(Malvaceae) Urena lobata L.

Local name(s): (nya khat fai)

Medicinal use(s): Used to treat gallstones.

Part(s) used: root

Field Characters: Shrub less than 1 meter tall. Leaves simple, alternate, sometimes 2 leaves per apex. Leaf shapes resemble Malvaceae or maple leaves. Short pubescence covering the stem and leaf. margins dentate. Redness on the top side of the stem all the way up to the leaf apex.

Locality: Bolikhamsai Province, Paksan District; Som Samwat Village. 

Habitat: -

Altitude: 165 m asl. 

Collector(s): A. Libman, S. Bouamanivong, K. Kunsawanhh

Collection number(s): LAOS 487

Collection Date: July 9, 2003

Additional information:  

Voucher specimen is in deposit at the Field Museum (F) Herbarium, Chicago, USA, under accession no. 2252601.
Project: ICBG

Synonyms, images, taxonomic description: 

Plants of the World onlineFlora of China Vol. 12 Page 281GBIF | Global Biodiversity Information Facility

Medicinal properties:


Babu SS, Madhuri DB, Ali S. A pharmacological review of urena lobata plant.  Asian Journal of Pharmaceutical and Clinical Research 2016, 9: 20-22. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/298863362_A_pharmacological_review_of_urena_lobata_plant#:~:text=Studies%20have%20shown%20that%20the,%2Ddiarrhoeal%20activities%201%2C%203%20. 
Gao XL, Liao Y, Wang J, et al. Discovery of a potent anti-yeast triterpenoid saponin, clematoside-S from Urena lobata L. Int J Mol Sci 2015,, 16(3):4731-43. DOI: 10.3390/ijms16034731
Kumar D, Kumar S, Sahu M, et al. Trachelogenin from Urena lobata demonstrates promising potentials against SARS-CoV-2 Mpro (3CL Protease) of Endemic COVID. Journal of King Saud University - Science,2024, volume 36, issue 11, 103572. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jksus.2024.103572  
Luo Y, Su C, Ding N, Qi B, Jia F, Xu X, Liu X, Wang J, Wang X, Tu P, Shi S. Lignan Glycosides from Urena lobata. Molecules. 2019 Aug 6;24(15):2850. doi: 10.3390/molecules24152850. doi: 10.3390/molecules24152850