About Combretum indicum (L.) De Filipps
Rangoon creeper, scientifically named Combretum indicum (L.) De Filipps, is a vigorously growing climbing woody vine. It can reach a length between 2.5 meters and 8 meters. Its leaves are simple, elliptical in shape, with an acuminate tip and a rounded base. The leaves are between 7 and 15 centimeters long, and they grow in an opposite arrangement. The seeds of Combretum indicum, along with the related species Quisqualis fructus and Q. chinensis, contain the chemical quisqualic acid. This chemical acts as an agonist for the AMPA receptor, a type of glutamate receptor found in the brain. Quisqualic acid is associated with excitotoxicity, which leads to cell death. The seeds of this plant have been used to treat roundworm and pinworm infections; the compound is toxic to these parasites, killing them within the digestive tract.
