Hermetica Superfood Encyclopedia
The Short Answer
Quisqualis indica contains quisqualic acid (an AMPA receptor agonist), tormentic acid, rutin, ellagic acid, and a broad spectrum of flavonoids, alkaloids, and terpenoids that collectively exert anthelmintic, antioxidant, antibacterial, and immunomodulatory effects. In vitro antibacterial testing of the flower petroleum ether extract demonstrated inhibition zones up to 26 mm against Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis at 50 mg/mL, with MIC values of 27–40 µg/mL, while ethyl acetate fractions yielded DPPH scavenging SC₅₀ values of 24.38–72.10 µg/mL across studied batches.
CategoryHerb
GroupSoutheast Asian
Evidence LevelPreliminary
Primary KeywordQuisqualis indica benefits
Rangoon Creeper — botanical close-up
Health Benefits
**Anthelmintic (Anti-parasitic) Activity**
The seeds and fruits of Quisqualis indica have been traditionally used in Filipino herbal medicine for helminthiasis; bioactive constituents including quisqualic acid and tormentic acid are implicated in disrupting neuromuscular function in intestinal worms, and the plant remains listed in the Philippine National Formulary for this use.
**Antibacterial Properties**
Flower extracts, particularly petroleum ether and methanol fractions, inhibit the growth of Gram-positive bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis, with inhibition zones reaching 26 mm at 50 mg/mL, a mechanism attributed to alkaloids, steroids, and phenolic compounds disrupting microbial membrane integrity.
**Antioxidant Activity**
The ethyl acetate fraction of Quisqualis indica flowers exhibits DPPH free radical scavenging with SC₅₀ values of 24.38–72.10 µg/mL, driven primarily by polyphenols including rutin, luteolin, ellagic acid, gallic acid, and kaempferol, though this activity is weaker than ascorbic acid (SC₅₀ 7.45 µg/mL).
**Immunomodulatory Effects**
Flavonoids (rutin, luteolin, genistein), tannins, saponins, and alkaloids in the plant have demonstrated immunomodulatory potential in preliminary studies, proposed to enhance pathogen defense responses while simultaneously attenuating oxidative damage through complementary anti-inflammatory mechanisms.
**Anti-cancer Potential (Preclinical)**: Fruit extracts have shown inhibition of liver cancer cell proliferation in preclinical models, with the phytochemical complexity of Quisqualis fruits
encompassing over 100 identified constituents including 29 fatty acids, 26 organic acids, and 11 amino acids — suggesting multi-target cytotoxic activity requiring further mechanistic elucidation.
**Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) Improvement**
Preliminary animal model studies indicate that Quisqualis indica fruit preparations may improve markers associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia, though the specific compounds responsible and the precise mechanisms remain incompletely characterized.
**Anti-insecticidal and Anti-parasitic (Giardia)**
Extracts have demonstrated insecticidal activity against mosquito larvae and inhibitory effects against Giardia in experimental settings, broadening the traditional anthelmintic applications to protozoal and vector-borne disease contexts.
Origin & History
Natural habitat
Quisqualis indica is native to tropical and subtropical regions of South and Southeast Asia, including the Philippines, India, Myanmar, and southern China, where it grows as a vigorous climbing vine in lowland forests, forest margins, and disturbed habitats at elevations below 1,000 meters. It thrives in warm, humid climates with well-drained soils and full sun to partial shade, commonly cultivated as an ornamental plant along fences and trellises due to its fragrant, multi-colored flowers. Traditional cultivation spans centuries across Filipino, Chinese, and Indian herbal medicine communities, where specific plant parts — seeds, fruits, leaves, roots, and flowers — are harvested seasonally for medicinal preparations.
“Quisqualis indica has a long history of use in traditional medicine systems across Southeast Asia and East Asia, known as 'Niyog-niyogan' in Filipino ethnobotany and as 'Shi jun zi' (使君子) in Traditional Chinese Medicine, where it has been prescribed for roundworm and pinworm infections for over a thousand years and is referenced in classical TCM texts including the Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu) by Li Shizhen. In Philippine traditional medicine, roasted seeds are among the officially recognized herbal remedies endorsed by the Department of Health for helminthiasis, reflecting deep cultural integration of the plant into primary healthcare in resource-limited settings. Indian Ayurvedic and Unani practitioners have also employed the plant for digestive disorders, fevers, and skin conditions, preparing decoctions and poultices from the leaves and roots. The plant's ornamental value — with flowers transitioning from white to pink to red over several days — has also made it a culturally significant garden plant across tropical Asia, blending aesthetic and medicinal traditions.”Traditional Medicine
Scientific Research
The body of evidence for Quisqualis indica consists entirely of in vitro and animal model studies, with no published human clinical trials identified in the peer-reviewed literature as of the latest available data. Phytochemical characterization studies, including HPLC and GC-MS analyses, have confirmed the presence of over 100 constituents in the fruit fraction alone, and batch consistency studies using simultaneous HPLC quantification of trigonelline, adenosine, ellagic acid, and 3,3'-di-O-methylellagic acid demonstrated inter-batch similarity indices of 0.870–0.999, suggesting reasonable quality control potential for standardized preparations. Antibacterial efficacy has been evaluated in agar disc diffusion and broth microdilution assays, with quantified inhibition zones and MIC values providing preliminary benchmarks, but these are not replicated in infection models or clinical settings. The preclinical quality and quantity of evidence is insufficient to establish clinical efficacy, effective dosing, or safety profiles in humans, placing this ingredient firmly in the category of traditional/preliminary research with significant knowledge gaps.
Preparation & Dosage
Traditional preparation
**Traditional Decoction (Seeds/Fruits)**
In Filipino folk medicine, roasted or fresh seeds (approximately 3–5 seeds per dose for children; 7–10 for adults) are consumed orally for intestinal worms, typically on an empty stomach; this is not a standardized pharmaceutical dose.
**Crude Methanol Extract**
50 mg/mL for antibacterial screening, with no human dose equivalent established
Laboratory maceration of flowers yields approximately 17.41% w/w methanol extract; used in research at concentrations of .
**Ethyl Acetate Fraction**
Yields approximately 3.19% w/w from flowers; demonstrates highest antioxidant activity (DPPH SC₅₀ 24.38–72.10 µg/mL); no supplemental dose defined for human use.
**N-Hexane Extract**
Yields approximately 1.45% w/w from flowers; used in preclinical insecticidal and antimicrobial assays at various concentrations.
**Aqueous Preparation (Tea/Infusion)**
Leaves and flowers prepared as aqueous infusion in traditional Southeast Asian systems for digestive and immune support; volume and concentration are not standardized.
**Standardization**
No commercially standardized extracts (e.g., percent tormentic acid or quisqualic acid) have been identified in the available literature; no pharmacopoeial monograph dose has been established for international markets.
Nutritional Profile
Quisqualis indica fruit (QF) contains a complex array of phytochemicals rather than a conventional macronutrient profile relevant to dietary supplementation. The fruit fraction has been analytically characterized as containing 29 fatty acid species, 26 organic acids, 11 amino acids (including L-proline and L-asparagine), and flavonoids such as rutin (C₂₇H₃₀O₁₆), luteolin, kaempferol, genistein, myricitrin, and quercetin-3-(2-galloyl glucoside). Alkaloids include quisqualic acid and trigonelline; terpenoids include α-farnesene and the sesquiterpene alcohol viridiflorol (C₁₅H₂₆O); polyphenols include gallic acid (C₇H₆O₅), ellagic acid, and 3,3'-di-O-methylellagic acid; saponins and tannins are also present across plant parts. Absolute quantitative concentrations for most constituents are not reported in available literature, and bioavailability data — including absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion parameters — have not been established for any constituent in human pharmacokinetic studies.
How It Works
Mechanism of Action
Quisqualic acid (C₅H₇N₃O₅), a structural analog of glutamate, acts as a potent agonist at AMPA (α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid) receptors and, at higher concentrations, at metabotropic glutamate receptors, which may underlie the neuromuscular disruption in helminths leading to paralysis and expulsion. Phenolic compounds — including gallic acid, ellagic acid, rutin, luteolin, and quercetin-3-(2-galloyl glucoside) — scavenge reactive oxygen species via electron donation and hydrogen atom transfer, chelate redox-active metals, and modulate the Nrf2/ARE antioxidant response pathway to upregulate endogenous antioxidant enzymes. Alkaloids, steroids, and flavonoids present in flower fractions are proposed to disrupt bacterial membrane permeability and integrity, with MIC values of 27–40 µg/mL against tested Gram-positive strains suggesting potent membrane-targeting activity. Tannins and saponins contribute to immunomodulation by interacting with toll-like receptors and complement pathways, modulating cytokine expression patterns to support both innate and adaptive immune homeostasis, though these pathway interactions have not been confirmed in receptor-level binding studies for this species specifically.
Clinical Evidence
No human randomized controlled trials, cohort studies, or systematic reviews have been conducted on Quisqualis indica for any indication. Available pharmacological data derive from in vitro cell-based assays, insecticidal screening studies, and limited animal model experiments examining anticancer, BPH-related, and antimicrobial endpoints without quantified effect sizes applicable to human therapeutic contexts. The plant's anthelmintic use in Filipino traditional medicine, including its inclusion in Philippine herbal medicine guidelines, is grounded in ethnopharmacological evidence rather than controlled clinical outcomes. Confidence in clinical efficacy for any indication remains very low; definitive conclusions cannot be drawn pending properly designed, placebo-controlled human trials.
Safety & Interactions
Formal toxicological profiling of Quisqualis indica in humans is absent from the published literature, and neither specific adverse effect frequencies, maximum tolerated doses, nor no-observed-adverse-effect levels (NOAELs) have been established through controlled studies. Quisqualic acid's potent AMPA receptor agonist activity raises a theoretical neuroexcitatory risk at elevated doses — analogous to excitotoxic mechanisms — which could manifest as seizures or neurological symptoms, particularly with excessive seed consumption; historical reports of nausea, hiccups, and dizziness following large seed doses in children have been noted in ethnopharmacological literature. No formal drug interaction studies exist, but the presence of flavonoids (e.g., kaempferol, genistein) that modulate CYP450 enzymes (particularly CYP1A2 and CYP3A4) suggests a theoretical potential to alter the metabolism of co-administered pharmaceuticals including anticoagulants, anticonvulsants, and immunosuppressants. Pregnant and lactating women should avoid medicinal doses given the complete absence of reproductive safety data; the plant is not recommended for therapeutic self-administration outside of its traditional supervised context pending rigorous clinical safety evaluation.
Synergy Stack
Hermetica Formulation Heuristic
Also Known As
Combretum indicumChinese honeysuckleQuisqualis indica L.Niyog-niyoganShi jun ziRangoon creeperRangoon Creeper (Quisqualis indica L.)Drunken sailor
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Quisqualis indica used for in traditional Filipino medicine?
In Filipino traditional medicine, Quisqualis indica (known locally as Niyog-niyogan) is primarily used as an anthelmintic — a treatment for intestinal worm infections including roundworms and pinworms — with roasted or fresh seeds consumed orally, typically 3–5 seeds for children and 7–10 for adults on an empty stomach. The Philippine Department of Health has officially recognized this traditional use as one of ten approved herbal medicines, lending it a degree of institutional validation despite the absence of modern randomized controlled trials. The anthelmintic activity is attributed in part to quisqualic acid, an AMPA receptor agonist that may disrupt the neuromuscular function of helminths.
Is Quisqualis indica safe to consume, and are there known side effects?
Formal human safety data for Quisqualis indica are lacking, making a definitive safety assessment impossible at this time. Ethnopharmacological literature documents anecdotal reports of nausea, hiccups, and dizziness — particularly in children consuming excessive quantities of seeds — likely linked to the neuroexcitatory properties of quisqualic acid, which acts as an AMPA receptor agonist and could produce excitotoxic effects at high doses. Pregnant and lactating women should avoid medicinal use given the complete absence of reproductive toxicity studies, and anyone considering supplementation should consult a qualified healthcare provider.
What bioactive compounds are found in Quisqualis indica?
Quisqualis indica contains a chemically diverse array of bioactive compounds identified across its fruits, flowers, leaves, and seeds through HPLC and GC-MS analysis. Key constituents include quisqualic acid (an AMPA receptor agonist alkaloid), tormentic acid (a triterpenoid), flavonoids such as rutin, luteolin, kaempferol, genistein, and myricitrin, polyphenols including gallic acid and ellagic acid, terpenoids such as α-farnesene and viridiflorol, and amino acids including L-proline and L-asparagine. The fruit fraction alone has been documented to contain over 100 compounds, including 29 fatty acids, 26 organic acids, and 11 amino acids.
Does Quisqualis indica have antibacterial properties, and what is the evidence?
In vitro studies have demonstrated antibacterial activity for Quisqualis indica flower extracts against Gram-positive bacteria, with petroleum ether flower extracts producing inhibition zones of up to 26 mm against Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis at a concentration of 50 mg/mL, and MIC values of 27–40 µg/mL. This activity is attributed to the combined action of alkaloids, steroids, flavonoids, and phenolic compounds disrupting microbial membrane integrity. However, these findings are confined to laboratory disc diffusion and broth microdilution assays; no animal infection model or human clinical trial has validated these antibacterial effects, so clinical applicability remains unestablished.
What is the difference between Quisqualis indica and Combretum indicum?
Quisqualis indica L. and Combretum indicum (L.) DeFilipps are the same plant — Combretum indicum is the currently accepted taxonomic name under the APG classification system, while Quisqualis indica is the older, more widely recognized synonym still commonly used in pharmacognosy, traditional medicine literature, and regional pharmacopoeias. Both names refer to the Rangoon creeper or Chinese honeysuckle vine of the family Combretaceae. The name Quisqualis indica remains prevalent in ethnobotanical and Philippine herbal medicine contexts, so researchers should cross-reference both names when conducting literature searches to capture the full body of available studies.
How much Quisqualis indica should I take for parasitic infections, and what is the recommended dosing?
Traditional Filipino herbal medicine typically uses 1–2 grams of dried Quisqualis indica seeds or fruit, often prepared as a decoction or powder, taken once or twice daily for 7–14 days. Clinical dosing can vary based on the severity of helminthiasis and individual factors; the Philippine National Formulary provides guidance, but consultation with a qualified healthcare provider is recommended before use to determine appropriate duration and dose for your specific condition.
Is Quisqualis indica safe to use during pregnancy or while breastfeeding?
Quisqualis indica is traditionally used for anthelmintic purposes but lacks sufficient safety data in pregnant and lactating women; it is generally recommended to avoid use during these periods unless under medical supervision. The plant's active compounds, including quisqualic acid, may affect neuromuscular function, which raises theoretical concerns for fetal development and infant exposure through breast milk.
What does the scientific research show about the effectiveness of Quisqualis indica against intestinal parasites?
Laboratory and some in vivo studies demonstrate that Quisqualis indica extracts and isolated compounds (quisqualic acid, tormentic acid) inhibit or kill various helminth species by disrupting neuromuscular function; however, high-quality randomized controlled trials in humans are limited. While the plant's listing in the Philippine National Formulary reflects traditional efficacy recognition, more robust clinical evidence is needed to establish precise efficacy rates and optimal treatment protocols.
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