Orchids as antimicrobial, antioxidant source

MANILA, Philippines –  Orchids have long been used in Asia for skincare treatments and can also be a promising source of natural antioxidants.

Dr. Eufrocinio C. Marfori of the National Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology at UP Los Baños said while orchids have been known for their medicinal properties, they are utilized not for their phytochemical properties
but more on their aesthetical value.

Marfori conducted a review of on-going and completed projects funded by the Bureau of Agricultural Research.

Anong these projects include “Sustainable Utilization of Indigenous Philippine Orchids as  Source of Antimicrobials and Anti-Oxidants for Health and Wellness”.  The project involves the development of a package of technologies to harness the health benefitting potentials of Philippine endemic orchids.

 In over 1,000 orchid species found in the country, 90 percent of them are endemic. However, these species are facing extinction due to unsound conservation practices.

This deters the exploration of other uses of orchids aside as ornamental plants as it is hard to propagate and multiply them in nature, Marfori said.

But with the tissue culture technology now being used to mass propagate orchids, Marfori is optimistic about the orchids’ growing recognition as an alternative source of antimicrobials and antioxidants.            

“In Japan, China, and India, orchids are utilized to treat ailments,” Marfori noted.

The Vanilla planifolia, a variety of orchid which is the primary source of vanilla flavor, is also being used as medicine to treat nausea, improve food intake in patients receiving chemotherapy, antimicrobial against Eschericha coli, and Listeria innocua, among others.

Gastrodia elata is used to relieve headache and fatigue and treat allergies.

Dendrobium, on the other hand, is the primary ingredient of a
Chinese product called ‘Shihu’ which is used as remedy for indigestion,
rehydration, and  stomach and lung cancer.

Marfori said it’s about  time for the country’s endemic orchids to explore their other uses especially on health and wellness.

Out of the 46 collected and screened orchids, three species were chosen and identified by the researcher to have the highest potential sources of antimicrobial and antioxidant compounds.

These orchid species are Dendrobium ladda, Phalaenopsis amabilis, and Grammatophyllum multiflorum.