''Orthosiphon stamineus'' is a
herb
In general use, herbs are a widely distributed and widespread group of plants, excluding vegetables and other plants consumed for macronutrients, with savory or aromatic properties that are used for flavoring and garnishing food, for medicinal ...
that is widely grown in tropical areas. It is also known as ''
Orthosiphon aristatus
''Orthosiphon aristatus'', commonly known as cat's whiskers or Java tea, is a plant species in the family Lamiaceae (also known Labiatae). The plant is a medicinal herb found mainly throughout southern China, the Indian Subcontinent, South East A ...
''. The plant can be identified by its white or purple flowers bearing long, protruding stamens that resemble cats' whiskers. It is also commonly referred as "Misai Kucing" (Malaysian) or "Kumis Kucing"(Indonesian) which means cat whiskers.
The herb is popularly known as Java tea and is used widely in the form of herbal tea in Asia.
Java tea was possibly introduced to the West in the early 20th century. The brewing of Java tea is similar to that for other teas. It is soaked in hot boiling water for about three minutes, and honey or milk is then added. It can be easily prepared as garden tea from the dried leaves. There are quite a number of commercial products derived from Orthosiphon stamineus. Cultivation areas and post-harvesting method can significantly affect the quality of the herb.
Phytochemical
Phytochemicals are chemical compounds produced by plants, generally to help them resist fungi, bacteria and plant virus infections, and also consumption by insects and other animals. The name comes . Some phytochemicals have been used as poisons ...
s isolated from the herb include
terpenes,
flavonoid
Flavonoids (or bioflavonoids; from the Latin word ''flavus'', meaning yellow, their color in nature) are a class of polyphenolic secondary metabolites found in plants, and thus commonly consumed in the diets of humans.
Chemically, flavonoids ...
s,
caffeic acid derivatives
The derivative of a function is the rate of change of the function's output relative to its input value.
Derivative may also refer to:
In mathematics and economics
* Brzozowski derivative in the theory of formal languages
* Formal derivative, an ...
and
essential oil
An essential oil is a concentrated hydrophobic liquid containing volatile (easily evaporated at normal temperatures) chemical compounds from plants. Essential oils are also known as volatile oils, ethereal oils, aetheroleum, or simply as the o ...
s.
[ Sinensetin is a polyphenol found in ''O. stamineus''.
Extensive pharmacological investigations on various aqueous and non-aqueous extractives of O. stamineus were carried out to characterize its therapeutic potentials and benefits. Such evidence-based studies revealed that O. stamineus possesses several activities, which are attributed to its phytochemical content. It was found that O. stamineus exhibits diuretic, hypouricemic, renal protective, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, gastroprotective, anti-hypertensive, anti-diabetic, anti-hyperlipidemic, anti-microbial, and anorexic activities.]
References
External links
picture: Orthosiphon Stamineus (Misai Kucing)
stamineus
Flora of tropical Asia
Medicinal plants
{{Lamiaceae-stub