Anredera cordifolia (Ten.) Steenis

Binahong (Anredera cordifolia) is a climbing plant up to 5 meters long of the Basellaceae family, native to mainland China, known there as Deng San Chi, and consumed for generations by the Chinese, Korean, and Taiwanese peoples. In Indonesia, besides being a popular family remedy, it is also grown climbing over garden arches as an ornamental. Its leaves are believed to speed the healing of burns and post-surgical wounds.

Grows well at elevations from 0-1,200 m above sea level, air temperature of 20-38 ºC, air humidity of 87%, and rainfall between 800-1,200 mm/year. Favors cool, moist environments with a balanced soil pH (5.5-7).

• Roots taproot, rhizomatous, soft-fleshed.
• Tuber cylindrical with an uneven surface texture.
• Stem soft, cylindrical, twining, red.
• Leaves short-stalked, alternately arranged, green, heart-shaped (cordate).
• Flowers compound, raceme-shaped, long-stalked, emerging from the leaf axils.

• Propagated generatively (by seed), but more often propagated vegetatively through tubers that form at the leaf nodes.
• Plant spacing of 40 cm. Leaves are harvested after the plant is 6 months old.

Oleanolic acid, saponins, triterpenoids, steroids, essential oil, ancordin, flavonoids, alkaloids, glycosides, coumarin, polyphenols, quinones, phytol.

Reduces pain and infection in burns (antibacterial); aids post-surgical recovery; antioxidant; treats gout, stroke, diabetes mellitus, canker sores, vaginal discharge, toothache; normalizes blood circulation and blood pressure; treats coughing or vomiting blood, and hemorrhoids.

• Wash fresh tubers thoroughly under running water, then drain.
• Dry the tubers in an oven at 50 ºC for 24 hours.
• Once dry, blend into a powder and sift through a 60-mesh sieve.
• Store in a clean, closed, airtight container at room temperature.

Piahong.