Blumea balsamifera, also known as “sambong” in Philippines, Ainaxiang and Nalong in China, is

a flowering plant and the most important member of the genus Blumea family Asteraceae.   The genus
Blumea is found in the tropical and sub-tropical zones of Asia, especially the Indian Subcontinent and
Southeast Asia. B. balsamifera is one of its species that is used in Southeast Asia. It’s a weed species that
often grows on disturbed land, and in grasslands. It is a perennial indigenous herb of tropical and
subtropical Asia, especially in China and has been used as medicine for thousands of years in Southeast
Asia countries, such as China, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, and Philippines and it is one of herbal
medicine approved by the Philippine Department of Health (DOH).

Sambong (O. balsamifera) is a subshrub rises about 4 m in height which imparts a strongly
aromatic and smells strongly of camphor. The bark is greyish brown, smooth while the wood is soft and
white. Stems grow up to 2.5 centimeters in diameter. The leaves are simple, alternate, elliptic- to
oblong-lanceolate, 7 to 20 centimeters long, toothed at the margins, pointed or blunt at the tip,
narrowing to a short petiole which are often auricled or appendaged, when triturated it send out a
unique, cool aroma, which can make people feel refreshed. The lower surface is densely hairy while the
upper surface is rugose and pilose. Flowering heads are stalked, yellow and numerous, 6 to 7 millimeters
long, and borne on branches of a terminal, spreading or pyramidal leafy panicle.

The parts of the plant being utilized are the leaves and roots. The leaves of B. balsamifera
leaves have been recommended as traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of various diseases.
The plant possess a variety of biological activities such as antitumor, hepatoprotective, antioxidant,
antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, anti-melanogenic, platelet aggregation, wound healing, and anti-
obesity properties, anticatarrhal and expectorant properties which render it useful in the treatment of
both upper and lower respiratory tracts like sinusitis, influenza, and asthmatic bronchitis.

The use of the medicinal herb, sambong (Blumea balsamifera) is abundant and popular in the
Philippines as it is known to be effective in diuretic treatment for hypertension and other medical uses
including treating wounds and cuts, rheumatism, anti-diarrhea, anti-spams, colds, and coughs. It is also
used for infected wounds, respiratory infections, and stomach pains.

In fact, sambong is recommended by the Department of Health as a tea preparation for the
treatment of kidney stones because of its diuretic qualities so people with kidney problems take
sambong tea early afternoon to maintain a healthy urinary tract. It also helps flush uric acid as well.
Sambong tea found to be containing terpenes is a good candidate for the management of hypertension
as it has been shown to inhibit enzyme important in the regulation of the rennin angiotensin system
(See, 2016).

B. balsamifera (Sambong) contains sesquiterpenes identified as blumeaenes and samboginone,

The camphor-scented leaves are sometimes used as an aromatic condiment with various foods.
A decoction of the fresh leaves, alone or in combination with other plant preparations, is used as a bath
for women after childbirth and also for young children. The plant is used as a topical application for
septic ulcers. The pounded leaves used as poultices applied to treat haemorrhoids, and an alcoholic
maceration serves as a liniment for rheumatism. A decoction of the leaves of sambong (B. balsamifera)
is reported to have anti-lithogenic effects and treating kidney stones (Alok et. al, 2013). In Chinese folk
medicine, its leaves are directly applied on the forehead for headache relief and its infusion and
decoction are commonly used for postnatal care, fever and stomach pain.

Various ways practices of B. balsamifera, people us its leaves as poultice for abscesses (Foo et
al., 2016); decoction of roots and leaves for fevers, kidney stones, and cystitis; decoction of leaves used
to induced diuresis for purpose of treating kidney stones; sitz-bath of boiled leaves, 500 gms to a gallon
of water, for rheumatic pains of waist and back; decoction of fresh leaves used for the sinuses, and
influenza or as inhalation of vapour from boiling of leaves; leaf infusion for cough (Morilla et al, 2009);
dried leaves are chopped, made into cigarettes and smoked for treating sinusitis. leaves decoction on
wound healing; poultice of leaves applied to the forehead for relief of headaches; poultices of pounded
leaves applied to hemorrhoids; an alcoholic maceration used as liniment for rheumatism; tea is used for
colds and as an expectorant; likewise, has antispasmodic and antidiarrheal benefits; leaves used for the
treatment of urolithiasis (Agdamag et al., 2020) In Thailand, dried leaves are chopped, made into
cigarettes and smoked for treating sinusitis. For fever, leaves boiled and when lukewarm used as sponge
bath. Decoction of roots used for fever.
Pang, Y., Wang, D., Fan, Z., Chen, X., Yu, F., Hu, X., Wang, K., & Yuan, L. (2014). Blumea balsamifera--a
phytochemical and pharmacological review. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland), 19(7), 9453–
9477. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules19079453

Alok, S., Jain, SK., Verma, A., Kumar, M., Sabharwal, M. (2013) Pathophysiology of kidney, gallbladder
and urinary stones treatment with herbal and allopathic medicine: A review, Asian Pacific
Journal of Tropical Disease, 3(6), 496-504. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2222-1808(13)60107-3.

Montealegre, C. M., & De Leon, R. L. (2017). Effect of Blumea balsamifera extract on the phase and
morphology of calcium oxalate crystals. Asian journal of urology, 4(4), 201–207.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajur.2016.08.009

Pang, Y., Wang, D., Fan, Z., Chen, X., Yu, F., Hu, X., Wang, K., & Yuan, L. (2014). Blumea balsamifera--a
phytochemical and pharmacological review. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland), 19(7), 9453–9477.
https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules19079453

See, GLL., Arce, Florencio, VJ., & Deliman, YC (2016) ACE (Angiotensin Converting Enzyme)
Inhibition Activity of Oven –Dried and Air – Dried Sambong Blumea balsamifera L.(dc.) Tea.

International Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemical Research 2016; 8(7); 1132-1136.

Boy, HIA., Rutilla, AJH., Santos, KA., Allister Ty, MT., Yu, AI., Mahboob, T., Tangpoong, J., and
Nissapatorn, V. (2018) Recommended Medicinal Plants as Source of Natural Products: A Review,
Digital Chinese Medicine. 1 (2), 131-142. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2589-3777(19)30018-7.

Ali, DMH., Wong, KC., and Lim, PK. (2005) Flavonoids from Blumea balsamifera. Fitoterapia. 76 (1),
128-130. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fitote.2004.10.015.

Agdamag, ASC., Aggabao, LHC., Agudo, MSC., Alcachupas, FLM., Alejo, JCV., Altamera, SA., Antonio,
JND., Arbizo, JL. Arroyo, JJH., Bañez, DR., Balaong, VBB., Belo, NAR., Bernardo, NL., Besa, JJV.,
Beza, JHM., and Dela Rosa, TL. (2020) Anti-urolithiatic Activity of Sambong (Blumea
balsamifera) Extract in Ethylene Glycol-induced Urolithiatic Wistar Rats (Rattus norvegicus).
Acta Medica Philippina. (54) 1. Retrieved from file:///C:/Users/acer/Downloads/1093- Article
%20Text-4645-1-10-20200205.pdf
Foo, J., Mohamad, AL., Omar, M. & Amir, AA. (2016) Ethnobotanical Survey of Medicinal Plants Traded
at Tamu in Sabah Urban Area. International Journal of the Malay World and Civilisation (Iman)
4(1), 79 – 87. http://dx.doi.org/10.17576/IMAN-2016-04SI1-09