Persicaria minor | |
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Scientific classification
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Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Order: | Caryophyllales |
Family: | Polygonaceae |
Genus: | Persicaria |
Species: | P. minor
|
Binomial name | |
Persicaria minor (
Huds.) Opiz
| |
Synonyms [1] | |
Polygonum minus Huds. |
Persicaria minor is species of herb in the family Polygonaceae. Common names include pygmy smartweed, [2] small water pepper and swamp willow weed. [3] This herb is native to Asia, but distributed widely in Europe and Australia. [4] It is used in South East Asian cooking.
Persicaria minor is native to South East Asia, including Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia. [5] It grows wild in cooler highlands, but is also found in wet lowland areas near rivers, ditches, and canals. It is a creeping plant with slender stems, and grows upright to a height of 1 to 1.5 meters. The creeping stem is green with reddish tinge, is cylindrical in shape, and has short nodes about 9 mm apart. Its leaves are long and narrowly-tapering, alternately arranged, and green with short, reddish petioles. Its flowers are minute, pale violet, and are 12 to 15 cm long. [6]
Persicaria minor is an edible, aromatic herb. In Malaysia and Indonesia it has the common name "kesum", and its shoots and young leaves are eaten raw as part of salad ( ulam); used as an aroma spice additive in peppery dishes such as laksa, nasi kerabu, asam pedas and tom yam; used as tea leaves; and used for topical applications in traditional medicine. [7] [8] Its oil has been used for aromatherapy and in treatments for dandruff. In Malaysian traditional medicine, P. minor has been used in post-natal tonics and for treatment of digestion. [6]
Pharmacological studies on P. minor have indicated anti-oxidant, LDL oxidation, anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial activities, [9] [10] digestive enhancing and anti-ulcer activities, [11] cognitive enhancing activities, [12] immuno-modulating activities, [13] acetylcholinesterase-inhibiting activity [10] and as a microbial inhibitor to prevent food spoilage. [14] Comparative studies have been carried out to analyse the metabolites not only in the plant's leaves, but also in its stem and roots. [15] Clinical studies have been carried out on this plant, looking at reported abilities to improve cognition, [16] [17] mood and stress, [16] [18] and memory. [16]
Compared with other four Malaysian herbs ( Cosmos caudatus, Piper sarmentosum, Centella asiatica, Syzygium polyanthum), the Persicaria minor showed the highest concentration of phenols and the highest antioxidant activity. It has been used as a bioactive component for packaging film for edible foods, based on a semi-refined carrageenan and glycerol as plasticizers. [19]
P. minor has high content of dietary fiber, thiamine, carbohydrate, protein and minerals. [5] It is also rich in calcium, potassium, vitamin A and vitamin C, which reportedly gives it a high level of antioxidant properties. [6] [5] Other constituents include quercetin, [20] quercetin-3-glucuronide, myricetin, apigetrin, hyperoside and astragalin. [21] [16]
Persicaria minor | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Scientific classification
![]() | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Order: | Caryophyllales |
Family: | Polygonaceae |
Genus: | Persicaria |
Species: | P. minor
|
Binomial name | |
Persicaria minor (
Huds.) Opiz
| |
Synonyms [1] | |
Polygonum minus Huds. |
Persicaria minor is species of herb in the family Polygonaceae. Common names include pygmy smartweed, [2] small water pepper and swamp willow weed. [3] This herb is native to Asia, but distributed widely in Europe and Australia. [4] It is used in South East Asian cooking.
Persicaria minor is native to South East Asia, including Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia. [5] It grows wild in cooler highlands, but is also found in wet lowland areas near rivers, ditches, and canals. It is a creeping plant with slender stems, and grows upright to a height of 1 to 1.5 meters. The creeping stem is green with reddish tinge, is cylindrical in shape, and has short nodes about 9 mm apart. Its leaves are long and narrowly-tapering, alternately arranged, and green with short, reddish petioles. Its flowers are minute, pale violet, and are 12 to 15 cm long. [6]
Persicaria minor is an edible, aromatic herb. In Malaysia and Indonesia it has the common name "kesum", and its shoots and young leaves are eaten raw as part of salad ( ulam); used as an aroma spice additive in peppery dishes such as laksa, nasi kerabu, asam pedas and tom yam; used as tea leaves; and used for topical applications in traditional medicine. [7] [8] Its oil has been used for aromatherapy and in treatments for dandruff. In Malaysian traditional medicine, P. minor has been used in post-natal tonics and for treatment of digestion. [6]
Pharmacological studies on P. minor have indicated anti-oxidant, LDL oxidation, anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial activities, [9] [10] digestive enhancing and anti-ulcer activities, [11] cognitive enhancing activities, [12] immuno-modulating activities, [13] acetylcholinesterase-inhibiting activity [10] and as a microbial inhibitor to prevent food spoilage. [14] Comparative studies have been carried out to analyse the metabolites not only in the plant's leaves, but also in its stem and roots. [15] Clinical studies have been carried out on this plant, looking at reported abilities to improve cognition, [16] [17] mood and stress, [16] [18] and memory. [16]
Compared with other four Malaysian herbs ( Cosmos caudatus, Piper sarmentosum, Centella asiatica, Syzygium polyanthum), the Persicaria minor showed the highest concentration of phenols and the highest antioxidant activity. It has been used as a bioactive component for packaging film for edible foods, based on a semi-refined carrageenan and glycerol as plasticizers. [19]
P. minor has high content of dietary fiber, thiamine, carbohydrate, protein and minerals. [5] It is also rich in calcium, potassium, vitamin A and vitamin C, which reportedly gives it a high level of antioxidant properties. [6] [5] Other constituents include quercetin, [20] quercetin-3-glucuronide, myricetin, apigetrin, hyperoside and astragalin. [21] [16]