The Role of Clerodendrum petasites S. Moore in Disease Treatment

Abstract

Clerodendrum petasites S. Moore has long been established in traditional Thai medicine to treat several diseases, such as asthma, inflammation, and skin disorders. The plant has been formulated as single- and multi-herb medicines for oral and topical applications. Even so, the scientific background supporting its efficacy and safety is limited, and its mechanisms of action are unclear. Most indications of C. petasites are also clarified in folklore and are not yet well known in Western medicine. This chapter thus summarises the potential of C. petasites in diseases recently concerning modern society through active phytochemicals found within the plant, together with evidence-based support from in vitro and in vivo studies. Of several compounds, vanillic acid, hispidulin, nepetin, and verbascoside are dominant and have bioactivities on inflammation, cancer, osteolytic bone, and neurological diseases, suggesting the worth of C. petasites for further study as a tentative source of novel drugs.