Group 4 | Coughing It Out With Herbal Medicine
Coughing It Out With Herbal Medicine
Nature’s best.
Generation after generation, indigenous and contemporary knowledge on herbal medicine is being passed down, celebrated, and enriched. With our country being home to a whopping 1,500 documented medicinal plants along with 250,000 traditional medicine practitioners, herbal medicine undoubtedly remains as one of Filipinos’ most go-to medicine – then and now (Dapar et al.,2020). We now ask -- why?
Is it because it is effective or merely due to its cost-effectivity? Why don’t you be the judge of that as you go over the remainder of this article? As you explore how decoctions, pills, and leaves per se bring about relief from one of the most recurrent disease symptoms – cough.
Lagundi
Lagundi (Vitex Negundo) is an erect, aromatic shrub that is widely distributed in the country. It is one of the ten medicinal plants approved by the Department of Health for the treatment of diseases and infections (Boy et al., 2018), and is often used as a home remedy for cough. In line with this, the study of Haq et al. (2012) examined Lagundi’s antitussive and toxicological properties and proved that it was effective in relieving cough and was devoid of toxicity.
Apart from Lagundi being an effective cough medicine, there are also several studies that investigated its effectiveness in treating various illnesses. For instance, the essential oils and extracts of Lagundi were found to exhibit anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antidiabetic, anticancer, and antimicrobial properties (Gill et al., 2018).
Traditionally, people boil the leaves of the Lagundi plant and take the decoction orally to reduce cough.
Health Benefits ng Dahon ng Lagundi
Oregano
Due to its phytochemical properties, such as flavonoids and phenolic acids, its biological activity possesses substantial potential in providing an array of therapeutic medicines.
Oregano Cough Syrup Preparation
Ginger
Ginger is one of the most common dietary spices in the world. It is another remedy for asthmatic and dry cough due to its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties according to Leonard (2020). It also has components that help relax muscles of the airway, reducing the onset of coughing. It is usually taken as tea by peeling its skin off, chopping it into smaller pieces, and boiled for 15 minutes. There are also ready-made ginger teas being sold in markets (Seladi-Schulman, 2019). Another way is to chew and swallow the juice extract from ginger. It can also be taken in different forms - fresh, dried, and powdered among others. Other health benefits include improving digestion, reducing nausea, and adding immunity from common colds and flu due to a compound found in ginger called gingerol (Leech, 2021).
Lampunaya
Lampunaya or Mayana is a term commonly referred to a group of plants in the Coleus genus. These plants commonly cultivated as ornamental, also possess medicinal properties, and are used frequently as herbal remedy for colds, coughs, and other conditions (Abirami et al., 2014).
The juice of Coleus leaves is found to be effective in alleviating respiratory infections to due to the composition of its essential oils which mainly consists of carvacrol, thymol, eugenol, chavicol, and ethyl salicylate (Wadikar & Patki, 2016).
Several studies have also discovered the efficacy of Coleus in wound healing (Moron & Acero, 2017), hypertension (Jagtap et al., 2011), and antimicrobial properties (Wadikar et al., 2016).
The decoction for mucus and cough remedy is prepared by boiling the leaves in water. Honey may also be added optionally to the tea.
Coleus Tea Preparation
Yerba Buena
Yerba buena (Clinopodium douglasii) is a creeping perennial herb that is widely used throughout the Philippines for its minty aromatic flavor, culinary, and medicinal attributes. It is included in the list of ten medicinal plants approved by the Department of Health for treatment of infection and diseases as well as a source for potential drugs (Boy et al., 2018).
In the Philippines, yerba buena is traditionally used as an antidote to poisonous insect stings, gastrointestinal problems, and fever (Yerba Buena, 2012). Aside from this, it also acts as pain reliever and treatment for cough and colds, tooth and mouth diseases, and numerous skin infections for its antibacterial and antifungal properties (Zabala et al., 2018). It is primarily prepared as tea from either its fresh or dried leaves and as poultice for topical application.
After going over the list of herbal medications for cough along with their uses, preparation, efficacy, and safety, you may have already come up with your answer as to why people use them. Gloria et al. (2021) suggested that people patronize herbal medicine because it is accessible, widely available, inexpensive, and due to the belief that because it is more natural, means it is more effective. Although DOH-PITAHC’s assessment supports the safety and efficacy of some of the herbal medicines mentioned, others still require further scientific research. Therefore, the information provided here should not be relied on as a sole basis for self-medication. Instead, once experiencing a chronic type of cough, we strongly encourage one to seek medical attention to ensure it is not caused by any underlying medical issue.
There is no one-size-fits-all in health management, what may work for others, may not work for you. Health is relative and so are health outcomes. However, ensuring safe administration of herbal medicine is a must for all.
References
Boy, H. I., Rutilla, A. J., Santos, K. A., Ty, A. M., Yu, A. I., Mahboob, T., Tangpoong, J., & Nissapatorn, V. (2018). Recommended medicinal plants as source of natural products: A Review. Digital Chinese Medicine, 1(2), 131–142. https://doi.org/10.1016/s2589-3777(19)30018-7
Dapar, M.L.G., Alejandro, G.J.D., Meve, U. et al. (2020). Quantitative ethnopharmacological documentation and molecular confirmation of medicinal plants used by the Manobo tribe of Agusan del Sur, Philippines. J Ethnobiology Ethnomedicine 16, 14 (2020). Retrieved November 8, 2021 from https://doi.org/10.1186/s13002-020-00363-7
Friedman M. (2014). Chemistry and multibeneficial bioactivities of carvacrol (4-isopropyl-2-methylphenol), a component of essential oils produced by aromatic plants and spices. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry, 62(31), 7652–7670. https://doi.org/10.1021/jf5023862
Gil, B.S., Meshra, R., Navgeet, & Kumar, S. (2018). Vitex negundo and its medicinal value. Molecular Biology Reports, 45(6), 2925-2934. doi: 10.1007/s11033-018-4421-3
Gloria, M. A., Te Roa, L. C., Aguinaldo, S. G., & Payba, J. A. (2021). Assessment of the determinants of the use of herbal products in selected municipalities in Cavite, Philippines. Journal of Asian Association of Schools of Pharmacy, 10(23–30). https://www.aaspjournal.org/uploads/155/13088_pdf.pdf
GMA Public Affairs. (2016, October 17). PINOY MD: Health benefits ng dahon ng lagundi [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/lJA4BbkOsXo
Haq, $., Shah, A. A., Khan, A., Ullah, Z., Khan, R. A., & Malik, A (2012). Antitussive and toxicological evaluation of Vitex negundo. Natural Product Research, 26(5), 484-488. Doi:10.1080/14786419.2010.534472
Kintzios, S.E. (2012). Handbook of Herbs and Spices || Oregano. , (), 417–436. doi:10.1533/9780857095688.417
Leech. J. (2021, March 19). 11 Proven Health Benefits of Ginger. Retrieved from https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/11-proven-benefits-of-ginger. Retrieved on November 8, 2021.
Leonard, J. (2020, January 1). What can I do to make my cough go away? Retrieved from https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/322394#_noHeaderPrefixedContent. Retrieved on November 8, 2021.
Medical Herbalism. (2014, December 12). A History of Herbal Medicine [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8SHvgM1bMc
Nomoto, S. (2020, January 14). Indigenous Filipino Healing Practices. Retrieved November 8, 2021 from https://coldteacollective.com/indigenous-filipino-healing-practices/
Singletary, Keith (2010). Oregano. Nutrition Today, 45(3), 129–138. doi:10.1097/nt.0b013e3181dec789
Seladi-Schulman, J. (2019, October 14). The 7 Best Teas to Help Ease a Cough. Retrieved from https://www.healthline.com/health/tea-for-cough. Retrieved on November 8, 2021.
Times of India. (2020, March 22). 7 ways to use ginger to prevent and cure cough and cold. [Photo]. Retrieved from https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/food-news/7-ways-to-use-ginger-to-prevent-and-cure-cough-and-cold/photostory/74757649.cms. Retrieved on November 8, 2021.
Moron, M. J., & Acero, L. H. (2017). Mayana (Coleus Blumei) leaves ointment in wound healing of albino rats (rattus albus). ETP International Journal of Food Engineering. https://doi.org/10.18178/ijfe.3.1.18-22
Wadikar, D. D., & Patki, P. E. (2016). Coleus aromaticus: A therapeutic herb with multiple potentials. Journal of Food Science and Technology, 53(7), 2895–2901. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13197-016-2292-y
Abirami, S.K. (2014). A comparative – invitro study of anticancer effect of mentha piperita, ocimum basilicum and coleus aromaticus against human laryngeal epidermoid carcinoma (Hep-2) cell lines. Journal of Medicinal Plants Studies, 2, 06-09.
Jagtap, M., Ravishankar, B., & Chandola, H. (2011). Clinical efficacy of Coleus forskohlii (Willd.) Briq. (Makandi) in hypertension of geriatric population. AYU (An International Quarterly Journal of Research in Ayurveda), 32(1), 59. https://doi.org/10.4103/0974-8520.85729
Yerba Buena. Philippine Medicinal Plants. (2012). Retrieved November 9, 2021, from http://www.stuartxchange.org/Yerba.
Zabala, B., Santos, M., & Penol, C. A. (2018, October). Traditional plants utilized by indigenous people "herbolarios". ResearchGate. Retrieved November 9, 2021, from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/332857567_TRADITIONAL_PLANTS_UTILIZED_BY_INDIGENOUS_PEOPLE_HERBOLARIOS.
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