13 approved herbal plants from DOH
(SANTALUBBYMTB)
Republic Act 8423 known as TAMA (Traditional &
Alternative Medicine Act of 1997)
1. Sambong
Uses: Anti-edema, Diuretic, Anti-urolithiasis
Preparation:
 Boil chopped leaves in water for 15 mins until
one glassful remains. Cool and strain.
 Divide decoction into 3 parts. Drink one part
3 times a day.
Note: Sambong is not a medicine for kidney infection.
2. Akapulko
Uses: Anti-fungal: Tinea Flava, Ringworm,
Athlete’s foot and scabies
Preparation:
 Fresh, matured leaves are pounded.
 Apply as a soap to the affected part 1&2
times a day.
3. Niyug-niyugan
Uses: Anti-helmintic (used to expect parasitic worms)
Preparation:
 Search of niyug-niyogan are eaten raw two
hours before the patient’s last meal of the
day.
 Adult may take 10 seeds: children 4 to 7 years
of age may eat up to four seeds only: ages 8
to 9 may take six seeds and seven seeds may
be eaten by children 10 to 12 years old.
 Not to be given to children below four years
old.
4. Tsaang gubat
Uses: diarrhea, stomach ache
Preparation:
 Boil the following amount of chopped leaves
in 2 glasses of water for 15 minutes or until
amount of water goes down to 1 glass. Cool
and strain.
 Wash leaves and chop. Boil chopped leaves in
1 glass of water for 15 minutes. Cool and
filter/strain and drink.
5. Ampalaya
Uses: Lowers blood sugar leaves, diabetes milletus
(Mild-non insulin dependant)
Preparation:
 Gather and wash young leaves very well.
Chop, boil 6 tablespoons in two glassfuls of
water for 15 minutes under low fire. Do not
cover pot, cool and strain. Tale one third cup
3 times a day after meals.
6. Lagundi
Uses:
 asthma and cough, fever
 dysentery, cold & pain
 skin diseases and wounds
 headache
 rheumatism, sprain, confusions, insect bite
 aromatic bath for sick patients
Preparation:
 For asthma, cough and fever: boil chopped
raw fruits or leaves in 2 glasses of water left
for 15 minutes until the water left in only 1
glass (decoction) strain.
 For dysentery, colds, and pain: boil a handful
of leaves and flowers in water to produce a
glass full of decoction 3 times a day.
 For skin diseases (dermatitis, scables, ulcer,
eczema) and wounds, prepare a decoction of
the leaves. Wash and clean the skin/wound
with the decoction.
 For headache, crushed leaves may be applied
on the forehead.
 For rheumatism, sprains, confusions and
insect bites, pound the leaves and apply on
the affected part.
7. Bawang
Uses: for hypertension, toothache, lowers cholesterol
levels in the blood
Preparation:
 May be fried, roasted, soaked in vinegar for
30 mins, or blanched in boiled water for
5mins. Take two pieces three times a day
after meals.
8. Ulasimang Bato
Uses: lowers uric acid (rheumatism & gout)
Preparation:
 Wash the leaves well. One and a half cup
leaves are boiled in two glassful of water over
low fire. Do not cover pot,
 May also be eaten as salad. Wash the leaves
well. Prepare one and a half cups of leaves
(not closely packed). Divide into three parts
and take as salad 3 times a day.
9. Bayabas
Uses: for washing wounds, for toothbrush, for diarrhea
Preparation:
 Warm decoction is used for gargle
 Freshly pounded leaves are used for
toothache. Guava leaves are to be washed
well and chopped. Boil for 15 mins at low fire.
Do not cover pot. Cool and strain before use.
10. Yerba Buena
Uses:
 For pain in different parts of the body as head
ache, stomachache
 Rheumatism, arthritis and headache
  Cough and cold  In preparing tawa-tawa tea, 100 grams of the
 Swollen gums & toothache fresh whole plant (including roots) are
 Menstrual and gas pain washed and boiled in hald a liter (500 ml) of
 Nausea and fainting water for 15 mins. After cooling and paper-
 Insect bites & pruritus filtration, the decoction is taken by the
- patient at one glass every hour until the fever
 For pain in diff. parts of the body: Boil subsides.
chopped leaves in 2 glasses of water for 15
mins. Cool and strain. 13. Banaba use for diabetes
 For rheumatism, arthritis and headache:  Dry banaba leaves and fruits for about two
crush the fresh leaves and squeeze sap. weeks
Massage sap on painful parts with  Cut banaba leaves into pieces
eucalyptus.  Boil the dried banaba leaves and fruits in
 For cough and colds, get about 10 fresh water.
leaves and soak in a glass of hot water. Drink  One cup of dried banaba leaves and fruits to
as tea, acts as an expectorant. one cup water
 For toothache: cut fresh plant and squeeze  Let it sleep for 30mins
sap. Soak a piece of cotton in the sap and  Strain the leaves and fruits
insert this in aching tooth cavity. Mouth  Take the banaba herbal tea for a 1 to 6 times
should be around by gargling soft solution daily.
before inserting the caution. Note: to prepare
soft solution, add 5g of table salt to one glass Banaba for weightloss:
of water.  Preparation and application of banaba herbal
 For menstrual pain and gas pain: soak a tea for weight loss management
handful of leaves in a glass of boiling water.  Dry banaba leaves and fruits for about two
Drink infusion if induces menstrual flow and weeks
sweating.  Cut banaba leaves and fruits in water
 For nausea and fainting: crush leaves and  One cup of dried banaba leaves and fruits to
apply of nostrils of patient. 2cups of water
 For insect bites: crush leaves and apply juice  Let it seep for 30mins
on affected part.  Strain the leaves and fruits
 Take the banaba herbal tea for 4 to 6 times
daily. Aaaaa
11. Malunggay uses & preparation
 Malunggay as food – malunggay ponds may
be eaten raw or may also be fried with
peanut similar taste. Malunggay leaves and
flower may also be cooked together with
other vegetables and meat to form soups or
viands.
 Malunggay decoction for washing sored and
wounds - Boil malunggay roots and let it cool
to tolerable warm temperature and use it to
wash wounds and sores. By gargling the
malunggay decoction, it may also be used to
wash mouth sores and sore throats.
 Malunggay poultice – grounded malunggay
seeds, leaves and bark may be applied
topically as poultice onto swollen flesh to
relieve inflammation.
 Malunggay oil may be taken internally as
mixed with foods. It is known to be powerful
antioxidant even used by the early people
from Egypt. Malunggay oil also known as Ben
oil is widely used as oil based for perfumes
and cosmetics. The oil is extracted from
Malunggay seeds by pressing.

12. Tawa-tawa uses & preparation