Gen info
- Elaeocarpus is a genus of nearly 500 species of flowering plants in the family Elaeocarpaceae. The plants are trees or shrubs, a few epiphytes or lianes, with simple leaves, flowers with four or five petals, and usually blue fruits. (12)
- The genus was first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1753 in Species Plantarum.
- Etymology: The genus name Elaeocarpus derives from Greek words elaia (olive) and carpos (fruit), meaning olive-fruited. The species epithet is a combination of Latin words grandis (big) and flor, oris (flower), with obvious reference. (11)

Botany
Mala is a rather large and smooth tree growing to a height of 24 meters. Leaves are elliptic-lanceolate, 9 to 14 centimeters long, 2.5 to 4 centimeters wide, pointed at both ends. Flowers are white, about 2 centimeters long, growing on short sprays at the top of branchlets. Sepals are lanceolate, 15 millimeters long, 3 to 4 millimeters wide. Petals are white, oblong-obovate, about 2 centimeters long, and deeply fringed at the tip. Fruit is a drupe, pale green, ellipsoid, with a thin layer of flesh.

Elaeocarpus grandiflorus Sm. (1809) is an evergreen tree up to 25 m tall with grey-brown bark and leaves, on a 0,5-4 cm long petiole, grouped at the apex of the branches, alternate, simple, elliptic to lanceolate with sinuate or serrate margin, 5-20 cm long and 2-5 cm broad, of reddish colour when young, then intense green. The inflorescences are axillar hanging racemes, up to 10 cm long, carrying drooping hermaphroditic flowers with 5 lanceolate sepals of pink or bright red colour, 1,5 cm long and 0,4 cm broad, campanulate corolla with 5 white obovate petals with fringed upper margin, of 2-2,5 cm of length and 1 cm of breadth, and 30-40 stamina. The fruits are ellipsoid capsules with pointed apex, 2-4 cm long and about 2 cm of diameter, of pale green colour; the endocarp is covered by thin curved spines. (11)

Distribution
- Native to the Philippines.
- Also native to Borneo, Cambodia, Jawa, Laos, Lesser Sunda Is., Malaya, Myanmar, Sumatera, Thailand, Vietnam. (5)
- Grows primarily in wet tropical biome.

Constituents
- Leaves yield tannin, geraniin and 3, 4, 5-trimethoxy geraniin.
- Tannin, geraniin, and 3,4,5-trimethoxy geraniin have been isolated from E. grandiflorus leaves (Rahman et al, 1998). (7)

Properties
- Bark is very bitter.
- Considered antibacterial, antiviral, antidiuretic.
- Studies suggest antibacterial, HIV1 protease inhibitory, antidiabetic, antiobesity, antioxidant properties.

Parts used
Bark, leaves, fruits, seeds.

Uses
Folkloric
- No reported folkloric medicinal use in the Philippines.MalaPD3.jpg
- Leaf decoction drunk as tonic and used for treatment of bilious afflictions.
- Crushed bark used for poulticing ulcers.
- Leaves and seeds are bitter; used as tonic.
- Leaves used for treatment of syphilis.
- Used for diseases of women.
- In Indonesia, fruit used for dysentery and bladder pain; bark, for kidney inflammation, and topically for ulcers.
- In Malaysia, used after childbirth as general tonic. Ground bark used in hot water mixture with other plant materials to improve blood circulation, encourage contraction of the uterus, expel wind, and as laxative. (6)
- Water extract of leaves, fruit, and twigs has been used traditionally tor treatment of diabetes. (7)

Studies
• Anti-Diabetic / Concern on Long-Term Effects: Study evaluated the hypoglycemic effect of a water extract of Elaecarpus grandiflorus in alloxan-induced diabetic rats. The water extract exhibited dose-dependent hypoglycemic effect. However, results suggest the extract should not be used for longer than two consecutive weeks. However, the extract was not able to restore plasma glucose to baseline level. Close follow up for toxicity should be done during chronic use of E. grandiflorus. (1)
• HIV1 Protease Inhibitory Activity: Aqueous extracts of 75 different traditional medicines in China, Japan, and Indonesia were screened for possible inhibitory activity against HIV-1 protease. Forty extracts showed inhibitory activity at concentration of 250 µg/mL. E. grandiflorus (fruit) showed inhibition of 53.9% at 250 µg/mL and 23% at 25 µg/mL. (3)
• PTP1B (Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase) Inhibition / Antidiabetic and Anti-Obesity: Study evaluated water extracts of 18 plants--traditional components in Jamu antidiabetic and antiobesity formulations--for inhibitory effect on protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B). About 44% of the examined samples, including Elaeocarpus grandiflorus, showed more than 80% inhibition against PTP1B, with IC50s ranging from 2.05 to 6.90 µg/mL. A disaccharide from E. grandiflorus could be an active inhibitor towards PTP1B. (8)
• Antioxidant / Flavonoid Content: Cell suspension cultures of E. grandiflorus produce flavonoids and secondary metabolites. Study evaluated the antioxidant activity and flavonoid profile of cell csuspension culture extract of EG from leaf stalk callus. Results showed 32 types of flavonoids, of which 11 compounds had concentration of more than 1% of total bioactive compounds and had potential for antioxidant activity. There was not correlation between flavonoid concentration and antioxidant activity. Flavonoid type, composition, and antioxidant activity were not significantly different between ages of EG cell suspension cultures. (9)
• Decrease Blood Glucose through Insulin Receptor Pathway: Study evaluated the antidiabetic effect of E. grandiflorus on alloxan induced Wistar rats. Results showed an antidiabetic activity attributed to flavanoid action on insulin receptor pathway and involvement of HK2, PTPN1, AKT1, PI3KR1, HRAS, and GSK3B protein. (10)

Availability
Wild-crafted.

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