Common names | Samambaia
Scientific name | Polypodium decumanum
Used part | Aerial part
Known active compounds | caffeic acid, p-coumaric acid, quercetin, kaempferol, luteolin 

Potential benefits in cosmetics | anti-microbial
Product name | Samambaia-ANB

 

 

Plant Story

Polypodium decumanum (also known as Phlebodium decumanum) is a fern native to the Honduran rainforest and grows in the rainforests of South America and drier tropical forests in Latin America. It is commonly called samambaia, especially in Brazil, as well as calaguala in Mexico and other Spanish-speaking tropical countries. Samambaia has been used by indigenous people for medicinal purposes. In the Peruvian Amazon region, leaves were consumed as a tea against coughs. Indigenous Honduran people have used the samambaia to treat malignant tumors, rheumatoid arthritis, and psoriasis. Throughout the Amazon region, samambaia is generally considered to detoxify the body and support the immune system. It has a long history of empirical use in herbal medicine for inflammatory processes, dermatological disorders, and cancers.

 

Phenolic compounds, amino acids, and organic acids have been identified from samambaia leaves. Phenolic acids such as caffeic and p-coumaric acids and flavonols including quercetin, kaempferol, and luteolin derivatives were detected. Organic acids such as quinic and malic acids as well as amino acids of glutamic acid, valine, proline, and tryptophan were also found. Dose-dependent inhibition of Staphylococcus aureus, S. pyogenes, Bacillus subtilus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, P. alcaligenes, and Escherichia coli was reported for samambaia leaf extract.