Indian Chestnut Vine

Overview

Tetrastigma leucostaphylum is native to Indian Subcontinent to West Malesia: Assam, Bangladesh, Cambodia, East Himalaya, India, Indonesia (Java and Sumatra), Laos, Lesser Sunda Is., Malaya, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, and Vietnam. The plant is harvested from the wild for traditional medicine, such as the leaves are used by society of Bangladesh for diarrhoea.

Vernacular Names

Pirantaikkoti (Tamil-India).

Agroecology

Tetrastigma leucostaphylum occurs at edges of lowland, hill dipterocarp forests fringe, and swamp forest, sometimes also in brushwood.

Morphology

• Stem - round when young, up to 4 cm in diameter, flatten, tuberculate with age, 6–11 cm wide, tendril bifurcate, leaf-opposed, characteristic of all members of the family.
• Leaves - leaf 3-foliolate to 5–7-foliolate, terminal leaflet lanceolate, apex acuminate, base acute, 13.5–20.5 cm by 4–9.5 cm, petiolule 2.5–3.5 cm long, lateral leaflet lanceolate, apex acuminate, base rounded, 6–13.5 cm by 2.5–6.5 cm, petiolule 0.5–2.5 cm long, margin obscurely dentate, petiole 6.5–11.5 cm long, lamina glabrous, coriaceous.
• Flowers - inflorescence a dichotomous cyme, peduncle 4–5 mm long, staminate flowers ca. 2 mm long, pistillate flowers 5 mm long.
• Fruits - berry globose, 15–20 mm across, 1–2 seeds per fruit.
• Seed - oblong, 12 mm by 6 mm, compressed, concave on one surface, rugulose.

Cultivation

Generatively propagated by seed.

Chemical Constituents

Steroid, alkaloid, tannin, flavonoid, cardiac glycoside, diterpenes, phytosterol, saponin.

Traditional Medicinal Uses

• In Java, a leaf poultice is applied to pussy inflammations, and the juice is taken to treat cough. Mamak tribes in Sumatra used for fever.
• In Peninsular Malaysia, a leaf poultice is applied to boils and in cases of ague.
• Ethnic medicine of Bangladesh used to treat diarrhea and dysentery.
• Studies have shown antiinflammatory, antidiarrheal, and anthelmintic activities.