Lethality Assay R/ Leaves: Study evaluated a crude extract of P. pentandrum leaves for in vivo cytotoxic effects against brine shrimp nauplii. Using BSLA, the cytotoxic capability of Mamalis crude extract was evident at 0.01% to 0.09% with LC50 of 0.05%. Results suggest Mamalis crude extract can be further examined as an antimicrobial or antitumor agent. (see constituents above) (5)
• Clastogenicity / Mutagenicity: Leaf and bark decoctions of Pittosporum pentandrum induced frameshift mutagenesis in Salmonella typhimurium. Clastogenicity or chromosome breaking potential was exhibited by decoctions from leaves and bark. (6)

Availability
Wild-crafted. 

Additional Sources and Suggested Readings
(1)
Mutagenic and Antimutagenic Activities in Philippine Medicinal and Food Plants / Clara Y. Lim-Sylianco‌ / Summary Toxin Reviews,1985; Vol 4, No 1: pp 71-105 / DOI 10.3109/15569548509014414
(2)
Sesquiterpene glycosides from Pittosporum pentandrum / Consolacion Ragasa et al / Phytochemistry, June 1997; Volume 45, Issue 3: pp 545-547 / doi:10.1016/S0031-9422(96)00852-7
(3)
Pittosporum pentandrum / Synonyms / The Plant List
(4)
Pittosporum pentandrum / Useful Tropical Plants
(5)
Phytochemical Analysis and Cytotoxicity Potential of Pittosporum pentandrum (Mamalis) Crude Leaf Extract Using Brine Shrimp Lethality Assay / Stephanie Ocal, Ricky Boy Ferrer, Sharlene Cherry Suratos de Guzman / Asian Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies, 2018; 1(1)
(6)
Mutagenicity and Clastogenicity Potential of Decoctions and Infusions from Philippine Medicinal Plants / C.Y. Lim-Sylianco, J.A. Concha, J. San Agustin, I. Panizares and C. Pablo  / The Bulletin of Philippine Biochemical Society, 1980; Volume 3, Issue 1 & 2: pp  54-65

                                                                          DOI
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