Yam Bean

The species is indigenous to Central America (from Southern Mexico to Nicaragua and Costa Rica), and has naturalized elsewhere after introduction. It is cultivated as a tuber crop in the West Indies, in South and South-East Asia from the islands of the Indian Ocean, India, Myanmar, Indo China, Southern China, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Pacific Islands, and to a lesser extent in tropical South America, Africa, and Australia.

Cây cÓ« dÒ±u (Vietnamese), Man kaeo (Thai), Achipa (Spanish), Jacatupé (Portuguese), Kamias (Philippines), Fagiolo patata (Italian), Kuzuimo (Japanese), and Bengkuang (Indonesia).

The plant thrives in a warm, humid tropical climate from near sea level to 1,400 m elevation with an optimum temperature range of 20–28 °C in zones with approximately 1,500 mm mean annual rainfall. It prefers full sun and rich, moist, well-drained light, sandy-loamy, alluvial or volcanic soils; waterlogged soil is detrimental as it causes rotting of tubers.

• Roots - Edible root, the plant produces one or more turnip-shaped to elongated tubers up to 30 cm in diameter and 25 cm long. Mature tubers can reach 2 m long and weigh up to 20 kilos.
• Stems - climbing or trailing plant producing annual.
• Leaves - pinnately trifoliate, coarse, stipules lanceolate or falcate, 0.5–1 cm long, petiole 10–15 cm long.
• Flowers - shortly pedicelled, bluish-violet, glabrous, bracteoles at base of calyx, corolla glabrous.
• Pods - subsessile, linear, acuminate, compressed, finely pubescent, 5–10 seeded, 7.5–15 cm long, and 1.2–1.6 cm wide.
• Seeds - flat rounded to squarish, olive-green to brown or reddish-brown.

• By seeds - presoak the seed for 12 hours in warm water and then sow in situ.
• By division of the root tubers.
• By cuttings.

Alpa hydroxyl acid (AHA), pachyrhizon, rotenon, saponins, flavonoids, thiamin, pirydoxin, riboflavin, niacin, folic acid, and askorbic acid.

Medicinal Uses

• The oil obtained from the seeds is purgative in doses of 40 gms.
• The seeds have been shown to have antifungal, antisecretory, antibacterial, and spasmolytic activities.
• Decreased locomotor activity, muscle relaxation, antianxiety, and anti-aggressive activity. Another study has shown moderate anti-herpes simplex virus activity.
• Studies have suggested antiviral, anti-osteoporosis, antioxidant, immunomodulatory, insecticidal, and skin whitening properties.

Traditional Uses

• A decoction of the roots is used as a diuretic, and also in the treatment of fevers and haemorrhages.
• A warmed poultice of the stem pulp is applied to painful areas in the leg.
• A tincture made from seeds is used in the treatment of herpes.

• Cuci buah bengkuang hingga bersih dengan air mengalir.
• Iris buah menjadi kecil, kemudian keringkan menggunakan oven pada suhu 60 °C selama 2 hari.
• Setelah kering, bahan dihaluskan menggunakan blender.