Cardiospermum halicacabum

Cardiospermum halicacabum.jpg

NAME:  Cardiospermum halicacabum

FAMILY: Sapindaceae

COMMON NAMES: Balloon vine, heart seed, balsam apple

LOCAL NAMES: Shaworo, erapoo, Mpikpo, Fadama, Garafunin

MORPHORLOGICAL DESCRIPTION:

Cardiospermum halicacabum is a scrambling, creeping or climbing deciduous plant. It is branched from the base, climbs by means of tendrils and attains about 3 m in length.

USEFUL PART(s):   Leaves, root, stem, seed

GENERAL USES:

  • Leaves are eaten as vegetable

  • seed is used in making beads

  • basket making

  • ornamental plant

GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION: 

Wayne County, Australia, North America

WHY IS IT GREEN?

  • Skin eruption

  • Piles

  • Rheumatism

  • syphilitic sores

  • Gonorrhea

  • Amenorrhea

  • Emetic

  • nervous disorders

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT

It is aggressive and invasive species. It contains toxic that may be toxic to animals

FUN FACT

It has the ability to form big mats.

FURTHER READINGS

Govindarajan, M., & Sivakumar, R. (2012). Repellent properties of Cardiospermum halicacabum Linn. (Family: Sapindaceae) plant leaf extracts against three important vector mosquitoes. Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Biomedicine. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2221-1691(12)60105-1

Malaviya, S., Nandakumar, K., Vaghasiya, J. D., Bhalodiya, Y. S., Jivani, N. P., Sheth, N., Manek, R. A., & Chauhan, S. P. (2009). Anxiolytic activity of root extracts of Cardiospermum halicacabum in mice. Internet Journal of Pharmacology. https://doi.org/10.5580/1e23

Respondek, U. (2007). Cardiospermum halicacabum. Zeitschrift Für Klassische Homöopathie. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-2006-938377

Sheeba, M. S., & Asha, V. V. (2009). Cardiospermum halicacabum ethanol extract inhibits LPS induced COX-2, TNF-α and iNOS expression, which is mediated by NF-κB regulation, in RAW264.7 cells. Journal of Ethnopharmacology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2009.04.020

Veeramani, C., Al-Numair, K. S., Alsaif, M. A., Chandramohan, G., Al-Numair, N. S., & Pugalendi, K. V. (2012). Protective effect of Cardiospermum halicacabum leaf extract on glycoprotein components on STZ-induced hyperglycemic rats. Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Medicine.
https://doi.org/10.1016/S1995-7645(12)60178-3