buffalo-ear
Blumea balsamifera · Accepted scientific name
Scientific literature: Moderate (128 studies) · ★★★☆☆
buffalo-ear, scientifically known as Blumea balsamifera, is a versatile medicinal shrub native to Southeast Asia. Renowned for its aromatic, camphoraceous leaves, it is widely used in traditional medicine to treat skin ailments, respiratory issues, and digestive complaints. This potent plant serves as a vital natural remedy in various cultures.
Names
Common Names
- buffalo-ear
- ngai camphor
- ngai camphorshrub
- ngai camphortree
- Sambong
Regional and Traditional Names
Spanish:
- Blumea balsamifera var. microcephala
- Conyza appendiculata
- Baccharis gratissima
- Pluchea balsamifera
- Conyza saxatilis
- Baccharis salvia
- Conyza balsamifera
- Pluchea appendiculata
- Blumea grandis
- Blumea zollingeriana
- Baccharis balsamifera
- Blumea appendiculata
German:
- Büffelohr
French:
- Sambong
- camphrier
Scientific Names
Accepted name
Blumea balsamiferaSynonyms
- Placus zollingeriana
- Conyza balsamifera
- Pluchea appendiculata
- Baccharis gratissima
- Blumea balsamifera var. microcephala
- Placus balsamifer
- Baccharis balsamifera
- Blumea zollingeriana
- Blumea excisa
- Blumea grandis
- Placus grandis
- Baccharis salvia
- Pluchea balsamifera
- Blumea densiflora var. excisa
- Blumea appendiculata
Taxonomical Classification
This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta, falling under the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae. Within the order Asterales, it is a member of the Asteraceae family. Specifically, its taxonomic classification identifies it under the genus Blumea.
| Rank | Classification | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom | Plantae | WCVP |
| Phylum | Streptophyta | WCVP |
| Class | Equisetopsida | WCVP |
| Subclass | Magnoliidae | WCVP |
| Order | Asterales | WCVP |
| Family | Asteraceae | WCVP |
| Genus | Blumea | WCVP |
Distribution
This plant exhibits a broad geographical distribution spanning across multiple regions of Asia and Africa. In the African continent, it is specifically documented within the West-Central Tropical Africa region, particularly in the DR Congo. Moving to East Asia, its presence is noted in the territory of Taiwan. Within China, the species is widely distributed across the South-Central, Southeast, and Hainan regions. Together, these locations highlight the diverse environments where Blumea balsamifera can be found growing.
| Region | Area | Source |
|---|---|---|
| West-Central Tropical Africa | DR Congo | WCVP |
| China | China South-Central | WCVP |
| China | Hainan | WCVP |
| China | China Southeast | WCVP |
| Eastern Asia | Taiwan | WCVP |
| Indian Subcontinent | Assam | WCVP |
| Indian Subcontinent | Bangladesh | WCVP |
| Indian Subcontinent | East Himalaya | WCVP |
| Indian Subcontinent | India | WCVP |
| Indian Subcontinent | Nepal | WCVP |
Plant Parts
This plant, commonly known as Sambong, utilizes various components for its medicinal properties. The large, aromatic leaves are the most frequently used part in traditional treatments, particularly for their diuretic effects. Additionally, the young shoots and young leaves are often harvested due to their high concentration of essential oils and active compounds. For certain preparations, the young stems are also employed, while the more mature stems provide the structural support for the plant's dense, bushy growth.| Plant Part | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| leaves | Journal of agricultural and food chemistry (and other 8 sources) | ★★★★☆ |
| leaf | Frontiers in plant science (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| mature leaves | Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| root | Tropical biomedicine (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| roots | Physiology and molecular biology of plants : an international journal of functional plant biology (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| senescent leaves | Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| stem | Tropical biomedicine (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| stems | Physiology and molecular biology of plants : an international journal of functional plant biology (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| young leaves | Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| young shoots | Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Chemicals
Blumea balsamifera has 45 reported phytochemicals identified across 18 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include Flavonoids, Terpenoids, Borneol, L-Borneol, 3,3',5,7-tetrahydroxy-4'-methoxyflavanone.
Most Reported Compounds
| Compound | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Flavonoids | Frontiers in plant science (and other 4 sources) | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Terpenoids | Genes (and other 4 sources) | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Borneol | Genetics and molecular research : GMR (and other 3 sources) | ★★☆☆☆ |
| L-Borneol | Frontiers in plant science (and other 3 sources) | ★★☆☆☆ |
| 3,3',5,7-tetrahydroxy-4'-methoxyflavanone | International journal of analytical chemistry (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| D-Limonene | BMC complementary and alternative medicine (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Fatty acids | Frontiers in cell and developmental biology (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| LIGNIN | BMC plant biology (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| luteolin | Frontiers in plant science (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| (-)-Borneol | Frontiers in plant science (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Activities
Blumea balsamifera has 11 reported activities identified across 18 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Anticancer, Antidiabetic, Antioxidant, Analgesic, Antifungal.
Most Reported Activities
| Activity | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Anticancer | Physiology and molecular biology of plants : an international journal of functional plant biology (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antidiabetic | Journal of Ayurveda and integrative medicine (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antioxidant | Frontiers in plant science (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Analgesic | Frontiers in plant science (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antifungal | Veterinary world (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antimicrobial | Veterinary world (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antitumor | Veterinary world (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antiviral | Physiology and molecular biology of plants : an international journal of functional plant biology (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Cytotoxic | Journal of natural products (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Gastroprotective | Veterinary world (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Medicinal Uses
Blumea balsamifera has 25 reported medicinal uses identified across 18 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include hypertension, eczema, Rheumatoid Arthritis, analgesic, antimalarial.
Most Reported Uses
| Use | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| hypertension | The American journal of Chinese medicine (and other 3 sources) | ★★☆☆☆ |
| eczema | Genes (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Rheumatoid Arthritis | Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland) (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| analgesic | Frontiers in plant science (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| antimalarial | Journal of advanced pharmaceutical technology & research (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| antioxidant | Frontiers in plant science (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| antiviral | Physiology and molecular biology of plants : an international journal of functional plant biology (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| athlete's foot | Journal of ethnopharmacology (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| bacterial infection | Genes (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| cough | Veterinary world (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Preparations
| Preparations | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Blumea balsamifera MeOH extract | The American journal of Chinese medicine (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Blumea balsamifera leaf extracts | Pakistan journal of pharmaceutical sciences (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| MeOH extracts | Biological & pharmaceutical bulletin (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| a flavoring ingredient | Journal of agricultural and food chemistry (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| a tea | Journal of agricultural and food chemistry (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| essential oil | Physiology and molecular biology of plants : an international journal of functional plant biology (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| extract | Journal of natural products (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| leaf extracts | Frontiers in plant science (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| methanol extract | Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| root | Tropical biomedicine (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |