It is used in traditional medicine to treat and prevent a wide range of ailments. It is native to Africa and is found in grasslands
and semi-shaded areas. 

Dichrocephala integrifolia (Family Asteraceae) is an erect or spreading, aromatic annual plant growing to an average of 40cm in height. It often branches freely at the base, though can be unbranched, and forms new roots at the leaf nodes. Leaves are usually obovate or ovate or lance-shaped, lateral lobes 1 or 2 pairs.
Flower-heads are few, spherical, 3-6 mm across, on slender diverging flower-cluster-stalks. Ray florets are pinkish or white and disc florets are yellow. The fruit is hydrochorous with seed pods measuring about 1 mm long, smooth or with finely velvet hair. Dichrocephala integrifolia is native to Africa and distributed in grassland and semi-shaded areas.

In East Africa, the plant is commonly used in the treatment of skin infections. Courtesy: iNaturalist

It is widely used in traditional medicine to treat and prevent a wide range of disease conditions including dementia, Alzheimer, gastrointestinal disorders, diarrhoea, hepatitis, worm infections, amebiasis and some central nervous system illnesses. It is also used in several communities during tooth extraction and to treat schizophrenia, wounds, epilepsy, headache, asthma, inflammation, malaria, jaundice, filariasis, neuritis and children’s night agitation. It is also known to have anxiolytic properties. The infusion of the whole plant is administered to treat memory impairment and hepatic disorders. In central Africa, the plant is known to be used for the treatment of eye diseases, intestinal worms, and leishmaniasis.

The leaves are crushed and used to treat ulcers and swellings. Courtesy: iNaturalist

In East Africa, the plant is commonly used in the treatment of skin infections. A decoction made from the whole plant has been used as emetics, purgatives, antitumor and also for the management of liver, spleen, kidney, bladder, bone and joint diseases. Paste made by pounding the whole plant is used as an antidote for snake bites. The plant juice is used as a treatment against filariasis and malarial fevers. The plant juice is also applied in the nose to treat sinusitis and migraine. The dried and powdered Dichrocephala  chrocephala whole plant is applied as a dressing on old infected wounds to enhance healing. The juice of the plant is applied to cuts and wounds to quicken the healing process. Dichrocephala integrifolia is used as a therapy for hypertension, inflammatory diseases, stomach ulcers, and liver dysfunctions. Dichrocephala integrifolia young shoots used as poultice for treating blennorrhagia and insect stings, spiders or scorpions.

The juice of the plant is applied to cuts and wounds to quicken the healing process. Courtesy: iNaturalist

The decoction prepared from its leaves is used in the treatment of Alzheimer and dementia diseases. Fresh leaves and stems are used as an aesthetic in atraumatic tooth extraction. The leaves are antiviral. The leaves are crushed and used to treat ulcers and swellings. It is placed on the fractured, painful, or carious teeth for two to three minutes, causing it to become loose, and then pulled. The sap from the crushed leaves is reapplied to the extraction site to enhance clotting and arrest bleeding. The leaf infusion is used by traditional healers in the treatment of oxidative stress disorders and memory loss. Decoction of flower buds is used as sudorific and diuretic. The aroma of the crushed flower heads is inhaled to induce sneezing and thus helps to reduce nasal congestion.
The medicinal potential of Dichrocephala integrifolia may be attributed to the various phytochemicals in it including diterpene lactones, sesquiterpenes lactones, sterols, dichrocephol, dicaffeoylquinic, saponins, alkaloids anthraquinones, and flavonoids. The plant contains flavonoids like rutin which exhibits great pharmacological activities. Indeed, rutin is known as a ‘capillary protectant’. Apart from the medicinal uses, Dichrocephala. integrifolia is used to treat cattle for swelling, infection, necrosis, edema, and pain. (Open Photo: CC BY-SA 3.0/Fagus)

Richard Komakech