Brides Tears (antigonon leptopus) very common Jamaican herb

Botany

– Widespread in the Philippines.
– Usually cultivated in gardens.
– Some have escaped cultivation to become noxious weeds.
Propagated by seeds or cuttings.

Constituents
– Phytochemical screening of plants flowers extracts yielded alkaloids, quinines, resins, tannins, fixed oils, flavonoids, fats, saponins phenolic compounds, proteins, and carboxylic acids.
– Screening of methanol flower extracts yielded phenol, flavanoids, saponins, amino acids, triterpenoidal sapogenins, tannins, xanthoproteins, carboxylic acids, coumarins and carbohydrates.
– A methanol extract of the aerial part of the flower yielded (1) n-hentriacontane (1), ferulic acid (2), 4-hydroxycinnamic acid (3), quercetin-3-rhamnoside (4), and kaempherol-3-glucoside (5) along with ?-sitosterol, ?-sitosterol-glucoside and d-mannitol.
COX inhibitory properties and antithrombin activities.

Properties
– Studies have shown anti-thrombin, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic and lipid peroxidation inhibitiory properties.

Parts used
Bark, fruit, leaves and seeds.

Uses
Edibility
– In some parts of the world, the tubers and flowers are consumed as food.
– In Thailand, leaves and flowers, flour-coated and fried, are served with noodles.
Folkloric
– In the Philippines, an isolated report of use by Ifugao-migrants in the foothills of the Sierra Madre for wound closure. (Link)
– In Trinidad and Tobago, used for diabetes, low blood pressure, and as a heart tonic.
– Aerial portion of the flowers used in decoctions as a cold remedy.
– In other countries decoction of aerial parts used as a remedy for colds and pain relief.
– In Jamaica, decoction of aerial parts traditionally used for prevention of cough and flu-related pains.
Others
Flower clusters popular for use in flower and foliage arrangements for social functions.

Studies
• Phytochemicals / Lipid peroxidation and Selective COX2 Enzyme Inhibition: Studies yielded n-hentriacontane (1), ferulic acid (2), 4-hydroxycinnamic acid (3), quercetin-3-rhamnoside (4), and kaempherol-3-glucoside (5) along with ß-sitosterol, ß-sitosterol-glucoside and d-mannitol. Results showed LPO and COX inhibitory activities.
• Antithrombin activity: A chromogenic bioassay was utilized to determine the antithrombin activity of methylene chloride and methanol extracts prepared from 30 plants of central Florida. Antigonon leptopus was one of seven extracts that demonstrated activity of 80% or higher in the bioassay system.
• Analgesic / Antiinflammatory: (1) A study showed the extract of A. leptopus possesses significant analgesic and anti-inflammatory effect. (2) Study reports isolation of a compound from A. leptopus tea with selective COX-2 enzyme and LPO inhibitory activities
• Antifilarial: Extract study showed A leptopus possessed significant juvenile hormone analogue activity against Culex quinquefasciatus.
• Anti-Diabetic: Study of the methanolic extract of aerial parts of Antigonon leptopus showed significant antidiabetic activity and supports its traditional claim of use in diabetes and its associated complications.
• Antibacterial: Study evaluated the antibacterial properties of flower extracts of Antigonon leptopus. The ethanol and chloroform extracts exhibited significant concentration-dependent inhibition against B. subtilis, Bacillus peritlis and Salmonella typhi. 
• Antimicrobial / Dental Pathogens: Study showed the flower extracts of Antigonon leptopus showed potent antimicrobial activity against common human dental pathogens – Staphylococcus aureus, Proteus vulgaris, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Micrococcus albus.