Vergara, Dinslee E.

3Bio6

Pharmacological profile and Distribution of Water Spinach (Ipomoea aquatica)

Ipomoea aquatica, known locally as kangkong, is another species of the family Convulaceae
and can be described as an aquatic or semiaquatic plant. These can be found trailing on mud or
moist soil along streams and marshes but may also be found floating on bodies of water (Prasad,
Shivamurthy & Aradhya, 2008). It can grow rapidly spreading through waterways forming
floating mats that can block water flow and passage of small water crafts. The USDA categorized
Ipomoea aquatica as a noxius weed and is included in prohibited aquatic plant list. Ipomoea
aquatica is a herbaceous trailing shiny vine with milky sap. The stems are hollow, rooting at
nodes, usually found trailing in moist soil or floating in aquatic locations .The leaves are
alternate, simple, in the shape of arrow heads about 314 cm (16 in) long. The hollow vines
float on water and the leaves are held above the water line. The flowers bears trumpet like shape
whose petals are white or pink-lilac with mauve color at the center. The seed has oval or
spherical pods that contains 1 to 4 gray seeds which may be used for planting. The first known
reference of the recordings of I. aquatica came from a book entitled A Description of the Plants
in the South, authored by Chi Han, stating that it originated and is common in the southern parts
of China (Prasad et al., 2008 & Edie & Ho, 1969) while others stated otherwise that it originated
from India (Austin, 2008 & Herklots, 1972). It is widely distributed, however in parts of Tropical
Asia, India, Sri Lanka, Africa and Australia. It is grown wildly as weed in India and USA while it
is grown commercially in parts Southeast Asia (Prasad et al., 2008). Records were found of
water spinach being cultivated in Bangladesh, Burma, Cambodia, China, Fiji, India, Indonesia,
Japan, Malaysia, Nepal, New Guinea, Okinawa, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, and
Vietnam (Clarke 1885, Cornelius et al. 1985, French 1986, Herklots 1972, Heyne 1927,

Manandhar 2002, Walker 1976, Watt 1889 [1972], Westphal 1993, Wiser 1955, McDonald pers.
comm. 2006). In many of these places, growing of the food is deeply embedded in local cultures.
While the species is cultivated in places not in the core of its range, like northern Australia and
Hawaii, there I. aquatica is associated with diaspora from southeastern Asian countries,
particularly China, Vietnam, the Philippines, and western Malaysia. It is used used as a laxative
(Van Valkkenburg, 2001) . Eating the plant is thought to aid in getting to sleep and eating
sufficient quantities bring on drowsiness (Pers. Comm. 2006). In South-eastern Asia, I. aquatica
is considered as tonic. In Africa and in Sri lanka the herb is used to treat diabetes (Iwu, 1993). It
is also used to treat abscesses, mental illness in Tanzania and intestinal problems in Somalia
(Malavidhane, 2000). In countries such as Borneo, Cambodia and Malaysia, it is used as a
poultice to treat delirium and boils while in other places such as Burma, India and Indonesia, its
juice extracts are used as an emetic in treating poison from opium, arsenic and ingesting polluted
water (Austin, 2008). In Sudan (Western Kordofan) the herb is used to treat stomach and
intestinal troubles. Some, however, warn against too much consumption of kangkong since it
would lead to the cause of leukorrhoea in females (Naples, 2005).

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