Alugbati – Scientific name: Basella rubra Linn

41 Replies

Scientific name: Basella rubra Linn
English: Malabar Night Shade
Tagalog: Alugbati

A succulent, branched, smooth, twining herbaceous vine, several meters in length. Stems are purplish or green. Leaves are fleshy, ovate or heart-shaped, 5 to 12 cms long, stalked, tapering to a pointed tip with a cordate base. Spikes are axillary, solitary, 5-29 cm long. Fruit is fleshy, stalkless, ovoid or spherical, 5-6 mm long, and purple when mature.

Properties
Demulcent, diuretic, emollient, laxative, rubefacient.

Distribution
Found in settled and cultivated areas, in hedges.

Application
Common market product, a popular leafy and stew vegetable, a good substitute for spinach. The green and purple cultivated varieties are preferable to the wild ones.
Both the young shoots and stems are eaten. Excellent source of calcium and iron; good source of vitamins A, B, and C, with a high roughage value. Roots are employed as rubefacient. Poultice of leaves used to reduce local swelling. Sap is applied to acne eruptions to reduce inflammation. Decoction of leaves used for its mild laxative effects.
Pulped leaves applied to boils and ulcers to hasten suppuration.Sugared juice of leaves useful for catarrhal afflictions. Leaf-juice, mixed with butter, is soothing and colling when applied to burns and scalds.

41 thoughts on “Alugbati – Scientific name: Basella rubra Linn”

  1. michael manalo

    hi there,

    i am a third year college taking up a biology degree in western mindanao state university. my name is michael and i am searching for a title to propose for my thesis. and it looked intersting about alugbati. can you give me a title fo my title using alugbati. thanks.

    it is my pleasure over knowing this site…and i will approach if you help me with my title proposal…

  2. admin Post author

    @michael manalo
    Thanks for your comments. I’m not sure if you will like the title I have in mind. Anyway why not try “The Wonders of Alugbati?”.

  6. glecy danao

    I’m a 3rd year student of Marinduque State College in Marinduque, can you post some details about the fruits of the alugbati.I wonder if it also have nutritional value or poisonous. thanks!

  7. meryl bernardino

    good day! i am meryl bernardino, a senior student at central luzon state university.

    i love eating alugbati. the taste itself is the reason why i love to eat this plant. every afternoon, my father request for an alugbati salad(blanched leaves with bagoong) and will eat with smoked fish! delicious meal.

    but there was something bothering me. i happened to know a scientist while having my training in thailand. he is also a filipino who’s gathered many awards because of research. that proves how knowledgeable the man is. one time, i happened to find an alugbati in the market. delighted, i made alugbati salad. however, this scientist commented that alugbati contains high level of alkaloid, a toxic compound. i knew, alkaloid is natural occuring, but i want to know what particular alkaloid is present in the alugbati. and its effect to our body. inaddition, he told me alugbati is same as tha marijuana.

    do you believe on what he told me? i search in the net but found no research conducted about it.

    i love alugbati, its taste and nutritional are really impressive. but i am bothered by the comment made by the intelligent man.

    kindly tell me what do you think about it. thank you.

  8. mae

    hi..i’m mae and i’m a third year student from isabela and my thesis is also about alugbati and its effect on blood pressure..it’s an experimental study and i was wondering if there’s unwanted side effects in consuming alugbati…

    thanks!!

  9. roshe

    hello. i’m a 3rd yr high school student in mindanao state university-IDS. we have to make a research paper and i’m planning to make highlighter ink out of alugbati’s purple fruits. is that ok? thanks.

  10. jha

    .. hmm.. hello… im a forth year high school
    student and im looking for an investigatory
    project, since that alugbati caught my
    attention i want it to be the scope in my project..
    can you put more information about the sap
    of an alugbati?.. thanks…

  11. sheila

    hi.. 🙂 may i ask if.. what are the uses and importance of ALUGBATI SEEDS in removing stains.. 🙂 plz help.. it for our IP.. 🙂 plz2… I NEED HELP!

  12. sheila

    hi.. 🙂 may i ask if.. what are the uses and importance of ALUGBATI SEEDS in removing stains.. 🙂 plz help.. it for our IP.. 🙂 plz2… I NEED HELP! tnx and more power!

  13. carmela

    hi
    im a biology teacher and i read that alugbati is used to treat cancer….
    in what way po ba? and what type of cancer????
    need to know para po magdevelop ako ng science investigatory proj..
    thanks po

  14. mine sebastian

    Hello. I am a fourth year pharmacy student from University of La Salette. We are currently conducting a thesis regarding laxative properties of Alugbati.. Would you mind to send me a complete and concise article regarding alugbati and its laxative properties, since I cannot find an a concise article on the web. THANKS! =)

  15. girlie

    hi! im girlie a 3rd yr medical student. we have research paper about anti ulcer. is alugbati have a component for anti ulcer? pls help

  17. nikai

    hi i’m nikai, a 3rd yr student taking bachelor of science in accountancy.. i am presently undergoing a feasibility study.. can you tell what product/s can we make from alugbati which can be sold to market.. thanks!

  18. ann

    hi i’m,a 3rd yr student,..and i’m making my ip,i choose the topic “alugbati ink”,..and i need some foreign and local literature,and a foreign and local studies about this and i have a hard time searching cause i’m also making the other chapter of it,,..can you help me???thanks

  19. jaylove

    i’m a 3rd yr. h.s
    we have same suggestion of anna, i choose alugbati as my s.i.p, i want to make it also as an ink. is their any background information about the violet and round shape which can be found on the stem of alugbati? please help me!

  20. mhaierhie

    i love alugbati, and i don’t mind what side effects other says,vegetables make your body fresh and healthy

  21. Dequiña,Dymphna

    hi im dymphna,im 3rdyr college student in cotabato foundation college of science and technology taking secondary education major in biology.i am preparing my project proposal.since alugbati is a commom market product i used it for my research that it is possible that alugbati fruit is feasible in making nail poolish?thanks

  23. dymphna

    in am preparing now for my RRL, will u help me to view some of the topic that is related to the alugbati,since alugbati im my target in my thesis.

  24. rowie..

    alugbati is a good source of organic fertilizer.
    It has high Phosphorous(P) and Potassium (K) sources plus other essential micro nutrients.
    Procedure: cut and blend a kilo of alugbati add 2 cups of molasses and mix thoroughly let it stay for 1 week..the solution can be sprayed to your vegetable crops. 16 liters water = 2 cups of alugbati solution..

  27. farah

    i was really intrigued by meryl bernardino’s post..i’m a bschemistry student of mindanao university of science and technology and i am looking for a thesis topic..is it really possible for such claim?.i want to consider it as a research study if its ok for meryl..thanks..God bless!

  28. Betty

    Our alugbati is growing lavishly here on our trellis and now there are plenty of berries at the ends of the vine. Are they edible? My maid tasted one of them and claimed they were “sweet.” Okay, can I make this into jam, for example, and not get poisoned?

  30. salinas_08

    Hi! I’m a 3rd year student and need some title for our project proposal or I mean Investigatory Project.I just found out this website when i was searching about alugbati cause it is very abundant in our garden. Please help me I’m very much pressured ’cause i don’t have any I.P yet.Thank you for reading!

  32. nova

    ..all the questions and comments stated above are all relevant.. for those who wanted to conduct researches about alugbati.. why not try quantifying its components.. it would require a lot of effort though..

    to meryl bernardino : that’s quite a good input.. in that case, one could put into consideration conducting research about the alkaloid content of the plant

  34. Nathaniel Cris Laput

    HOW BLESSED FILIPINOS ARE! BECAUSE WE ARE VERY ABUNDANT OF MALABAR NIGHT SHADE….

  35. Maybell

    Hello, my name is maybell, i just want to ask if the alugbati seed are edible? I was confused because the leaves of alugbati was edible. Thank you for your response

  38. Anne

    Hi. I’m a g7 student in Batasan Hills National High School, Science Technology Engineering student…….. I need help for my research paper…….. I need foreign studies about Alugbati as alternative ink

  40. Kylie joy tuguinay

    Hi guys, I’m kylie joy tuguinay, i’m a 3rd year high school student and I have a research problem which is ALUGBATI AS HAIR SMOOTHENER.
    I want to search for its substances for smoothening hair,
    Please help me in searching….. Thank you guys

  41. Joane Perez

    Hi my name’s Joane. I’m a 4th year pharmacy student in Bacolod and I am really struggling to find a research proposal topic and this plant caught my attention since it’s not that very popular as one of the ingredients in the terms of herbal products. Can you guys help me think of a title regarding this plant that will surely catch an attention to the readers? Big thanks! 🙂
    P.S experimental or descriptive type would do 😉

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