Scoparia dulcis L.

DeFilipps, Robert A. & Krupnick, Gary A., 2018, The medicinal plants of Myanmar, PhytoKeys 102, pp. 1-341 : 139

Scoparia dulcis L.

Names.

Myanmar: dar-na-thu-kha, dana-thuka, thagya-bin. English: licorice weed, sweet-scented broom.

Range.

Pantropical to subtropical. In Myanmar, found in Bago, Chin, Mandalay, Taninthayi, and Yangon.

Uses.

Whole plant: Used to treat toothaches; dried and used as a herbal tea to treat blood in urine; crushed and mixed with salt, and applied to sores to aid in healing. Drug prepared from this plant is used in the treatment of diabetes. Leaf: Used to treat fevers and nausea. Root: Used for excessive menstruation and gonorrhea, also to treat nausea and dizzy spells. Raw root crushed and pressed on tooth for toothaches.

Notes.

Medicinal uses of this species in India are discussed in Jain and DeFilipps (1991). Indigenous medicinal uses of this species in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands (India) are described by Dagar and Singh (1999). Medicinal uses of this species in China are discussed by Duke and Ayensu (1985). The chemistry, pharmacology, history, and medicinal uses of this species in Latin America are discussed in detail by Gupta (1995).

The following are given in the literature as medicinal uses for this species: Treatment of rashes, sores, wounds, bruises, eczema; earache, headache, toothache, sore throat, cough, bronchitis, fever; spasm; for tumor, albuminuria, amygdalosis, anemia, blennorrhagia, conjunctivitis, diabetes, diarrhea, dysentery, dysmenorrhea, gonorrhea, gravel, grip, hyperglycemia, inflammation, jaundice, ketonuria, kidney problems, mange, marasmus, menorrhagia, metroxenia, nerves, ophthalmia, piles, retinitis, snakebite; for use as an antidote, antiseptic, astringent, depurative, diuretic, emetic, purgative; also used as an insecticide ( Duke 2009).

Research has shown chemicals found in this plant to be effective in the treatment of albuminuria, anemia, diabetes, hyperglycemia, and retinitis ( Duke 2009).

References.

Mya Bwin and Sein Gwan (1967), Agricultural Corporation (1980), Forest Department (1999).