JASMINUM SAMBAC
Beneficial Health Effects Resource
By: Suzie Choi
Description and Rationale
The Jasmine Flower Plant: - useful practices found in the Philippines
The jasmine flower is an evergreen vine which can be found in many tropical countries, such as Southern Asia, India, the Philippines, Myanmar and Sri Lanka. The flower represents the Philippines as its national flower. Thus, jasmine flower can be found easily in public plant gardens (it costs less than P50 per well-grown plant root). Although the plant can provide many health benefits, people in the Philippines do not know much about it and sometimes just use it as decoration. Recently, there have been many professionals experimenting on the plant to find more usage for it. Jasmine tea, oil, perfume, and other medication can be made from dried plant parts, and its extract.
How many people know about the jasmine flower’s health benefits? How useful is the plant to local people? Are there any reasons why local residents do not know about the plant (when is considered as their national flower)? What kinds of diseases are found commonly in the Philippines? What is the jasmine flower’s impact on human health? What kinds of diseases does the flower affect positively? What kinds of products are made from this flower? Will the jasmine flower grow fast enough for larger cultivation? Will local people be able to cultivate the plant easily? Will the plant survive through the rainy season in the Philippines?
Will there be an easy way for the Filipinos to learn about the flower and learn the useful practices of it? In the Philippines, there are many fast-food restaurants such as Jollibee, McDonald’s, KFC, Burger King, etc. Most Filipinos enjoy having fast-food meals because of its cheap price. Fast-food meals include different kinds of soft drinks (Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Sprite, etc.) which affect human’s health harmfully. Drinking soft drinks has been suspected of decreasing the calcium level and increasing the phosphate level in the blood. Leading to lower calcium level can distract children’s growth drastically and cause minor sicknesses (onizers.org). On the other hand, tea made out of organic dried jasmine flower provides lots of nutrition and helps the body system to work well (Tea Benefits.com). Jasmine oil also can be used to make medicines. However, these ideas are not used commonly. Would there be any problem eating dried flowers in the Philippines? Would the air pollution affect the cleanliness of the plant? Will the residents living in rural areas without any pollution be able to get benefits from the jasmine flower?
The primary purpose of this project will be to research the jasmine flower growing in the Philippines and its usages. The research will be done with assistance by the florists in the Marikina Public Market. These findings will help in planning the experiment, which will show the usefulness of the flower, as a result.
It is hoped that new information of the promising plant might help improve the physical conditions of the people living in the Philippines through a more biologically explained resource.
main table of contents...
Biology
Common Names and Synonyms
Jasmine is very common in tropical areas, such as Southern Asia, India, the Philippines, Myanmar and Sri Lanka. In the Philippines, people consider this as their national flower and call it ‘sampagita.’ However, there is a scientific name for Jasmine: Jasminum sambac. Jasminum sambac is also famous in other names such as, Arabian Jasmine, Mogra (Hindi and Marathi), Mallik (Sanskrit), Kampupot, Melati (Malay and Indonesian Language), Mallepuvvu (Telugu), Mallikaipu (Tamil), Mallige (Kannada) and Kaliyan (Urdu).
Classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(Unranked): Angiosperms
(Unranked): Eudicots ("tricolpates" or "non-Magnoliid dicots"; "true dicotyledons")
(Unranked): Asterids (clade)
Order: Lamiales (gynoecium)
Family: Oleaceae (trees and shrubs having berries or drupes or capsules as fruits)
Genus: Jasminum (shrubs and woody climbers mostly of tropical and temperate Old World)
Species: J. sambac (East Indian evergreen vine cultivated for its profuse fragrant white flowers)
There are many types of jasmine (“gift from God”) flowers which look similar to Jasmine sambac. Since they are in the same genus, they have similar names. For example, there are jasmine flowers called Jasminum adenophyllum, Jasminum dichotomum, Jasminum grandiflorum, etc. Even though their names might be related, each of them has its own definition and story about it.
main table of contents...
Morphology and Physical Description
Jasminum sambac is an evergreen vine which can grow up to one to three meters tall. Its leaves are very glossy, round-shaped, and about ten centimeters long. The flower also has short stalks with strongly scented flowers. Six to eight flowers usually grow in the same cluster, with a white corolla or petals reaching one to three centimeters in length. Jasminum sambac also includes two stamens, and two ovaries. The flowers usually open at night and close in the morning.
Jasminum sambac produces fruit in the form of purple-black berries which grow to one centimeter in diameter. Green at first, the berries can be harvested once they become purple. These berries also contain seed pods.
The bud of the Jasminum sambac contains sweet liquids that can be extracted to make jasmine syrup or oil. Jasmine perfumes can then be made with a combination of the jasmine oil and alcohol. The syrup has a tasty flavor and is used to make jasmine tea. In addition, the leaves of the Jasminum sambac can be dried and used to create another flavor of jasmine tea.
main table of contents...
Getting Food
Depending on its environment, Jasminum sambac should be watered frequently. However in general, the plants prefer full sunlight to partial shade, in a warm site where photosynthesis can occur. Jasminum sambac grow well in well-drained, sandy soil to clayish loam. The flower grows best in soil of 5.5 to 6.5 pH level. Weeds blocking the roots’ absorption of nutrients from the ground should be removed regularly. In addition, when planting the seeds, each seed should be more than five feet apart from each other preventing grown plants crowding together in the future. Fertilizers can be added from time to time, depending on the condition of the flower. Placing leaf molds into the soil keeps a moderate level of fertility.
“Decide on a mild fertilizer to feed the jasmine plant. You can use either an organic or synthetic fertilizer to feed the plant. Synthetic fertilizers tend to be less expensive, but organic fertilizers pose less threat of burning the roots and can help improve the soil.” (http://www.ehow.com/how_2045273_fertilize-jasmine-plants.html)
main table of contents...
Reproduction
Jasminum sambac can be reproduced by sexual reproduction, or self-fertilization. The pollen from an anther is transferred to the stigma, fertilizing the eggs within the same plant. Another type of fertilization is by cross-fertilization which occurs when the pollen is transferred to the stigma of another jasmine plant.
Occasionally, insects can also transfer pollen from plant to plant. Insect-pollination happens when insects are attracted by the strong scent of jasmine. Flower oil produced inside the flower bud provides food for the insects. When insects absorb their own food, parts of the flower such as pollen can be attached to the body of the insect. When the insects fly around the environment, pollens can land on different places and another reproduction process occurs. Wind is another method used in pollination, however, its rate of success is not as effective as insect -pollination.
Jasminum sambac can be also reproduced manually by cutting off an existing plant, and replanting the underground roots in a different location. When pegging the root part, it should remain connected to the live plant so that the roots will still be supplied with nutrients. However, when the cut portion is re-potted, the stems may be very thin and weak. To carefully support the stems, it is important to dig deep enough in the soil, or use a small piece of wire to keep the plant standing firm which results in a higher success rate.
main table of contents...
Environmental Factors
If jasmine is overwatered, plant disease called “Bud Rot” can affect the flower’s growth. Flower buds turn black like mold and damage the bud before or after it opens. Another disease called “Damping Off” may affect the plant when its soil surface dries out slightly between watering times. Different kinds of fungi such as “Gray Mold” can disturb the plant’s growth by infecting plant tissues. The following diseases can be treated by removing old flowers, infected leaves, and plant debris.
Jasminum sambac also has a symbiotic relationship with animals by providing them food such as berries, and causing animals to reproduce the plant once again. Animals eat berries, and seeds inside the berries will come out through the animals’ waste making another possibility of reproduction.
main table of contents...
Origin and Distribution
The origin of the Jasminum sambac is not clear, but it is believed to have originated in the Himalayas in western China. On the other hand, it is considered as a native flower to tropical and warm temperate regions in parts of Asia, Europe, and Africa. Nowadays, jasmines grow anywhere around the world, if they receive the right amount of water and sunlight each day.
The flower became very famous when the Chinese started to use it to flavor tea. Other Asian countries such as Indonesia and the Philippines also began cultivating Jasminum sambac within the perfect environment for the plant to flourish. People in the Philippines have long believed that the flower cures headaches, and symbolizes purity and eternal love. Moreover, because of the flower’s strong scent, it has been used an ornament in many religious ceremonies.
main table of contents...
Importance to People
In many provinces in China, jasmine flowers are very famous for different kinds of teas, treatments, and medical uses. Moreover, these ideas have also been introduced to many other Asian countries within their oriental cultures.
Jasminum sambac’s flowers can be dried up to make the flavor of jasmine tea. Drinking tea reduces destructive health effects of soft drinks of modern society. Tea has been claimed to be helpful for all kinds of diseases such as cancer, LDL cholesterol, diabetes, liver disease, etc. In addition, flowers can be used as garlands. Some oil can be extracted from the plant, which can be used as perfumes and food flavorings. Sambac’s strong scent seems to be very useful, especially when the plant is grinded through some processes. Moreover, Jasminum sambac’s part is used in medicine called Ayurvedic showing positive effects to viral and bacterial infections.
In the Philippines, Jasminum sambac provides an entire livelihood system to Filipinos. People can work as farmers, flower pickers, suppliers, vendors, garland-making contractors, etc.
main table of contents...
Survivability and Endangered Status
The resilience of the Jasminum sambac depends only on the environment under care. In the Philippines, San Pedro and Laguna are the most famous provinces ofor the production of flowers and preparations becoming garlands. However, if all the flowers are used for other productions, such as garlands, teas, and medicines without the production of more jasmine, the population of the plant may decrease.
Also, if the weather condition of the Philippines fluctuates consistently (during rainy season), the production of Jasminum sambac will be affected severely.
main table of contents...
Potential Solutions
OVERVIEW
What ways are there to promote the useful facts about jasmine flower and spread the products that can be made out of it? If this could be done effectively, local people’s health conditions could be radically improved by making food products using the flower parts. The benefits would not only be limited to food products. The oil extracted from the plant could be used to make jasmine scented perfumes and other medications. Moreover, there seems that even livelihood system of Filipinos could be protected by providing them farmer jobs. The methods explained below are three possibilities that would encourage local people to take the subsistence benefits and communicate about health facts about Sampaguita.
Possibility 1 - ANALYZING LOCAL PEOPLE’S EATING PATTERNS AND INSTRUCTING ABOUT THE ORGANIC JASMINE TEA
For this option, analyzing local people’s eating habits and finding the problem is very important. If Filipinos would get the chance to study their bad eating habits (e.g., drinking soft drinks very often), they will more likely follow healthy drinking options. This would require many interviews or surveys from the public to get a clear result of their eating habits. Information about health conditions when drinking lots of soda would effectively persuade to stop this habit. If possible, it would be better to bring an example of jasmine tea when teaching some health facts about the tea. The goal of this idea is to correct most Filipinos’ wrong eating orders by teaching some lessons on health and suggesting a healthier drink, the organic jasmine tea.
Advantages:
1. After the interview, people will get to know whether or not they were following the right eating style. If they did not have the right choice, they would learn about their mistakes and regret their actions. People seem to learn more and follow the instruction after finding their mistakes. They will try to get rid of the eating disorder habit to prevent the sickness they might face in the future.
2. If a person finishes the interview about eating patterns, he/she will get to know more about the unhealthy effects of certain meals. The person could be living with a group or family, which also means that the whole group eats the similar style of meals each day. The person, who had communication about the jasmine tea, could also convince people living together by sharing about his/her experience.
Disadvantages:
1. Most Filipinos would know how to speak English, but not all of them can. Some of them may have a hard time understanding questions being asked due to lack of fluency of speaking the language. An interpreter who can translate the information prepared for the option may be necessary.
2. Not all Filipinos would drink soft drinks everyday causing diseases in their body. There may be some who got illnesses from different causes. It may be necessary to research about the common diseases that most Filipinos are suffering through.
3. Some people who live in very deprived areas have not had a chance to try a cup of tea. The special flavor of the jasmine tea may taste very new to them, and they might not be fully convinced to drink it.
main table of contents...
Possibility 2 - SHARING A BROCHURE THAT TALKS ABOUT DIFFERENT KINDS OF BENEFITS FROM THE Jasminum sambac
The brochure about Sampaguita would include lots of advantages people may take with pictures describing the each idea. For example, making an organic jasmine tea would be explained with pictures from each small step. In the brochure, there will be useful links that local people might be interested in researching, and contact numbers of organizations related to Sampaguita will be included. While the people read the brochure, they may ask questions if any information interests them. Moreover, it would be very persuasive if some of the beneficial items made of Jasminum sambac are shown during the communication.
Advantages:
1. Interacting with Filipinos is not always easy due to language barrier. Showing some visual illustrations in the brochure would catch people’s attention, and they would also understand the information better.
2. Almost all information that may be considered useful to Filipinos would be in the brochure, and they will be allowed to take home the brochure. The brochure would be a small packet which includes most of the research about helpful facts about improving local people’s livelihood.
Disadvantages:
1. Printing the brochure in color may help people understanding the illustrations and other graphics. However, sharing the brochure with local people in public places will require many of it. Each paper can cost up to forty-five pesos depending on the size of the graphic. This option may be too expensive.
2. When sharing the brochure in public, there will not be enough time to go through all the details. People might just take it and disregard it easily.
main table of contents...
Possibility 3 - COMMUNICATE THE ADVANTAGES OF SAMPAGUITA AS DECORATIONS
The Filipinos would experience the cultivation of Sampaguita and use the part of the plant to make an ornamental product for their own income. This option would require local people to put considerable effort for a successful outcome. People will need to plant either the seed of the jasmine or a young grown-plant in the beginning and cultivate the flower parts in the future. It might even be possible to assist people in buying the materials from the public flower market to make sure that they are buying the right thing. When the plant grows well within the right environment with good care, any kind of flower decorations can be made using Sampaguita’s beautiful scented white flowers.
Advantages:
1. This option might be for the local people’s own benefit, decorating their house with flowers, and reducing the stink of smoke through the strong scent of Sampaguita. Living within nature and looking at the evergreen vine every day may calm and refresh people mentally. On the other hand, health conditions might improve just from planting the flower around the environment where people live.
2. Using the cultivated flowers, jobs can be provided to local people. Some impoverished families suffer in hunger because it is very difficult for uneducated people to get jobs in the Philippines. However, making flower ornaments does not require any professional education. Women who are in charge of kids at home should take the advantage of the following option.
Disadvantages:
1. The price of a young well-grown jasmine plant is about fifty pesos or less. Seeds of the plant will definitely be cheaper, but there can be some people who are facing extreme financial problem who will not even to be able to afford fifty pesos.
(To solve this problem, the price of the seeds may be donated by school clubs, classes, charity groups, or individuals.)
2. Sampaguita, Jasminum sambac, needs to grow in the right environment with a fair amount of sunshine in moist soil. Different weather conditions may affect the growth of the plant because of its sensitiveness. The weather condition in the Philippines is very hard to predict. (e.g., the beginning of the rainy season has changed every year since 2005)
main table of contents...
Bibliography
Cha. Interview. 25 Apr. 2009.
“China Jasmine.” all about tea 2009, final ed. 3 May 2009 <http://www.allabouttea.co.uk/china-jasmine.html>.
“How to Fertilize Jasmine Plants.” eHow 2009, final ed. 1 May 2009 <http://www.ehow.com/how_2045273_fertilize-jasmine- plants.html>.
“How to Make Jasmine Perfume.” eHow 2009, final ed. 1 May 2009 <http://www.ehow.com/how_4531769_make-jasmine- perfume.html>.
“Jasmine.” Lovetoknow 2 Feb. 2009, final ed. 1 May 2009 <http://garden.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Jasmine>.
Jasminum sambac. 3 May 2009 <http://www.crescentbloom.com/plants/Specimen/JA/Jasminum%20sambac.htm>.
“Negative Effects of Coca Cola and Other Soft Drinks on Human Body.” Health Studio 2009, final ed. 3 May 2009 <http://www.ihealthstudio.com/2008/05/19/negative-effects-of-coca-cola- and-other-soft-drinks-on-human-body/>.
pure incense. 2 May 2009 <http://www.pure-incense.com/jasmine-incense.html>.
“Sampaguita.” Philippines Medical Plants 1 May 2009 <http://www.stuartxchange.com/Sampaguita.html>.
“The Health Effects of Drinking Soda.” ion life 2005, final ed. 3 May 2009 <http://www.ionizers.org/soft-drinks.html>.
in table of contents...
Comments (0)
You don't have permission to comment on this page.