The Bitter Vine is a tropical plant (Mikania micrantha: Family: Asteraceae) that grows vigorously in very high humidty, generally light or poor soils in all parts of sub-tropical America. It is a generally regarded as a weed in other parts of the world such as China and Nepal. It is covered by the web-site for the Food & Agriculture Organisation (FAO, 2014).
Does it have any benefits ? The volatile oil possesses 22 compounds – monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes, alcohols and ketones which may have anti-insecticidal properties especially on the insect repellent and egg-laying activities of insects such as the Diamondback Moth Plutella xylostella, Phyllotreta striolata and Phaedon brassicae at microliter dosage levels (Zhang et al., 2003; 2004). The oil might serve to control other weeds and their pathogens such as Pyricularia grisea,and Fusarium oxysporum (Zhang et al., 2002).
The Mikania genus also supplies two plants, M. glomerata and M. laevigatus which make up the anti-inflammatory medicines called Guaco.
References
FAO (2014) http://www.fao.org/forestry/13376-05d702161c15b1e3defa6bf9c8e6c4f82.pdf
Zhang, M., Ling, B., Kong, C., Zhao, H. (2002) [Allelopathic potential of volatile oil from Mikania micrantha]. [Article in Chinese] Ying Yong Sheng Tai Xue Bao 13 (10) pp. 1300-1302
_______________________., Pang, X., Liang, G. (2003) [Chemical components of volatile oil from Mikania micrantha and its biological activity on insects]. (Article in Chinese) Ying Yong Sheng Tai Xue Bao 14(1) pp. 93-96
Zhang, M.X., Ling, B., Chen, S.Y., Liang, G.W., Pang, X.F. (2004) Repellent and oviposition deterrent activities of the essential oil from Mikania micrantha and its compounds on Plutella xylostella. Entomol Sinica 1 pp. 37-45.
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