Plant In Anti-Cancer Study Used To Treat Snake Bites

The Sunday Star, 22 December 2002

Malaysia – The leaves of the strobilanphes crispus plant which is said to have anti-cancer properties is also used to treat snake bites, said a local expert on herbal plants. The yellow flower plant with crispy leaves known by its English name as conehead is referred by the local Chinese as snake herb and is widely used in estates to treat snake bites.
Local people believed that boiling the conehead leaves in water and drinking the concoction could remove stones and cysts in the body. Other purported cures include pounding the leaves and mixing the paste with Chinese rice wine to rid nail infections and contusions.
Meanwhile a plant and herb expert from Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Associate Professor Asmah Rahmat said the leaves from the plant – known as pecah beling in Malay – could be used for the treatment of liver and breast cancer. Dr. Asmah who had conducted laboratory studies on the herb in UPM for four years said results showed that it could reduce cancerous tumours in infected rats. She is waiting approval from the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment to conduct clinical tests on liver and breast cancer patients.