Desmodium molliculum (Kunth) DC
Family: Fabaceae = Leguminosae (legumes)

 
COMMON NAMES:
“manayupa”, “beggar lice”, “hard man”, “hard stick”, “strong back”. Spanish: “manayupa”, “margarita”, “pega-pega”. Peru “manayupa”, “manayupana”. Mexico “amor seco”, “escobilla”, Purépecha: “Uekaku K'arhiri”. Portuguese: “barba de boi”, “carrapicho”. Others: “burbur”, “dipinda dimukuyi”, “dusa karnira”, “mundurana”, “owono-bocon”.

DESCRIPTION: Creeping herb up to 1 m long, perennial, branching (that is, forming mats of multiple branches), stem thin, up to 50 cm tall. Leaves: Trifoliate, stipulated. Flowers: Small, papilionate (butterfly-like), light purple, arranged in racemes. Fruit: An indehiscent legume called a loment, green, lineal, flattened; seeds kidney-shaped.

ORIGIN AND DISTRIBUTION: South American, probably native to Central Andes (Peru). It grows wild in Central and South America, in the equatorial and circumecuatorial zone, at elevations of 1,000 to 3,500 m a. s. l

PART USED: Leaves

PROPERTIES: antianaphylactic, antiasthmatic, antiallergic, antimicrobial, mild antispasmodic, anti-inflammatory, antimalarial, antiparasitic (Ascaris lumbricoides), antitumor, antiviral, aperitive (stimulates the appetite); against gastritis (acute and chronic), against oxalate kidney calculi; chronotropic (controls the rate of contraction of the heart), depurative, digestive (favours or assists the process of digestion), diuretic, hepatoprotector, hypertensive (soyasaponins, hordenine), hypolipidemic, mild hypotensive (astragalin), immuno-modulator, inotropic (increases the force of contraction of cardiac muscle), improves kidney functions, blood detoxifier, sedative.

CHEMICAL COMPOSITION:
· Organic Acids · Steroids· Saponins:·  Dehydrosoyasaponin I·  Soyasaponin I·   Soyasaponin II.  Soyasaponin III·  Soyasaponegol B; (common aglycone of soyasaponins I-IV·  Other triterpenoids saponines· Astragalin· Beta-phenylarethylamine· Cosmosiin · Cyanidino-3-orthosoforoside· Hordenine· Pelargonidin-3-ortho-rhamnoside· Salsoline· Tectorigenin· Tetrahydroisoquinolines· Tyramine

RECOMMENDED DOSES:
Infusion: As prevention measure, drink one cup daily, like tea. As treatment, prepare an infusion with 3 spoonfuls of dried leaves per liter of water; drink 3 times daily for 14 days. Its diuretic effect can be reinforced with a natural diuretic, like corn silk. Decoction . Boil one handful (20 g aprox.) of dried material in 1 liter of water for 5 minutes; drink 2 glasses a day.

CONTRAINDICATIONS:
Not recommended for pregnant women and children less than 3 years of age.