Kingdom: Plantae

Subkingdom: Tracheobionta

Superdivision: Spermatophyta

Division: Magnoliophyta

Class: Magnoliopsida

Order: Malpighiales

Family: Euphorbiaceae

Genus: Croton L.

Species:

Croton

tiglium Linn.

COMMON NAME: Tuba

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Croton tiglium Linn.

SYNONYMS/ OTHER SCIENTIFIC NAME:
Croton acutus Thunb.
Croton arboreus Shecut
Croton bimanicus Müll. Arg
Croton camaza Perr.
Croton himalaicus D.G. Long
Croton pavana Buch.-Ham.
Halecus verus Raf.
Kurkas tiglium (L.) Raf.
Oxydectes pavana (Buch.-Ham) Kuntze
Oxydectes tiglium (L.) Kuntze
Tiglium officinale Klotz.

OTHER COMMON NAME:

Gasi (Sul.)
Kamagsa (Bik.)
Kamaisa (Tag.)
Kamandag (Bis.)
Kamausa (Tag.)
Kasla (Sul.)
Lutung-sira (Bik.)
Makaisa (Tag.)
Makasla (P. Bis.)
Malapay (Sul.)
Saligaw (Ilk., Ibn.)
Tuba-tuba (Bik., P.Bis.)
Tubang-kamaisa (Tag.)
Tubang makaisa (Bik., Tag.)
Tubang-pasiti (Bik.)
Tubli (C. Bis.)
Tukbu (If.)
Croton oil plant (Engl.)
Purgative croton (Engl.)
Purging croton (Engl.)
True croton (Engl.)

MORPHOLOGY:
 ROOTS
Tap root system

 LEAVES
Leaves are alternate, ovate 7 to 12 centimeters in length, usually
somewhat rounded at the base, pointed at the tip and toothed at
the margins.

 FLOWERS
Flowers are very small, borne on terminal inflorescences, with the
female flowers situated toward the base of each inflorescence.

 STEM/BARK
young branches sparsely stellate hairy, soon glabrous. An erect or
more or less spreading shrub or very small tree.

 FRUIT
Fruits is a capsule, ellipsoid or obscurely 3-angled, 1.5 to 2
centimeters long and contains a single seed.

 SEEDS
Seeds are ovoid or oblong, 12 to 15 millimeters in length and 3-
angled, the testa dark-brown or blackish, thin and brittle and of faint
odor; the albumen and the embryo are yellowish. Seeds are at first
mild in taste and subsequent acrid and pungent.
CULTIVATION:
- Usually planted, in and about towns, throughout the Philippines
- Naturalized in some places.
- Of prehistoric introduction from Malaya.
- Also occurs in India to New Guinea.

PROPAGATION:
Croton tiglium is propagated from stem cuttings or seed. There are about
4150 seeds/kg. It may be grown as a pure crop or as an intercrop with
cacao or coffee, providing some shade. Plants start flowering after 1.5
years, and seed yield in the 3rd year may be 200–750 kg seed/ha, and in
the 6th year 750–1000(–2000) kg/ha, when the plant is full-bearing. Seeds
ripen in November and December in South-East Asia, and should be
collected before the fruits open. Croton tiglium is attacked by several
fungi, and also by root-knot nematodes.

PHYTOCHEMISTRY:
- Roots contain tannin, 65%.
- Seeds have a fixed oil (croton oil), 30-56%, containing croton globulin
and croton albumin, arginine, and lysine; alkaloid ricinine (toxic); lipase;
invertase, amylase, raffinase; proteolytic enzyme, crotone resin, tiglic acid,
croton oleic acid, stearic, palmitic, myristic, lauric, oenanthrallic, capronic
valerianic, butyric, isobutyric, acetic and formic acids; tannin, 65%.
- Chemical analysis of seeds yielded eight new phorbol esters (three
phorbol diesters, 1-3, and five 4-deoxy-4α-phorbol diesters, 4–8), together
with 11 known phorbol diesters (nine phorbol diesters, 9–17, and two 4-
deoxy-4α-phorbol diesters, 18 and 19).
- Leaves yielded two new compounds, badounoids A and B, together with
13 known norsesquiterpenes.
- GC-MS study of ethanolic extract of leaves yielded 41 compounds, with
major compounds of glycoside, phenolic, palmitic acid, terpene alcohol,
polyenoic fatty acid, phytol ester and phytoesterol.
- Study of seeds isolated seven compounds elucidated as bis(2,3-
dihydroxypropyl) nonanedioate (1), 12-O-(α-methyl)butyrylphorbol-13-
decanoate (2), 12-O-tiglylphorbol-13-decanoate (3), (9S,10R,11E,13R)-
9,10,13-trihydroxyoctadec-11-enoic acid (4), methyl (9S,10R,11E,13R)-
9,10,13-trihydroxyoctadec-11-enoate (5), 4(1H)-quinolinone (6), and 5-
hydroxy-2-pyridinemethanol (7).

MEDICINAL USES:
· For rheumatic pains of the legs and waist: use 3 to 6 gms of dried
material in the form of decoction.
· Pounded fresh leaves may be applied as poultice for snakebites or may
be used as insecticide.
· Poultice of leaves applied or rubbed on area of snake and insect bites.
· For sprains and bone pains: Oiled leaves or bark material are heated
and applied to painful areas.
· Croton seed oil has been used as purgative.
· Seed oil used for treatment of schistosomiasis and other intestinal
parasites.
· Roots, bark, seeds, and leaves considered a drastic purgative.
· Bruised root applied to carbuncles and cancerous sores.
· Testa used for fluxes.
· In Annam, bark used as a tonic.
· In Java and Kelantan, roots are finely shredded, mixed with water, and
drunk by women as abortifacient.
· Diluted tincture of croton seeds used as a stimulant and applied in
certain cutaneous affections, like eczema, ichthyosis and erythema.
· Seeds, while half-roasting over a lamp or candle flame, is inhaled
through the nostril to relieve asthma.
· Croton oil is rubbed on the skin as rubefacient and counterirritant.
· Internally, croton oil us used as a powerful hydragogue, cathartic, and
 purgative. In excessive doses, it can cause severe purging, collapse and
death.
· Liniment used as stimulant and applied to chronic rheumatism, neuralgia,
glandular and other indolent swellings, chronic bronchitis and other
pulmonary affections.
· Croton oil is used in dropsy, obstinate constipation, intestinal
obstructions, and lead poisoning; as a preliminary laxative in leprosy; and
as a revulsive in apoplexy. A few drops at the base of the tongue
produces catharsis.
· As a blister, applied to the scalp in acute cerebral diseases, to the cord in
spinal meningitis, to the chest in chronic bronchitis, and to the throat in
laryngitis. Used in lock-jaw and mania.
· In Ayurveda, considered purgative; known as Kumbhini, used in the
treatment of constipation after Sodhana (detoxification process) of seeds
with Godugdha (cow's milk).
- In Unani medicine, Croton tiglium seeds and Zingiber officinalis rhizome
extract has been used in equal ratio as a paste formulation for the
treatment of Safa (alopecia areata).

REFERENCES:

Croton tiglium L. (n.d.). Retrieved September 14, 2020, from

https://www.gbif.org/species/3057656

PROTA4U: Croton tiglium L. (n.d.). Retrieved September 14, 2020, from

https://prota4u.org/database/protav8.asp?g=pe

Jun-Won Yun, Euna Kwon, Yun-Soon Kim, Seung-Hyun Kim, Ji-Ran You,
Hyoung-Chin Kim, . . . /, B. (n.d.). Tuba / Croton tiglium Linn. / CROTON
OIL PLANT / Ba-dou. Retrieved September 14, 2020, from
http://www.stuartxchange.org/Tuba.html