A viral TikTok video has falsely claimed that Gmelina leaves, which it misspelled as “Gemelena,” is an effective herbal remedy for water buildup in the lungs.
Gmelina arborea’s bark, leaves and fruits have been used in traditional medicine for health concerns such as digestion, inflammation and fever, according to an article in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology. Research published in the Scientific Reports noted its potential anti-bacterial and wound-healing properties.
But a report in PubMed Central said Gmelina arborea has only been tested on animal subjects like mice, rats, and brine shrimp larvae.
Clinical trials have yet to show the ability and efficacy of Gmelina arborea leaves to drain fluid buildup in human lungs. Its potency in drug formulation must also be researched further, according to a 2010 study.
Pulmonary edema is the medical condition for liquid buildup in the lungs, while pleural effusion refers to excess water surrounding the lungs. Diuretics, ventilatory assistance and thoracentecis, among others, are often used to treat such conditions.
The Nov. 10 post by @made.dyeiond, however, said using the leaves is a cheaper alternative to standard medical procedures used to treat these conditions. At the 0:05 mark, it said:
Hindi mo na kailangang gumastos pa ng napakamahal para magpasipsip ng tubig sa baga ng iyong anak o ng iyong asawa. Kumuha lang kayo ng tatlong dahon ng [Gmelina] at punasan niyo ng malinis na tela para matanggal ang alikabok, at ilagay sa lamesa at pagulungan ng baso para lumabas ang katas. At itapal niyo po ito sa inyong likod. Gagawin ito gabi-gabi bago matulog, at pwede itong talian para hindi mahulog (You no longer need to spend much in order to drain the water from your child or husband’s lungs. Just get three leaves of [Gmelina], use a clean cloth to wipe off the dust, and roll a glass over it to take out the extract. Use the leaves as a patch behind your back. Do it every night before sleeping, and you can tie the leaves to keep them from falling).
The video, which likely used an AI-generated voice for narration, showed what appeared to be stitched clips of Gmelina leaves on a tree, a leaf laid flat on a table where a glass is being rolled over it, and three leaves applied on person’s back.
Searching for “Gemelena” on extensive plant lists Co’s Digital Flora of the Philippines, International Plant Names Index, and World Flora Online Plant List yielded no results.
However, it appears that Filipinos typically use “Gemelina,” “Melina,” or “Germilina” to refer to the species Gmelina arborea, according to environmentalist Celine Murillo in a TikTok video. This is consistent with a quick Google search of “Gemelena” suggesting results for the plant Gmelina arborea.
A reverse image search of the key frames revealed that the video was likely taken from Diy crafts’ Nov. 9 Facebook post. The logo that glides across the screen, with the words “halamang gamot” (medicinal plant)in blue and yellow, is similar to the logo used in other videos posted by the Facebook page. The logo is present in both Diy crafts and Made.dyeiond’s posts.
Multiple AI detection tools have found the audio to be potentially AI-generated. Hive AI detector calculated a 92.7% likelihood and Resemble.AI, 90%. ElevenLabs AI SpeechClassifier also found it to be 76% likely to be generated using their AI samples and tools.
The video, which has since been taken down, garnered over 448,600 views, 7,800 likes, 350 comments and 3425 shares on TikTok by Nov. 17. Made.dyeiond has 9,049 followers and 105,800 likes. (JP)