''Gynura bicolor, ''hongfeng cai 紅鳳菜, Okinawan spinach or edible gynura, is a member of the chrysanthemum family (

Asteraceae The family Asteraceae, alternatively Compositae, consists of over 32,000 known species of flowering plants in over 1,900 genera within the order Asterales. Commonly referred to as the aster, daisy, composite, or sunflower family, Compositae w ...

). It is native to China, Thailand, and Myanmar but grown in many other places as a vegetable and as a medicinal herb. There are two kinds: one that is green on both sides, and another with leaves that are green on the top and purple underneath. Both kinds are considered medicinal vegetables. ''Gynura bicolor'' is a

perennial A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wid ...

and therefore found for sale throughout the year, however, winter and spring are the best times to use the plant.

History

''G. bicolor'' has been used as a food and

folk medicine Traditional medicine (also known as indigenous medicine or folk medicine) comprises medical aspects of traditional knowledge that developed over generations within the folk beliefs of various societies, including indigenous peoples, before the ...

for millennia. It was brought into cultivation at the

Calcutta Botanic Garden The Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose Indian Botanic Garden, previously known as Indian Botanic Garden and the Calcutta Botanic Garden, is situated in Shibpur, Howrah near Kolkata. They are commonly known as the Calcutta Botanical Garden and prev ...

from the

Moluccas The Maluku Islands (; Indonesian: ''Kepulauan Maluku'') or the Moluccas () are an archipelago in the east of Indonesia. Tectonically they are located on the Halmahera Plate within the Molucca Sea Collision Zone. Geographically they are located ...

eastern Indonesia This is a list of some of the regions of Indonesia. Many regions are defined in law or regulations by the central government. At different times of Indonesia's history, the nation has been designated as having regions that do not necessarily corr ...

in 1798. It was introduced to Japan in the 18th century. In 2010, ''gynura bicolor'' had a shipment volume of 63 tons in Japan.

Uses

''Gynura bicolor'' contains high levels of vitamin C, crude protein, iron,

carotenoids Carotenoids (), also called tetraterpenoids, are yellow, orange, and red organic pigments that are produced by plants and algae, as well as several bacteria, and fungi. Carotenoids give the characteristic color to pumpkins, carrots, parsnips, co ...

, calcium,

essential amino acids An essential amino acid, or indispensable amino acid, is an amino acid that cannot be synthesized from scratch by the organism fast enough to supply its demand, and must therefore come from the diet. Of the 21 amino acids common to all life form ...

, and is a rich source of

anthocyanins Anthocyanins (), also called anthocyans, are water-soluble vacuolar pigments that, depending on their pH, may appear red, purple, blue, or black. In 1835, the German pharmacist Ludwig Clamor Marquart gave the name Anthokyan to a chemical com ...

. According to Chinese food grouping, ''Gynura bicolor'' is a 'cool' food, so the leaves are stir-fried with sesame oil and ginger (both 'hotter' foods) to achieve balance. The stems and roots of the plant can also be made into tea. Choose leaves with few bruises and without black stains. In Japan, ''Gynura bicolor'' is eaten as local vegetable in Ishikawa,

Kumamoto is the capital city of Kumamoto Prefecture on the island of Kyushu, Japan. , the city has an estimated population of 738,907 and a population density of 1,893 people per km2. The total area is 390.32 km2. had a population of 1,461,000, ...

, and

Okinawa is a prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 km2 (880 sq mi). Naha is the capital and largest city ...

, blanched lightly and served with

ponzu is a citrus-based sauce commonly used in Japanese cuisine. It is tart, with a thin, watery consistency and nearly colorless. or is ponzu with soy sauce () added, and the mixed dark brown product is widely referred to as simply . The term ...

, as an ingredient of

miso soup is a traditional Japanese soup consisting of a dashi stock into which softened miso paste is mixed. In addition, there are many optional ingredients (various vegetables, tofu, '' abura-age'', etc.) that may be added depending on regional a ...

, or

tempura is a typical Japanese dish usually consisting of seafood, meat and vegetables that have been battered and deep fried. The dish was introduced by the Portuguese in Nagasaki through fritter-cooking techniques in the 16th century. The word ...

. The roots of the plant have been used for consumption in aviation for their richness in

Vitamin K Vitamin K refers to structurally similar, fat-soluble vitamers found in foods and marketed as dietary supplements. The human body requires vitamin K for post-synthesis modification of certain proteins that are required for blood coagulation ...

. It has an application to address bone decay in astronauts, increasing the absorption of calcium. It can also help female astronauts during menstruation.

Propagation

Taking cuttings is very easy.

Toxicity

Pyrrolizidine alkaloids Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs), sometimes referred to as necine bases, are a group of naturally occurring alkaloids based on the structure of pyrrolizidine. Pyrrolizidine alkaloids are produced by plants as a defense mechanism against insect he ...

, toxic to the human liver, have been discovered in ''Gynura bicolor'' tested from five regions in China. No significant

genotoxic Genotoxicity is the property of chemical agents that damage the genetic information within a cell causing mutations, which may lead to cancer. While genotoxicity is often confused with mutagenicity, all mutagens are genotoxic, but some genotoxic s ...

effects were found. Samples collected from one region,

Jiangsu Jiangsu (; ; pinyin: Jiāngsū, alternatively romanized as Kiangsu or Chiangsu) is an eastern coastal province of the People's Republic of China. It is one of the leading provinces in finance, education, technology, and tourism, with its ca ...

, displayed weak cytotoxicity at the concentration of 100mg/ml, indicating that some caution should be had. Another study found that the plant generally has a negligible level of toxicity when administered orally and has been labeled safe in experimental rats. The plant was not cytotoxic to the normal cell line and "confirmed the safety of the ''G. bicolor'' for consumption." The study also found that the plant had a

chemoprevention Chemoprevention (also chemoprophylaxis) refers to the administration of a medication for the purpose of preventing disease or infection. Antibiotics, for example, may be administered to patients with disorders of immune system function to preven ...

potential. Controlled consumption of the plant has been advised to prevent any potential harmful effects from the generally low presence of pyrrolizidine alkaloids.

References

External links

The Plant List, Kew Gardens, ''Gynura bicolor''
bicolor Flora of Asia Leaf vegetables Medicinal plants Plants described in 1803 {{Senecioneae-stub