DIVERSIDAD GENÉTICA Y MEJORAMIENTO DE PLANTAS MEDICINALES= Medicinal plants and improvement of medicinal herbs:

The genus Boerhavia is distributed in the tropical and subtropical regions of the Old and New World in both hemispheres. Many are characteristic of coastal habitats. It is represented in Taiwan by five species: B. coccinea Mill., B. erecta L., B. repens L., B. glabrata Bl., and B. hualienense Chen & Wu sp. nov. Boerhavia coccinea and B. erecta are recently known as alien species. Boerhavia repens and B. glabrata, both incorrectly reported previously in Taiwan as B. diffusa L., are recognized. Boerhavia hualienense is a new species from eastern Taiwan. In this paper we present a brief revision of the Taiwanese species of Boerhavia. A key to its taxa along with descriptions, line drawings, ecology, taxonomical notes, and a map showing the distribution of all five species on this island are provided.

PARTE UTILIZADA= Used part: Raíz.

ACCIÓN FARMACOLÓGICA= Pharmacological action Diurético, antiicterico, antioftálmico, anticefalálgico.

COMPOSICIÓN QUÍMICA= Chemical composition: Three species of Boerhavia from southern Nigeria have been screened phytochemically. The presence of tannins and saponins are being reported for the first time in B. coccinea and B. erecta whereas the report of these substances in B. diffusa corroborates previous reports. The nature of calcium oxalate crystals in the roots and stems of B. diffusa and B. erecta could be utilised for the characterisation of these plants. The oxalate crystals were present around the regions of the cortex of the stem but were localised almost in every tissue of the root. Tannins and saponins were isolated from the tissues (leaves, stems and roots) of these plants hence the significance of these findings remains an area of further investigations as far as the chemical constituents of these plants are concerned.

ZONA GEOGRAFICA= Geografical zone: Argentina. 

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Origen:
Belice, Bolivia, Brasil, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, Honduras, México, Nicaragua, Panamá, Perú, Puerto Rico, República Dominicana, Venezuela y las Islas Leeward. En África en Angola, Burundi, Camerún, Gabón, Ghana,  Madagascar, Nigeria, Uganda y Zambia. Es una hierba común en terrenos yermos, campos cultivados y orillas de los ríos (ROIG, 1988).

Usos etnomédicos y modo de empleo:
La inyección intravenosa de un alcaloide aislado de esta planta, la punarnavina, produce en el gato un aumento sostenido de la presión arterial y la diuresis (CHOPRA ET AL., 1986). El efecto hepatoprotector del extracto acuoso y el polvo de las raíces de esta planta fue estudiado utilizando el modelo de ratas intoxicadas con tioacetamida, comprobándose que el extracto acuoso (2 mL/kg) mostró un marcado efecto protector de los principales parámetros hepáticos, transaminasa glutámico oxalacética, transaminasa glutámico pirúvica, fosfatasa alcalina y fosfatasa ácida con excepción de la deshidrogenasa láctica y la bilirrubina. El extracto acuoso brindó un efecto hepatoprotector superior al del polvo, probablemente debido a una mejor absorción en el tracto digestivo de la forma acuosa (RAWA ET AL., 1997).  Se ha reportado actividad antitumoral (sarcoma 180) de extractos acuosos administrados por vía intraperitoneal a dosis de 500 mg/Kg, en ratones (ABBOT ET AL., 1966). El extracto acuoso produjo una disminución de los niveles de glucosa en sangre en el modelo de rata con diabetes inducida por aloxano; este efecto no fue dosis dependiente (CHUDE ET AL., 2001).

Uses: prostate.                                                 

Origin: Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Caribbean, China, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Honduras, México, Panama, Peru, United States,Venezuela.            

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Whole plant: For treating gastric disturbances; vomitive, purgative.

Root: A very astringent emetic and purgative. In a decoction for dysentery; antispasmodic, emmenagogue, diuretic, sudorific.

Leaf: For jaundice; in a cataplasm for treating indurated liver; leaf edible.

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Summary
Boerhaavia diffusa (Nyctaginaceae) can be found in tropical and subtropical regions. Considered indigenous in India and Brazil, it is also widespread throughout Paraguay and Argentina. Several medicinal uses have been attributed to hog weed, although pharmacological research has mainly focused on its hepatoprotective, antiparasitic, diuretic, hypoglycaemic and analgesic properties.
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Origin
“Cariri Paraibano”, Brazil
Medicinal indication
As diuretic and against liver diseases:  Roots

1) TOURSARKISSIAN, Martín. Plantas medicinales de Argentina : sus nombres botánicos, vulgares, usos y distribución geográfica. Buenos Aires : Hemisferio Sur, 1980, p.92.

2) EDEOGA, H.O., IKEM, C.I. Tannins, saponins and calcium oxalate crystals from Nigerian species of Boerhavia L. (Nyctaginaceae). South African Journal of Botany. 2002, vol.68, nº3, p.382-385.
 
3) CHEN, S.-H. ; WU, M.-J. A taxonomical study of the genus Boerhavia (Nyctaginaceae) in Taiwan. Taiwania. 2007, vol.52, nº4, p.332-342.

4) Geraldini , Isanete, Journal of Ethnopharmacology v. 173, 2015 . -- p. 383-423

5) Robertt, A., et al.. Medicinal Plants of the Guianas (Guyana, Suriname, French Guyana)/Smithsonian NMNH. cited online: 17-08-2017

6) Plantas medicinales autóctonas de la Argentina. Bases científicas para su aplicación en atención primaria de la salud / Jorge Alonso y Cristian Jorge Desmarchelier. - 1a ed. - Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires: Corpus Libros Médicos y Científicos, 2015.

7) Gupta, Mahabir P.; Santana, Ana Isabel; Espinosa, Alex/ Plantas medicinales de Panamá. sd: sd. - p. sd.

8) M.F. Agra; et al/ Medicinal and poisonous diversity of the flora of “Cariri Paraibano”, Brazil/ Journal of Ethnopharmacology 111 (2007), p. 391.