Devil's Cotton
Abroma augusta
Ulatkambal, a shrub whose slimy leaf drink is used in Bangladesh and India for diabetes. It slowed sugar absorption in rats.
Safety at a glance
- PregnancyNothing recorded
- BreastfeedingNothing recorded
- Medicines1 note →
- Who should avoid itNothing recorded
- AllergiesNothing recorded
- ToxicityNothing recorded
Tap a box to read the safety notes below. “Nothing recorded” means our sources don't cover it, not that it's safe.
Devil's Cotton may interact with some medicines. If you take any medicine, read Interactions with medicines below and talk to your doctor or pharmacist before using it.
What is Devil's Cotton?
- Plant family
- Malvaceae, the mallow family
- Parts used
- The leaves, bark and root
- Where it grows
- South and Southeast Asia
- Genus
- Abroma
- Species
- augusta
Regional names
Ulatkambal
Traditionally used for
- Diabetes (traditional)
Traditionally described as
- Slimy leaf extract
Health topics
Where Devil's Cotton appears in symptom search, and why. Being listed doesn't mean it's a proven treatment.
- High Blood Sugar
A leaf drink is traditionally used for diabetes; it slowed sugar absorption in rats but also reduced absorption of metformin.
Safety
Interactions with medicines
In diabetic rats, the leaf drink reduced how much metformin was absorbed. The researchers advise against taking it at the same time as metformin.[1]Study
What does the research say?
Traditional use
These are traditional uses, not proven treatments.
A thick, slimy drink made from the fresh leaves of devil's cotton (ulatkambal in Bengali) is traditionally used for diabetes.[1]Study
Laboratory & animal research
Lab and animal results show what might be worth studying in people. They don't show that the herb has these effects in humans.
In short
Reduced metformin absorption in rats; avoid taking the two together.
Sources
- [1] Effects of Aqueous Extract of Fresh Leaves of Abroma augusta L. on Oral Absorption of Glucose and Metformin Hydrochloride in Experimental Rats · DOI: 10.5402/2012/472586Peer-reviewed study
- [2] Methanolic Bark Extract of Abroma augusta (L.) Induces Apoptosis in EAC Cells through Altered Expression of Apoptosis Regulatory Genes · DOI: 10.1155/2020/9145626Peer-reviewed study
This information is educational and traditional in nature, and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Unfamiliar word? See what these words mean.