Tagalog List of Philippine Medicinal Plants
A
Abang - Abang - Decoction of roots, branches and leaves used for wound healing.
Acacia - A decoction of the inner bark or fresh cambium and leaves is used to treat diarrhea.
Akapulko - Decoction of leaves and flowers used as mouthwash in stomatitis.
Alugbati - Mucilaginous liquid obtained from the leaves and tender stalks used for habitual headaches.
Atis - Bark decoction is used as tonic and to stop diarrhea.
Avocado - The leaves and bark are used in domestic medicines because of the pectoral, stomachic, emmengague, resolutive, and antiperiodic properties ascribed to them.
B
Banaba - Roots have been used for a variety of stomach ailments. Leaf decoction for diabetes; also use as a diuretic and purgative.
Balete - Pounded leaves and bark applied as poultice for rheumatic headache.
Balimbing - Seed is used for asthma and colic: Powdered seeds, 10 gms to a cup of warm water, drunk 4 times daily.
Buyo - Buyo - In the Philippines, paste of leaves used externally to treat splenomegaly.
Fruits used for coughs and colds.
Bignay – The leaves are sudorific and employed in treating snakebite, in Asia.
C
Caimito - Bitter seed sometimes used as tonic, for diarrhea and fevers.
Chico - In Mexico, used for kidney stones and rheumatism.
Cacao - We use the pulpy flesh of the fruit in our Digestive Enzyme tincture, because it contains the enzymes protease, invertase, raffinase, cesease and oxydase.
Carrot - The juice of carrots is said to be a great colon cleanser, and cancer preventer.
D
Dalanghita - Oil from rind used for stomach problems; and as liniment for gout, rheumatism and other painful swellings.
Dahong - Pula - No folkloric medicinal use in the Philippines.
• In southern Brazil, used for wound healing.
Duhat - Duhat seeds are known for the treatment of diabetes, as are the leaves and the juice from the fruit.
E
Eucalyptus - As antiseptic and deodorant, leaves are crushed and applied on affected areas.
F
Flame Flower - No recorded folkloric use in the Philippines.
In Brazil, used for diarrhea, dysentery, leucoderma and vitiligo.
G
Gabi - Heated tubers are applied locally to painful rheumatic joints.
Gumamela - Mumps, infection of the urinary tract: use dried drug materials 15 to 30 gms, boil to decoction and drink.
Gulaman - Bladder irritiation, menorrhagia, leucorrhea.
Guyabano - The fruit The Guyabano fruit is an excellent source of vitamin B and C, and is known to have pectoral and febrifuge properties.
H
Hagonio - Plant is used for headaches and fevers.
I
Indian Tree - No reported folkloric medicinal use in the Philippines.
In Nigeria, plant is used for skin disease, fever, diabetes and hypertension.
Iba - Decoction of the bark used for bronchial catarrh.
J
Jasmin - Water in which the flowers were macerated the night before used as eyewash.
K
Kalamansi - Aromatic bath: Mix juice with gogo.
Kamote - Tops, especially purplish ones, used for diabetes.
Kamoteng Kahoy - Poultice of fresh rhizome used for ulcers.
Kape - An important alkaloid used as a stimulant for the nervous system and circulation.
Kogon - For urinary tract infections: drink a decoction of 80 to 120 gms of fresh rhizomes.
Kamatis - they are a most extraordinary corrective for kidneys, being a gentle, natural stimulant which helps to wash away the poisons which cause disease and contaminate our systems."
L
Labanos - For diarrhea: boil the fresh leaves to concentrated decoction and drink.
Letsugas - Extract from fresh plant is a mild sedative; also, useful in the treatment of coughs in phthisis, bronchitis, asthma, and pertusis.
Luya - It has been found effective in the treatment of heart disease, migraines, stroke, coughs, dizziness, fever, kidney stones, and viral infections.
M
Mahogany - Used for hypertension, amoebiasis, chest pains, parasitism, cancer.
Mayana - Mild bleeding of wounds: Wash the young leaves; crush and extract the juice. Drop a few drops of the juice directly on the wound. Apply the crushed leaves as poultice.
Malungay - Leaves and fruit used for constipation.
Mansanitas - The fruit is also a mild laxative and expectorant, being used to relieve coughs.
N
Narra - Used for bladder ailments, diarrhea, headache, stones, sores and dropsy.
Niyog - Myriads of use in the traditional systems worldwide: abscesses, asthma, baldness, burns and bruises,, cough and colds, kidney stones, scabies, ulcers, among many others.
O
Okra - Decoction of young fruit useful for catarrh, urinary problems.
Ochid Tree - Not used medicinally in the Philippines.
In India, powdered bark used as tonic, for strains, ulcers, skin disease. Also, extracts of bark used for treatment of cancer.
P
Paminta - In the Philippines, used as stimulant and rubefacient. Piperine also used as antiperiodic.
Pandan - Headache, arthritis, stomach spasms: Decoction of leaves.
Pipino - is also useful in eliminating water from the body, which makes is important for those with heart and kidney problems.
R
Rambutan - Fruit used for dysentery and as warm carminative in dyspepsia.
Red Pineapple - No reported folkloric medicinal use in the Philippines.
• Root decoction used for diarrhea.
S
Sambong - Poultice of leaves to forehead for headaches.
Sampalok - Asthma: Bark; chop and boil a foot-long piece of bark in 3 glasses of water for 10 minutes. Adults, 1 cup after every meal and at bedtime; children, 1/2 cup 4 times daily; Babies, 2 tbsps 4 times daily.
Santan - Used for dysenteric diarrhea and associated colic pains.
Santol - The bark of Santol contains a bitter substance, sandoricum acid, and is used to treat ringworm.
T
Tagbak - Decoction of rhizomes used for hemoptysis.
Tsaang Gubat - For diarrhea: Boil 8 tbsp of chopped leaves in 2 glasses of water for 15 minutes; strain and cool. Use 1/4 of the decoction every 2 or 3 hours. Decoction has also been used as a dental mouthwash.
Tuba - Tuba - Cataplasm of fresh leaves is applied to swollen breasts.
Tanglad - It is used to aid digestion, for stomach problems and to reduce fevers.
U
Ube - Powdered tubers used as a remedy for piles, gonorrhea, and applied externally to sores.
V
Violeta - Decoction of root is a strong emetic; in large doses, the roots and seeds are poisonous.
W
Wild Sunflower - No reported folkloric medicinal use in the Philippines.
In Central America, leaf extracts are used externally for the treatment of wounds and hematomas.
Y
Yacon - Decoction of leaves used as tea for diabetics.
Z
Zamia - Gum from the stem used for skin ulcers.