Gen info
- Mallotus is a genus of the spurge family Euphorbiaceae, first described as a genus in 1790. The genus has about 150 species of dioecious trees or shrubs. (2)
- Etymology: The genus name Mallotus derives from Greek, meaning wooly, referring to the hairy leaves and fruits in some species. The specific epithet paniculatus derives from Latin, referring to flowers arranged in a panicle (branched flower cluster). (3)

Botany
• Shrubs or trees, 3-15 m tall. Branchlets reddish stellate-tomentulose. Stipules small; petiole 2-15 cm; leaf blade rhombic, ovate, or triangular-ovate, often 1-3-lobed or 3-cuspidate, 5-15 × 3-12 cm, thickly papery, adaxially glabrescent, abaxially grayish tomentulose, base cuneate, sometimes slightly peltate, with 2 large basal glands, apex acuminate; basal veins 3-5. Male and female inflorescences often branched, 10-25 cm, tomentulose; bracts ovate, 1-2 mm. Male flowers 2-7-fascicled; pedicel 2-3 mm; calyx lobes 3 or 4, ovate, 2-2.5 mm, stellate-puberulent; stamens 50-60. Female flowers: sepals 4 or 5, oblong, 2-3 mm, tomentulose; ovary tomentulose; styles 3, ca. 3 mm, plumose. Fruiting pedicel ca. 2.5 mm; capsule 3-locular, ca. 10 mm in diam., tomentulose, sparsely softly spiny, spines subulate, 4-5 mm. (Flora of China)

• Growth form: A shrub or tree that can grow up to 25 m tall. Foliage: Its alternate leaves have stalks that are sometimes attached somewhat near to the center of the underside of the leaf blades. Its thick papery leaf blades are diamond-shaped, egg-shaped or triangular-egg-shaped, slightly toothed along the margins, 1–3 lobed, green above, white to pale brown and slightly hairy below, and 3.6–20 by 2.5–17 cm. The connection between the leaf stalk and leaf blade is not very rigid, so enabling the leaf blade to rotate about the point of attachment easily, as when blown by the wind. Flowers: The plant produces unisexual flowers that develop in flowering shoots (inflorescences) at the tip of branches. Its male inflorescences are up to 57 cm long. Its male flowers are yellow, and 4–6.4 mm wide. Its female inflorescences are slightly hairy, and up to 38 cm long. Its female flowers are yellow and are 2–4 mm wide. Fruit: Its fruits are capsules, greenish-brown to grayish-tan, hairy, 5.5–6 by 4.2–12 mm, covered with 10–20 spines that are about 4 mm long, and each has 3 compartments within. Its seeds are partially round, glossy black, and about 2.4–4 mm across. (Flora & Fauna Web)

Distribution
- Native to the Philippines.
- Also native to Bangladesh, Bismarck Archipelago, Borneo, Cambodia, China South-Central, China Southeast, Hainan, India, Jawa, Laos, Lesser Sunda Is., Malaya, Maluku, Myanmar, Nansei-shoto, New Guinea, Queensland, Sulawesi, Sumatera, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam. (1)
- Common in evergreen forest and in scrub vegetation, up to 1500 m altitude.

Constituents
- Study of CHCl3 extract whole plant for chemical constituents isolated six compounds identified as quercetin( 1), kaempherol(2), hesperetin (3), 7,3'-O-dimethylluteolin (4), p-sitosterol (5) and syringaresinol (6). (4)
- Study of stem bark for chemical compounds yielded tannins, saponins, flavonoids, triterpenoids, and quinones. (6)

Properties
- Studies have suggested antibacterial, antioxidant, anticancer properties.

Parts used
Leaves, roots.

Uses
Edibility
- No study found on edibility.
Folkloric
- No reported folkloric medicinal use in the Philippines.
- In Bangladesh, one of 23 plant species used for treatment of malaria.
- In Malaysia, plant decoction used for cleaning wounds. Poultice of plant mixed with other plants used for treatment of headache. Lotion externally applied in children for fever. Root are boiled and drunk after childbirth.
- In China, root decoction taken orally for treatment of leucorrhea.
- In Indonesia, the Dayak people of Central Kalimantan use balik angin leaves for the treatment of acne by fine-grinding the leaves and applying it to the skin with acne. (8)
Others
- Crafts: Wood used for making matches, boxes, packaging, paper.
- Fuel: Wood used as fuelwood.
- Bark: Yield a fiber that can be used for making string or coarse cloth.

Studies
• Antibacterial / Antioxidant / Anticancer / Leaves: Study evaluated Mallotus paniculatus ethanol, ethyl acetate, and hexane extracts of leaves for antibacterial, antifungal, anticancer, and antioxidant activities. Ethanol and EA extracts showed antibaterial activity against Gram(+) Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis. Crude ethanol extracet showed high antioxidant activity by DPPH assay with IC50 of 30 µg/ml comparable with positive controls, ascorbic acid, and BHT. Both ethanolic and EA extracts were cytotoxic against breast cancer (MCF7). colon cancer (HTY-29), cervical cancer (HeLa) cell lines.

Availability
- Wild-crafted.
- Seeds in the cybermarket.

Additional Sources and Suggested Readings
(1)
Mallotus paniculatus / KEW: Plants of the World Online
(2)
Mallotus paniculatus / PROSEA
(3)
Mallotus paniculatus / National Parks: FLORA & FAUNA WEB
(4)
Medicinal Properties Screening of Mallotus paniculatus Extract / Bahaman NA, Ahmad Raus R, Ahmd Nor Y, Mamun AA, Adzajar NS, Basri DF / (IMJM. 2020; 19(1)
(5)
Chemical constituents of Mallotus paniculatus / Chun-Ling Zhu, Jiang-Xiong Ma / Zhong yao cai: Journal of Chinese Medicinal Materials, 2014; 37(8): pp 1385-1387
(6)
PHARMACOGNOSTIC STUDY OF BALIK ANGIN STEM BARK (Mallotus paniculatus (Lam.) Mull. Arg) / Fitriyanti, Revita Saputri, Nopita / Borneo Journal of Pharmascientech, 2019; 3(2) /
DOI: 10.51817/bjp/v3i2.258
(7)
Medicinal plants used against malaria in several regions of bogra district, Bangladesh / H Mollik, N Hasan, S Hossan, R Jahan, M Rahmatullah / Planta Med 2009; 75 - PD39 / DOI: 10.1055/a-0029-1234518
(8)
The Utilization of Various Medicinal Plants based on the Dayak Community Perspective in The Central Kalimantan as an Education for Sustainable Development / Fathul Zannah, Indah Sari Dewi / BIO-INOVED: Jurnal Biologi-Inovasi Pendidikan, 2021; 3(3): pp 216-220 / DOI: 10.20527/bino.v3i3.11090 /
pISSN: 2684-9062 / eISSN: 2714-9803

DOI: It is not uncommon for links on studies/sources to change. Copying and pasting the information on the search window or using the DOI (if available) will often redirect to the new link page. (Citing and Using a (DOI) Digital Object Identifier)