Myroxylon balsamum (L) Harms
Traditional Knowledge
Useful plant parts :
Whole plant, oleo-gum resin
Uses in traditional medicine :
- Dried oleo-gum resin dissolved in boiling water for 5-10 minutes is taken for cough and cold
- Dried oleo-gum resin with castor seed oil is applied on acute eczema
- An expectorant, antiseptic, cardiac stimulant and used to increase blood pressure
- Used to treat scabies, skin diseases, sore nipples, discharges from ear, lesions, mucous secretions, bronchorrhoea, gleet, leucorrhoea, chronic bronchitis and asthma
Scientific Research
Chemical constituents:
Resin phenols: resinotannol, toluresinotannol, flavonoids: pterocarpans, coumestans and arylbenzofurans, free acids: benzoic, cinnamic and benzyl benzoate from trunk wood; pentacyclic triterpene: β-amyrin derivatives from leaves; flavonoid: cabreuvin from plant
Bioactivity :
Cabreuvin: antibacterial against Helicobacter pylori
Clinical:
Note :
Listed as an alien invasive plant in Sri Lanka
Caution : Allergic reactions such as systemic contact eczema have been reported
References : Avalos-Peralta, P. et al., (2005), Sensitivity to Myroxylon pereirae resin (balsam of Peru). A study of 50 cases, Contact Dermatitis., 52(6), 304-6. De Oliveira, A. B. et al., (1978), Isoflavonoids from Myroxylon balsamum, Phytochemistry, 17(3), 593–595. Mathias, L. et al., (2000), A New Pentacyclic Triterpene Isolated from Myroxylon balsamum (syn. Myroxylon peruiferum), Journal of the Brazilian Chemical Society, 11(2), 195-198. Pfutzner, W. et al., (2003), Systemic Contact Dermatitis Elicited by Oral Intake of Balsam of Peru, Acta Derm Venereol, 83, 294-295. Pfutzner, W. et al., (2003), Systemic contact eczema against Balsam of Peru, J Dtsch Dermatol Ges, 1(9), 719-21. Ohsaki, A. et al., (1999), Microanalysis of a Selective Potent Anti-Helicobacterpylori Compound in a Brazilian Medicinal Plant, Myroxylon peruiferum and the Activity of Analogues, Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters, 9, 1109-1112.
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