Asthma weed
This hairy plant grows up to 2' in height; it has numerous small flowers clustered together with opposite oblong leaves, which have a toothed margin.
The young yellow fruit is a small hairy capsule with 3 reddish - brown wrinkled seeds.
There is milky latex in all parts of the plant.
The plant flowers and fruits all year long.
There are the following phytochemicals in asthma weed: sterols, alkaloids, tannins, quercetin, glycosides, triterpenoids, alkenes, phenolic acids, choline, shikimic acid.
This plant is used in traditional medicine for conjunctivitis, ulcerated cornea, bronchitic asthma, bronchitis, laryngeal spasm, upper respiratory catarrh and other respiratory ailments.
In modern herbalism it is more used in the treatment of intestinal amoebic dysentery.
Asthma weed has antiviral and - bacterial properties.
Other uses include: In dysentery, worms, amoebic dysentery, syphilis and bowel complaints.
The plant has lactogenic properties; it is known for increasing milk flow in women, because of its milky latex, and is used for other female complaints.
Asthma weed has traditionally been used in Asia to treat bronchitic asthma and laryngeal spasm, though in modern herbalism it is more used in the treatment of intestinal amoebic dysentery. It should not be used without expert guidance, however, since large doses cause gastro-intestinal irritation, nausea and vomiting.
There were studies and also evidences that asthma weed also known as Tawa-Tawa in the Philippines, had cured dengue. In a desperate call for medicine for dengue during the outbreak in the country, old folks thought of using the weed since it already had health benefits in the past for them and it worked. Until now people are using this weed in various diseases they encounter.