Sterculia
lychnophora,S.
scaphigerum, Scaphium affine.胖大海Pàng dà hăiMalva
nut tree, Boat sterculia seed
Family:
Malvaceae
The Malva Nut is referred as “Pang Da Hai” or “fat sea”, because of the fact
that it’s cracked rind will expand 6 to 8 times it’s original size, once it
is soaked in water. PART USED: Nut- harvested
in late Spring.
In Vietnam, the nuts are soaked and mixed with sugar to produce a refreshing
drink enjoyed in the summer. FLAVOR: Sweet CHANNELS:
Large intestine, Lung. FUNCTIONS
1. Clears the Lungs, and disperses Lung Qi.[1,2]
Remove Heat from the Lungs.[3] Benefit
sore throat.[3] Counteract toxicity.[3]
2. Moistens intestines.[1] Unblocks
the Bowels.[1,2]
3. Vents rashes.[2] INDICATIONS- This herb is useful for singers and speakers with
sore throat or hoarseness.[2]
1. For sore throat, hoarseness, or loss of voice due to Lung Heat or
Lung Yin deficiency.[1,2,3]
For cough with profuse yellow sticky sputum.[1,2,3]
Throttling sound in the throat, bitter taste in the mouth and dry throat.[2]
Constrained Lung Qi.[1]
2. Relieves mild constipation and dry stool with headache, red eyes, and fever
associated with Heat in the Intestines.[1,2,3]
3. Encourages full expression of rashes, used adjunctively as an external wash.[1,2] CONTRAINDICATIONS
Use with caution in cases with diarrhea and loose stools.[2] COMBINATIONS
PREPARATIONS: 4.5-9
g (3-5 pieces).[1] Can be used as infusion
or applied topically.[1] Consume Malva
nut by adding one or two nuts to a large cup of boiling water and consume the
liquid.[3] You can soak the Malva Nuts
in hot water but, avoid boiling it as it will decrease the healing properties.[4]
The best will be to soak the them in a lukewarm water for 20 minutes.[4]
Good quality is large, intact, wrinkled and brown. How To Consume Malva Nuts
1. Wash the Malva nuts and soak it in water for 15–30 minutes.
2) Remove the skin if you are to consume it for the purpose of relieving cough,
sore throats, throat infections. Otherwise, you can consume it along with the
skin. If you do not like the taste of the skin, you may remove it too.
3) If it is too large, you may want to finely slice it into smaller pieces.
(Recommended for kids).
4) Add it into your favourite beverages like coconut water, jeera water, lemon
juice, lime juice, orange juice, apple juice, rose milk drink (avoid chemically
produced colourants), green tea, lemon tea, chrysanthemum tea, jasmine tea,
rose bud tea, or even in plain water mixed with pure honey, rock sugar, or jaggery.
You can also add Sabja Seeds (Basil Seeds) together with your Malva nuts’ drink.
However, avoid mixing Malva Nuts with carbonated and alcoholic drinks as it
will produce adverse effects to your health.
5) The Chinese will add the Malva Nuts into soups and traditional cooling beverages
like “tong sui” and “leng chee kang” (where the Malva Nuts will be boiled together).
6) In Thailand and Vietnam, Malva Puddings and Malva cakes are quite famous.[4] Inner Path can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from
the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant
medicinally. References
Malva nuts: Rich in antioxidants:
flavanoids especially, quercetin and anti-mutagenics: phenolic especially, gallic
acid.[1]
Rich in soluble fibre, calcium, iron, Vitamin B1 and Vitamin B2,
and iodine.[1]
Bassorin-[2] contained in Malva Nuts
can also reduce the mucosal inflammation and relieve spastic pain.[1]
Arabinose, galactose.[2]
The water extract of Malva Nuts which acts as a mild laxative, helps to promote
bowel movements.[1]
Those suffering from constipation should consume the kernel (skin) of the Malva
Nut (without removing it).[1] References
[1] namangrocer.com
[2] Chinese Herbal Medicine Materia Medica- Dan Bensky and Andrew Gamble- Eastland
Press 1986 Seattle Washington ISBN 0-939616-15-7
Research
Composition Analysis and Inhibitory Effect of Sterculia lychnophora
against Biofilm Formation by Streptococcus mutans.
Yang Y, Park BI, Hwang EH, You YO. Abstract
Pangdahai is a traditional Chinese drug, specifically described in the Chinese
Pharmacopoeia as the seeds of Sterculia lychnophora Hance. Here, we separated
S. lychnophora husk and kernel, analyzed the nutrient contents, and investigated
the inhibitory effects of S. lychnophora ethanol extracts on cariogenic properties
of Streptococcus mutans, important bacteria in dental caries and plaque formation.
Ethanol extracts of S. lychnophora showed dose-dependent antibacterial activity
against S. mutans with significant inhibition at concentrations higher than
0.01 mg/mL compared with the control group (p < 0.05). Furthermore, biofilm
formation was decreased by S. lychnophora at concentrations > 0.03 mg/mL,
while bacterial viability was decreased dose-dependently at high concentrations
(0.04, 0.08, 0.16, and 0.32 mg/mL). Preliminary phytochemical analysis of the
ethanol extract revealed a strong presence of alkaloid, phenolics, glycosides,
and peptides while the presence of steroids, terpenoids, flavonoids, and organic
acids was low. The S. lychnophora husk had higher moisture and ash content than
the kernel, while the protein and fat content of the husk were lower (p <
0.05) than those of the kernel. These results indicate that S. lychnophora may
have antibacterial effects against S. mutans, which are likely related to the
alkaloid, phenolics, glycosides, and peptides, the major components of S. lychnophora.
PMID: 27190540 PMCID: PMC4852106 DOI: 10.1155/2016/8163150 Evid Based
Complement Alternat Med. 2016;2016:8163150. doi: 10.1155/2016/8163150. Epub
2016 Apr 17. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Preparation and efficacy assessment of malva nut polysaccharide for
skin hydrating products
M Kanlayavattanakul, K Fungpaisalpong, M Pumcharoen, N Lourith Abstract
Introduction: Scaphium scaphigerum or malva nut has long been served in Chinese
medicine. However, the use of this herb in modern health care applications has,
to date, been rarely reported.
Materials and methods: Maceration of the herb in water afforded malva nut polysaccharide
which was standardized. Safety and skin hydrating efficacy of the polysaccharide
and products were evaluated in human volunteers.
Results: Malva nut polysaccharide (41.71±0.64%) having 36.58±0.51% total sugar
content was isolated, with further analysis quantifying ash, carbohydrate, reducing
sugar and moisture contents to be 6.05±0.00, 40.06±1.00, 12.20±0.05 and 12.64±0.31%,
respectively. The polysaccharide exhibited swelling and hydrating capacities
of 0.46±0.01% and 54.46±0.02g/g, with L*, a* and b* of 52.56±0.04, 9.02±0.06
and 18.42±0.03, respectively, and a viscosity of 1263.00±2.00 cps. Accelerated
testing indicated the biopolysaccharide to be stable, resulting in no skin irritation
in 15 human volunteers. The skin hydrating efficacy as assessed via a randomized
single-blind, placebo-controlled study in 24 volunteers highlighted the superior
performance of malva nut over the vehicle (moisture retainment for 70min as
examined by Corneometer® CM 825). A stable skin moisturizing gel containing
malva nut was developed and was shown to exhibit improved performance over benchmark
tamarind and algae polysaccharide gels (after 180min observation).
Conclusion: Malva nut polysaccharide has potential as a key ingredient in skin
hydrating products, which should encourage its further development.
Randomized Controlled Trial Ann Pharm Fr
2017 Nov;75(6):436-445. doi: 10.1016/j.pharma.2017.03.003. Epub 2017 Jul 8.
PMID: 28689602 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharma.2017.03.003 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
FLAVOR: Sweet CHANNELS:
Large intestine, Lung. 
