Gen info
- Apluda is a genus of plants in the grass family Poaceae. and tribe Andropogoneae. Apluda mutica is the only known species.
- Etymology: The genus name Apluda derives from Latin apluda, meaning "chaff", referring to conspicuously spatheate groups of spikelets, or to spikelets persisting on old inflorescences. The specific epithet mutica derives from Latin muticus, meaning "blunt" or "abrupt", referring to the blunt or truncate tips of the lemmas or glumes of the spikelets.

Botany
• Mauritian Grass is a rambling perennial grass, with stems up to about 3 m long, rooting from the lower nodes. Leaf-blades are flat, 5-25 cm long, 2-10 mm wide, cut-off at the tip. False panicle is linear, interrupted, 3.4 cm long. Spatheole narrowly ovate in side view, 3.5-10 mm long, acuminate. Stalkless spikelets are 2-6 mm long, lower glume narrowly elliptic-lanceolate; upper lemma deeply bifid with an awn 4-12 mm long or entire to emarginate and awnless. Stalked spikelets are broadly lanceshaped, the larger 2-5 mm long, stalks narrowly oblong, 2.4 cm long. This is considered to be a fairly good fodder grass and is readily eaten by cattle when young. It is very common in the plains and at low elevation in the Himalayas. In hedges and bushy places it usually assumes a climbing habit. It often constitutes a large part of the undergrowth in forests. (Flowers of India)

Distribution
- Native to the Philippines. (1)
- Throughout the Philippines in thickets and open grasslands up to 1800 m.
- Also native to Afghanistan, Andaman Is., Assam, Bangladesh, Borneo, Cambodia, Caroline Is., China South-Central, China Southeast, Cocos (Keeling) Is., East Himalaya, Hainan, India, Jawa, Kazakhstan, Kirgizstan, Laccadive Is., Laos, Lesser Sunda Is., Malaya, Maldives, Maluku, Mauritius, Myanmar, Nansei-shoto, Nepal, New Caledonia, New Guinea, Nicobar Is., Oman, Pakistan, Réunion, Socotra, Solomon Is., Sri Lanka, Sulawesi, Sumatera, Tadzhikistan, Taiwan, Thailand, Tibet, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Vietnam, West Himalaya. (1)

Constituents
- Study of Apluda mutica dry leaf powder revealed high fodder potential with high amount of calcium (53.60 mg/100g), sodium (123.60 mg/100g), crude lipid (5.48%), and caloric value (354.84 kcal/100g).  Other macro- and micro mineral yields were iron (2.65 mg/100g), magnesium 23.80 mg/100g), phosphorus 31.50 mg/100g), selenium 1.47 mg/100g) and zinc 13.70 mg/100g). (see study below) (6)
- Proximate analysis yielded total ash (12.06%), moisture 6/08%), crude protein 30.64%), crude lipid (5.48%), carbohydrate (45.74%), crude fiber (5.42%), caloric value (354.84 kcal/100g). (6)
- Study of methanolic extract of whole plant yielded alkaloids, steroids, flavonoids, terpenoids, tannins, phenols, glycosides, proteins, and carbohydrates. (see study below) (7)
- LCMS profiling of whole plant extract yielded 10 bioactive compounds. Major compounds were 2-O-rhamnosyl-swertisin (45.00 %); Sennoside C (27.32 %); Renchangianin B (7.13 %) and Quercetin 3,7-dimethyl ether (6.16 %). (see study below) (7)

Properties
- Studies have suggested nutritive fodder, antibacterial, antidiabetic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory properties.

Parts used
- Whole plant, leaves.

Uses
Edibility
- No reports found on edibility.
Folkloric
- No reported folkloric medicinal use in the Philippines.
- Plant decoctions used for treatment of dysentery and gonorrhea. Also used as diuretic.  Leaf paste applied topically to stop bleeding. (4)
- In Sri Lanka, leaves used on wounds to stop bleeding.
- In West Bengal, locals chew leaves on an empty stomach to decrease blood sugar levels. (4) Leaf paste made from young plant, applied to treat fungus infection of mouth. Plant paste used as balm on paralytic part of patient to get sensation back. (6)
- In Madhya Pradesh, paste of whole plant applied twice daily to cure fungal infection in mouth of children. (2)
Others
- Fodder: A good fodder grass; readily eaten by horse, cattle, and young buffaloes.
- Veterinary: In West Bengal, Mundals apply fresh root paste on mouth sores of cattle. (6)  Aerial parts used for treatment of stomachaches. Also used for dysentery in cattle. (•) Whole plant used as fodder to cure poisoning in animals due to insect bite. (3) Bark paste used for boils. Paste of whole plant given orally to treat mouth sores in calves.

Studies
• Fodder Potential: Study evaluated the fodder potential of dry leaf powder of five weedy grasses, namely Apluda mutica, Bothriochloa pertusa, Chloris barbata, Paspalidium flavidum and Stenotaphrum dimidiatum, quantified and compared mineral and proximate compositions. Apluda mutica showed highest fodder potential with highest amount of calcium (53.60 mg/00g), sodium (123.60 mg/100g), crude lipid (5.48%), and caloric value (354.84 kcal/100g) compared to other grasses. (6)
• Antibacterial / Whole Plant: Study evaluated a methanolic extract of whole plant for antibacterial activity using agar well diffusion assay. Results showed moderate antibacterial activity with highest inhibition against Enterococcus faecalis (12.16 mm), followed by Staphylococcus aureus (10.66 mm), and Escherichia coli (7.16 mm), and minimum ZOI against Pseudomonas aeruginosa (4.66 mm). (see constituents above) (7)
• Antidiabetic / Anti-Inflammatory / Antioxidant: Study evaluated the benzene, chloroform, methanol, and 70% aqueous extracts for antioxidant activity by TPC, DPPH and ABTS assays, and antidiabetic, and anti-inflammatory activities and quantifying α-amylase, α-glucosidase, and protein denaturation inhibitory activities. Among the solvents, the 70% aq. ethanol yielded TPC of 141.94 GAE/g dry extract, TFC 23.27  RE/g dry extract; DPPH % inhibition of 53.35, ABTS 72.77% inhibition, FRAP 2.15 mg trolox equivalent/ g dry extract. Antidiabetic potential by α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibition IC50s of 63.01 and 168.84 µg/ml, and protein denaturation IC50 of 166.03 µg/ml. (4)

Availability
- Wild-crafted.

Additional Sources and Suggested Readings
(1)
Apluda mutica / KEW: Plants of the World Online
(2)
Medicinal importance of the grasses of Chhindwara district (M.P.) / Omkar Bawistale, TR Sahu, Pankaj Sahu, Brajesh Sahu / International Journal of Plant Sciences, 2010; 5(2): pp 696-697
(3)
Plants used in Ethnoveterinary Medicine by Tribals of Visakhapatnam and Vizianagarm Districts, Andhra Pradesh, India / V Lakshmi Narayana, GM Narasimharao / International Journal of Pure & Applied Biosceicne, 2015; 3(2): pp 432-439 / ISSN: 2320-7051
(4)
Anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties of four underutilized ethnomedicinal plants of West Bengal, India: an in vitro approach / Sudeshna Datta, Soumen Bhattacharjee, Tapan Seal / South African Journal of Botany, 2022; Volume 149: pp 768-780 / DOI: 10.1016/j.sajb.2022.06.029
(5)
NUTRITIVE AND PROXIMATE ANALYSIS ON FIVE WEEDY GRASSES FOR THEIR POTENTIAL USE AS FODDER / Raja Ashael Rhaetia, Kathirvelu Revathy, Maran Madhu Priya, Sadagopan Ravi Shankar / AgroLife Scientific Journal, 2020; 9(2) / eISSN: 2286-0126 / pISSN: 2285-5718 / L-ISSN: 2285-5718
(6)
Medicinal Uses of Grasses by the Tribal People in West Bengal - An Overview / Anshuman Saha, Akramul Hoque, Shyamal Kanti Mallick, Sauris Panda / International Journal of Basic and Applied Sciences, 2014; 3(3): pp 63-70 / ISSN: 2277-1921
(7)
Studies on phytochemicals and antibacterial potential of Apluda mutica L. : An underutilized ethnomedicinal grass /  CN 'Shruthi, D Kotresha / Indian Journal of Applied & Pure Biology, 2024; 39(3): pp 1502-1510 / ISSN: 0970-2091

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)