Gossypium barbadense

Scientific name: Gossypium barbadense L.

Synonym: Gossypium acuminatum Roxb. ex G. Don

Synonym 2: Gossypium vitifolium Lam.

Botanical family: MALVACEAE

Vernacular names

(In territories with significant traditional TRAMIL use)

Honduras:

hoja de algodón (watmo wajaya)

Haiti:

koton

Other vernacular names

Haiti:

Algodón
Algodón/Koton
Konton
Koton
Koton blan
Kroton

Dominican Republic:

Algodón

Guadeloupe:

coton

Honduras:

Hoja de algodón (Watmo wajaya)

Geographical distribution

Native to South America, cultivated in many parts of the tropics.

Botanical description

Shrub of 1 to 4 m. 3 to 7 lobed leaves, the lobes are ovate or lanceolate, with stipules. Solitary flowers, with broadly ovate, foliaceous bracts of the calyculus; calyx truncated; petals up to 8 cm, yellow with a red spot at the base. Ovoid capsule, 3 to 4, locular, acuminate, prominently dotted. Rostrate, ovate seeds, lanate, long white filaments (cotton).

Voucher(s)

Tinoco,4,HPMHV

Ochoa,278,HPMHV

García,2588,JBSD

For skin conditions or pruritus:

wash the leaves adequately, crush 5 to 10 grams and rub into the lesion, having been previously washed with boiled water and soap, 2 to 3 times a day, for 3 to 5 days.

For belly aches or wind:

prepare a decoction with 30 grams of fresh leaves in 4 cups (1 litre) of water, boil for 5 minutes in a covered vessel. Leave to cool, strain (filter) and drink 1 cup 3 or 4 times a day for 1 to 3 days.

For haemorrhage (cuts):

wash the leaves adequately, prepare a juice with 20 to 30 grams of crushed leaves. Wash the injury with boiled water and soap, apply the juice on the affected area. Cover with a dressing or clean cloth held with a bandage and change every 4 hours.

Preparations must never be stored for more than 24 hours, even if refrigerated.

According to the information available:

The use for skin conditions, pruritus and haemorrhage (cuts) is classified in the REC category based on the significant traditional use documented in the TRAMIL surveys and the toxicity studies.

All topical application must follow strict hygiene measures in order to prevent contamination or additional infection.

If deterioration is observed in the patient or the skin conditions or pruritus persists for more than 5 days, seek medical attention.

The use for belly aches and wind is classified in the REC category based on the significant traditional use documented in the TRAMIL surveys, the toxicity and validation studies and the scientific information published.

If deterioration is observed in the patient or if the belly ache persists for more than 3 days, seek medical attention.

No data are available to recommend medicinal use during pregnancy, breastfeeding or in children younger than 12 years of age.

TRAMIL Work¹¹

The freeze-dried aqueous extract (decoction) from fresh leaves (5 g/kg/5 consecutive days), was administered orally to 10 Swiss mice (5 males 19.40 ± 0.37 g and 5 females 18.38 ± 0.34 g). The control was carried out with distilled water (0.3 ml/animal/day) with another 10 mice of the same strain and characteristics. They had an additional 7-day observation period at the end of the administration of the treatment and the control. There was no mortality during the trial. The parameters evaluated were not modified, and the macroscopic autopsy did not show any internal alterations.

TRAMIL Work¹²

The freeze-dried aqueous extract (decoction) from fresh leaves and crushed fresh leaves, topically on the depilated backs (10 x 5 cm) of 3 male New Zealand rabbits; for each form of preparation, a paste (0.5 g of freeze-dried product moistened with 0.4 ml of distilled water) or crushed leaves in a dermal patch were applied for 4 consecutive days; the control area of each animal received distilled water in the same conditions, and no skin irritability was observed.

There is no information available documenting the safety of medicinal use in children, during pregnancy or breastfeeding.

TRAMIL Work³

Preliminary phytochemical study (leaf):

The leaves contain glycosides, quercimeritrin and isoquercitrin, salicylic acid⁴.

The whole plant contains a sesquiterpenoid: gossypol, as well as catechins⁵.

TRAMIL Work⁶

The freeze-dried aqueous extract (decoction) from the fresh leaves showed activity (25% compared to streptomycin 5 mg/ml) in vitro at concentrations of 559, 279 and 139 µg/ml against Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 6341).

TRAMIL Work⁷

The aqueous extract from fresh leaves 50% (100 µl) did not show activity in vitro against Staphylococus aureus (ATCC 29737), Escherichia coli (ATCC 10536), Enterobacter cloacae or Candida albicans (ATCC 10231).

TRAMIL Work⁸

The hydroalcoholic extract (maceration 20 g of powdered plant material/100 ml of 50% ethanol for 7 days) from the leaves and the capsule juice showed no in vitro activity (50 µl of maceration/6 mm paper disc) against enterobacteria (Escherichia coli, Salmonella enteritidis, S. typhi, Shigella dysenteriae and S. flexneri).

TRAMIL Work⁹

The freeze-dried aqueous extract (decoction) from fresh leaves (3 g/kg unique dose, after 6 hours of fasting), orally in NGP mice (15 males and 15 females) and the control with the same number of animals and characteristics, received distilled water (0.5 ml), in the speed of intestinal transit model, with administration of the extract 30 minutes before the administration of activated carbon and evaluation of the activity 1 hour later, significantly increased the transit.

The alcoholic leaf extract, in vitro in isolated rat uterus (0.5 mg/ml) and isolated guinea pig ileum (0.05 mg/ml), stimulated smooth muscle contraction in both¹⁰.

Pharmacopoeia

Ed.3

References

WENIGER B, ROUZIER M, 1986

Enquête TRAMIL. Service Oecuménique d’Entraide SOE, Port au Prince, Haïti.

LAGOS-WITTE S, 1988-89, 1996

Encuesta TRAMIL. Laboratorio de Histología Vegetal y Etnobotánica, Dep. de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Honduras UNAH, Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

WENIGER B, SAVARY H, SATURNE A, 1986

Tri phytochimique relatif à 4 plantes TRAMIL. Laboratoire de chimie des substances naturelles, Faculté de médecine et de pharmacie, Université d’Etat d’Haïti, Port au Prince, Haïti.

WONG W, 1976

Some folk medicinal plants from Trinidad. Econom Bot 30(2):103-142.

HEGNAUER R, 1973

Chemotaxonomie der Pflanzen. Stuttgart, Deutschland: Birkhauser Verlag Basel, 882pp.

LUCIANO-MONTALVO C, GAVILLAN-SUAREZ J, BOULOGNE I, 2011

A screening for antimicrobial activities of Caribbean herbal remedies. Informe TRAMIL. Cuadernos de Investigación del Instituto de Investigaciones Interdisciplinarias de la Universidad de Puerto Rico en Cayey. Cuaderno 16.

BOUCOURT E, MARTINEZ MJ, MOREJON Z, 2010

Evaluación de la actividad antimicrobiana del extracto acuoso de las hojas frescas de Gossypium barbadense

L. Informe TRAMIL. Laboratorio Central de Farmacología, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas “Dr. Salvador Allende”, C. Habana, Cuba.

CACERES A, GONZALEZ S, GIRON L, 1998

Demostracion de la actividad antimicrobiana de plantas TRAMIL en base a los usos populares en la cuenca del Caribe. Laboratorio de productos fitofarmacéuticos Farmaya y Facultad de Ciencias Químicas y Farmacia, Universidad de San Carlos, Guatemala, Guatemala. 22pp.

GARCIA GM, COTO MT, GONZALEZ CS, PAZOS L, 2000

Velocidad del tránsito intestinal en ratones, del extracto acuoso de hoja fresca de Gossypium barbadense. Informe TRAMIL. Laboratorio de Ensayos Biológicos LEBi, Escuela de Medicina, Universidad de Costa Rica, San Pedro, Costa Rica.

KERHARO J, ADAM J, 1974

La Pharmacopée Sénégalaise traditionnelle. Paris, France : Ed Vigot Frères, 1011pp.

GARCIA GM, COTO MT, GONZALEZ CS, PAZOS L, 1998

Toxicidad aguda del extracto acuoso de hoja fresca de Gossypium barbadense. Informe TRAMIL. Laboratorio de Ensayos Biológicos LEBi, Escuela de Medicina, Universidad de Costa Rica, San Pedro, Costa Rica.

GARCIA GM, COTO MT, GONZALEZ CS, OCAMPO R, PAZOS L, 2001

Irritabilidad dérmica del extracto acuoso de hoja fresca de Gossypium barbadense. Informe TRAMIL. Laboratorio de Ensayos Biológicos LEBi, Escuela de Medicina, Universidad de Costa Rica, San Pedro, Costa Rica.

Disclaimer

The information provided is for educational purposes only for the benefit of the general public and health professionals. It is not intended to take the place of either the written law or regulations. Since some parts of plants could be toxic, might induce side effects, or might have interactions with certain drugs, anyone intending to use them or their products must first consult with a physician or another qualified health care professional. TRAMIL has no responsibility whatsoever towards the user for any decision, action or omission made in relation to the information contained in this Pharmacopoeia.

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Gossypium barbadense

Vernacular names

Honduras:

Haiti:

Haiti:

Dominican Republic:

Guadeloupe:

Honduras:

Geographical distribution

Botanical description

Voucher(s)

Pharmacopoeia

References

Disclaimer