馬藍屬之民間用途報導方面：泰國地區以 S. anfractuosa 乾燥葉及莖之水煎 劑用於脾病、骨折、及耳痛[49]。在印度耳葉馬藍(S. auriculatus)和 S. coloratus 被 用於治療貧血及當食品使用[50, 51]，S. callous 莖皮當作軟化劑[52]、腮腺炎外部用 藥及外傷藥[53]，其搗碎之葉則可用於間歇性發燒的冷時期期間塗於身體使用、
作為糊藥治療幼童之瘧疾以減輕咳嗽[54, 55]、作為收斂劑、利尿劑及治療關節炎 使用[56]，而 S. scaber 之嫩葉則用於身體發癢[51]。在東印度群島 S. crispus 葉子用 於降血糖、利尿及緩瀉[11]。沖繩地區用馬藍(S. cusia)的新鮮汁液治療足癬[30]。而 在孟加拉
S. species 的乾燥根用於月經不規則之治療
[57]。詳見 Table 4。馬藍屬植物之生物活性研究方面：S. boerhaavioides 地上部份萃取物具有利 尿作用[10]。S. callosus 地上部乙醇萃取物及其所分離之三? 類化合物(taraxerol) 具有抗發炎，而苯萃取物則具有抗微生物活性[25]。S. crispus 葉部萃取物具子宮 興奮、血管收縮作用及抗氧化活性，灰分部份有利尿作用[11, 26, 58, 59]，而葉部商品 則有反轉錄? 抑制作用[11]。馬藍(S. cusia)葉部萃取物具有抗黴菌[11]、鎮痛、抗發 炎及解熱[12]活性。S. dalhausiana 全草萃取物具抗痙攣活性[60]。S. heyneanus 葉部 具有抗發炎及 GOT、GPT 活性[61]；根部具有鎮痛、抗發炎及免疫抑制活性[62]； 莖部則有中樞神經及鎮靜作用[63]。詳見 Table 5。
由 上 述 整 理 發 現 ，馬 藍 屬 植 物 之 民 間 用 途 較 局 限 於 S. anfractuos 、 S.
auriculatus、S. coloratus、S. scaber、S. crispus、S. cusia 及 S. species 等植物；生
物活性方面更只有 S. boerhaavioides、S. crispus、S. cusia 及 S. dalhausiana 等四種 植物有顯著之活性，而在台灣，雖有馬藍(S. cusia)之成分與藥理研究報導，但台 灣馬藍確未見任何藥理與活性成分研究之文獻，因此，為開發並與民間藥理相印 證，著手於台灣馬藍之藥理研究。Table 4 Ethnomedical information on Strobilanthes
Specises Used part Area Ethnomedical usage Ref.
S. anfractuosa Dried leaf + stem Thailand Spleen trouble, Broken bones, Earache [49]
S. auriculatus Dried root India Used for anemia [50]
S. coloratus Leaf India Used for food [51]
S. crispus Leaf East Indies Antidiabetic, diuretic, laxative [11]
S. cusia Fresh entire plant Okinawa Fresh juice of plant is used for athletes foot [30]
S. heyneanus Stem bark India Emollient, externally for mumps, vulnerary [52, 53]
Leaves India Rubbed on to the body during the cold period of an intermittent fever, used as a poultice to treat ague in children to alleviate coughing, used as astrigent, diuretc and treat arthritis
[54, 55, 56]
S. scaber Young leaf India Used for body itching [51]
S. species Dried root Bangladesh Menstrual irregularitie [57]
Table 5 Biological activities for extracts of Strobilanthes
Specises Used part Area Biological activities Ref.
S. alatus dried leaf +stem Pakistan antibacterial activity (I) [64]
S.
boerhaavioides
aerial parts India antibacterial activity (I), antifungal activity (I), antispasmodic activity (I), antiyeast activity (I), cytotoxic activity (I) , semen coagulation (I), spermicidal effect (I), analgesic activity (I), anticonvulsant activity (I), antiinflammatory activity (I), antitumor activity (I), diuretic activity: i.p., rat, male, 0.25 mg/kg (A), hypoglycemic activity (I), toxicity assessment (quantitative): i. p., mouse, LD50 1.0 g/kg
[10]
S. callosus aerial parts India anti-inflammatory activity (A), antimicrobial activity (A) [25]
S. crispus ash East Indies diuretic activity (A) [26]
leaf East Indies uterine stimulant effect: guinea pig, female, conc used not stated (S)
hypoglycemic activity: oral, rabbit, dose not stated (I) hypotensive activity: iv, rabbit, dose not stated (I)
vasoconstrictor activity: perfusion, frog, dose not stated (S) [58]
diuretic activity: oral, rabbit, dose not stated (A) [26]
Malaysia Antioxidant activity (A) [59]
commercial sample of leaf
Indonesia reverse transcriptase inhibition: cell culture, IC50 92.0 mg/mL (A), virus-avian myeloblastosis
reverse transcriptase inhibition: cell culture, IC50 820.0 mg/mL (equivocal), virus-avian myeloblastosis
[11]
dried leaf Indonesia antiviral activity: IC100 >630 mg/mL (I), Salmonella cholerae antiviral activity: IC100 >588 mg/mL (I), virus-htlv-I
cytotoxic activity: IC100 >630 mg/mL (I), cells -mt-4 cytotoxic activity: IC100 >588 mg/mL (I), cells -mt-4
[58]
protease(HIV) inhibition: IC50 >500 mg/mL (I) protease(HIV) inhibition: IC50 >500 mg/mL (I)
[65]
dried leaf Japan antiviral activity: 0.5 mg/mL (I) herpes simplex 1 virus antiviral activity: 0.5 mg/mL (I) measles virus
antiviral activity: 0.5 mg/mL (I) poliovirus I
[66]
S. cusia fresh leaf Okinawa antifungal activity: MIC 100.0 mg/mL (A) Trichophyton mentagrophytes
[11]
leaf Taiwan Antinocieptive effects (A), anti-inflammatory effects (A), antipyretic effects (A)
[12]
S. dalhausiana entire plant India antispasmodic activity (unspecified type): guinea pig, conc used not stated (A) ileum
toxicity assessment (quantitative): i.p., mouse, LD50 >1.0 g/kg
[60]
insecticide activity: 1.0% (I) Musca domestica insecticide activity: 1.0% (I) Tribolium castaneum
[67]
S. dyeriana leaf Not stated antibacterial activity: 20.0 mL/disc (I) Escherichia coli antibacterial activity: 20.0 mL/disc (I) Pseudomonas aeruginosa
antibacterial activity: 20.0 mL/disc (I) Staphylococcus aureus antiyeast activity: 20.0 mL/disc (I) Candida albicans
[68]
S. heyneanus leaf India anti-inflammatory activity (A),GOT and GPT activity (A) [61]
root India analgesic activity (A), anti-inflammatory activity (A), anti-immunosupressant activity (A)
[62]
stem India CNS and depressant activity [63]
S. isophyllus leaf Not stated antibacterial activity: 20.0 mL/disc (I) Escherichia coli antibacterial activity: 20.0 mL/disc (I) Pseudomonas aeruginosa
antibacterial activity: 20.0 mL/disc (I) Staphylococcus aureus antiyeast activity: 20.0 mL/disc (I) Candida albicans
[58]