Tag: Malaysia

Logan

Post author By Mukul
Post date February 3, 2009
No Comments on Logan

Botanical Name:Arillis Euphoriae Longanae/Dimocarpus longan
Family:Sapindaceae
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Sapindales
Genus: Dimocarpus
Species: D. longan
Parts Used:Fruit

Pinyin Mandarin Name:Long Yan Rou
Common English Name:Longan Fruit

Habitat:It is a tropical tree native to southern China. It is also found in Southeast Asia. It is also called guiyuan in Chinese, lengkeng in Indonesia, mata kucing (literally “cat’s eye”) in Malaysia, nhãn in Vietnamese (The Species: Euphoria longana Lamk. named “long nhãn” in Vietnamese- literally “dragon’s eyes”), Mora in Sinhalese (Sri Lanka) and also “longan” in Tagalog.

Origin and Distribution
The longan is native to southern China, in the provinces of Kwangtung, Kwangsi, Schezwan and Fukien, between elevations of 500 and 1,500 ft (150-450 m). Groff wrote: “The lungan, not so highly prized as the lychee, is nevertheless usually found contiguous to it …. It thrives much better on higher ground than the lychee and endures more frost. It is rarely found growing along the dykes of streams as is the lychee but does especially well on high ground near ponds …. The lungan is more seldom grown under orchard conditions than is the lychee. There is not so large a demand for the fruit and the trees therefore more scattered although one often finds attractive groups of lungan.” Groff says that the longan was introduced into India in 1798 but, in Indian literature, it is averred that the longan is native not only to China but also to southwestern India and the forests of upper Assam and the Garo hills, and is cultivated in Bengal and elsewhere as an ornamental and shade tree. It is commonly grown in former Indochina (Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam and in Taiwan). The tree grows but does not fruit in Malaya and the Philippines. There are many of the trees in Reúnion and Mauritius.

The longan was introduced into Florida from southern China by the United States Department of Agriculture in 1903 and has flourished in a few locations but never became popular. There was a young tree growing at the Agricultural Station in Bermuda in 1913. A tree planted at the Federal Experiment Station in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, was 10 ft (3 m) high in 1926, 23 ft (7 m) in 1929. A longan tree flourished in the Atkins Garden in Cuba and seedlings were distributed but found to fruit irregularly and came to be valued mostly for their shade and ornamental quality. In Hawaii, the longan was found to grow faster and more vigorously than the lychee but the fruit is regarded there as less flavorful than the lychee

Description:

The longan tree is handsome, erect, to 30 or 40 ft (9-12 m) in height and to 45 ft (14 m) in width, with rough-barked trunk to 2 1/2 ft (76.2 cm) thick and long, spreading, slightly drooping, heavily foliaged branches. The evergreen, alternate, paripinnate leaves have 4 to 10 opposite leaflets, elliptic, ovate-oblong or lanceolate, blunt-tipped; 4 to 8 in (10-20 cm) long and 1 3/8 to 2 in (3.5-5 cm) wide; leathery, wavy, glossy-green on the upper surface, minutely hairy and grayish-green beneath. New growth is wine-colored and showy. The pale-yellow, 5- to 6-petalled, hairy-stalked flowers, larger than those of the lychee, are borne in upright terminal panicles, male and female mingled. The fruits, in drooping clusters, are globose, 1/2 to 1 in (1.25-2.5 cm) in diameter, with thin, brittle, yellow-brown to light reddish-brown rind, more or less rough (pebbled), the protuberances much less prominent than those of the lychee. The flesh (aril) is mucilaginous, whitish, translucent, somewhat musky, sweet, but not as sweet as that of the lychee and with less “bouquet”. The seed is round, jet-black, shining, with a circular white spot at the base, giving it the aspect of an eye.

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The plant is very sensitive to frost. Longan trees require sandy soil and temperatures that do not typically go below 4.5 degrees Celsius (40 degrees Fahrenheit). Longans and lychees bear fruit at around the same time of the year.
….CLICK & SEE THE PICTURES
The longan (“dragon eyes”) is so named because of the fruit’s resemblance to an eyeball when it is shelled (the black seed shows through the translucent flesh like a pupil/iris). The seed is small, round and hard.Nature of fruit is warm and taste sweet.

Varieties:
It seems that the type of longan originally brought to the New World was not one of the best, having aroused so little interest in the fruit. Groff stated that the leading variety of Fukien was the round-fruited ‘Shih hsía’, the “Stone Gorge Lungan” from P’ing Chou. There were 2 types, one, ‘Hei ho shih hsia’, black-seeded, and ‘Chin ch’ i ho shih hsia’, brown-seeded. This variety did not excel in size but the flesh was crisp, sweeter than in other varieties, the seed small and the dried flesh, after soaking in water, was restored almost to fresh condition.

None of the other 4 varieties described by Groff has any great merit.

‘Wu Yuan’ (“black ball”) has small, sour fruit used for canning. The tree is vigorous and seedlings are valued as rootstocks. ‘Kao Yuan’ is believed to be a slightly better type of this variety and is widely canned.

‘Tsao ho’ (‘Early Rice’) is the earliest variety and a form called ‘Ch’i chin tsao ho’ precedes it by 2 weeks. In quality, both are inferior to ‘Wu Yuan’.

‘She p’ i’ (‘Snake skin’) has the largest fruit, as big as a small lychee and slightly elongated. The skin is rough, the seed large, some of the juice is between the rind and the flesh, and the quality is low. Its only advantage is that it is very late in season.

‘Hua Kioh’ (‘Flower Skin’), slightly elongated, has thin, nearly tasteless flesh, some of the juice is between the rind and the flesh, and the overall quality is poor. It is seldom propagated vegetatively.

There are no “chicken- tongue” (aborted seed) varieties in China.

There are 2 improved cultivars grown extensively in Taiwan–’Fukien Lungan’ (‘Fukugan’) was introduced from Fukien Province in mainland China. The other, very similar and possibly a mutant of ‘Fukien’, is ‘Lungan Late’, which matures a month later than ‘Fukien’.

To express longan fruit, there is a Vietnamese riddle: Da cóc mà boc bot loc, bot loc mà boc hòn than (literally: Toad’s skin covers tapioca wheat, tapioca wheat covers coal ball): toad’s skin is the ugly skin, tapioca wheat is the clear white flesh and coal ball is the black seed.

Culinary uses:
The fruit is edible, and is often used in East Asian soups, snacks, desserts, and sweet-and-sour foods, either fresh or dried, sometimes canned with syrup in supermarkets. The seeds of fresh longan can be boiled and eaten, with a distinctive nutty flavor.

Dried longan (Chinese: pinyin: yuánròu; literally “round meat”) are often used in Chinese cuisine and Chinese sweet dessert soups. In Chinese food therapy and herbal medicine, it is believed to have an effect on relaxation. In contrast with the fresh fruit, which is juicy and white, the flesh of dried longans is dark brown to almost black. In Chinese medicine the longan, much like the lychee, is considered a “warm” fruit.

Other Uses:
Seeds and rind: The seeds, because of their saponin content, are used like soapberries (Sapindus saponaria L.) for shampooing the hair. The seeds and the rind are burned for fuel and are part of the payment of the Chinese women who attend to the drying operation.

Wood: While the tree is not often cut for timber, the wood is used for posts, agricultural implements, furniture and construction. The heartwood is red, hard, and takes a fine polish. It is not highly valued for fuel.

Medicinal Uses:
This herb is used in formulas to treat certain types of insomnia (TCM: due to deficient Heart or Spleen weakness), frequently caused by post-birth weakness where mother has not had sufficient time to recover.

The flesh of the fruit is administered as a stomachic, febrifuge and vermifuge, and is regarded as an antidote for poison. A decoction of the dried flesh is taken as a tonic and treatment for insomnia and neurasthenic neurosis. In both North and South Vietnam, the “eye” of the longan seed is pressed against a snakebite in the belief that it will absorb the venom.

Leaves and flowers are sold in Chinese herb markets but are not a part of ancient traditional medicine. The leaves contain quercetin and quercitrin. Burkill says that the dried flowers are exported to Malaysia for medicinal purposes. The seeds are administered to counteract heavy sweating and the pulverized kernel, which contains saponin, tannin and fat, serves as a styptic.

Traditional Uses:
Tonjfies Heart and Spleen, nourishes Blood, and calms Spirit

Common Formulas Used in :Ginseng and Longan

Disclaimer:The information presented herein is intended for educational purposes only. Individual results may vary, and before using any supplements, it is always advisable to consult with your own health care provider.

Resources:
http://www.acupuncture-and-chinese-medicine.com/longan.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Longan
http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/longan.html

http://www.bijlmakers.com/fruits/longan.htm

Tags Aroma of wine, Buckminster Fuller, Caloundra, Cashmere wool, China, Christmas, Geodesic dome, India, Lychee, Malaysia, Puerto Rico, Southeast Asia, Sri Lanka, Stainless steel, Timothy Oulton, United States, United States Department of Agriculture

Fruits & Vegetables Herbs & Plants

Pomelo

Post author By Mukul
Post date November 12, 2008
2 Comments on Pomelo

Botanical Name:Citrus maxima (Burm.) Merr
Family: Rutaceae
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Sapindales
Genus: Citrus
Species :C. maxima
Synonyms: Citrus grandis (L.) Osbeck, Citrus decumana L.
Common Name:Pomelo, Pummelo, Chinese grapefruit, Pommelo, Shaddock, Jambola
Dutch: Pompelmoes
French: Pomélo, Pamplemousse
German: Pompelmus, Pampelmus
Spanish: Pomelo

Chinese grapefruit, pummelo, pommelo, Lusho Fruit, jabong, shaddock, Citrus maxima (Merr., Burm. f.), also Citrus grandis (L.), is a citrus fruit.
Indigenous names include som in Thai and buoi in Vietnamese. In Burmese, the fruit is called kywègaw thee in the south and shaupann thee in upcountry. In Malay and Indonesian, it is known as limau/jeruk bali (“Balinese lime/orange”) after the island of Bali. In the Philippines, while the common name is pomelo, it is also known as suha in Tagalog and boongon in Visayan.

In Chinese, the fruit is known as yòuzi , although the same Chinese characters can also be used for the yuzu, a different species. The Japanese refer to the pomelo as buntan ( buntan) or zabon ( zabon), apparently both derived from Cantonese captain , whose name is read Sha Buntan in Japanese.

Batabi Nimbu in India and particularly in Bengal

Habitat:The pomelo is native to South-East Asia.The pomelo is native to southeastern Asia and all of Malaysia; grows wild on river banks in the Fiji and Friendly Islands. It may have been introduced into China around 100 B.C. It is much cultivated in southern China (Kwang-tung, Kwangsi and Fukien Provinces) and especially in southern Thailand on the banks to the Tha Chine River; also in Taiwan and southernmost Japan, southern India, Malaya, Indonesia, New Guinea and Tahiti.

It is grown in many eastern countries including China, Japan, India, Fiji, Malaysia, and Thailand. It is also now grown in the Caribbean and in the United States, in California and Florida. In season November through March, Pummelos are especially popular for Chinese New Year. The Chinese believe the delectable Pummelo is a sign of prosperity and good fortune – good things will happen if they eat it.

Description:The Tree is Evergreen,grows large to midium.Large flowers of 3-7 cm in diameter, either single or in small clusters, with cream colored petals. : Pomelo has the largest leaves among all citrus.
You may click to see the picture
Pomelo fruits are pale green to yellow when ripe. Pomelo is a big citrus fruit (larger than grapefruits), 10-25 cm in diameter, with a thick spongy rind. The flesh is sweet. Pulp vesicles are large with a yellow or pink color.

Cultivation and uses:-
The Chandler is a Californian variety with a smoother skin than many other varieties. In Vietnam, a particularly well known variety called b??i N?m Roi is cultivated in the Vinh Long Province of the Mekong Delta region.

The tangelo is a hybrid between the pomelo and the tangerine. It has a thicker skin than a tangerine and is less sweet.

The pummelo is an exotic large citrus fruit that is an ancient ancestor of the common grapefruit. It is the largest of the citrus fruits with a shape that can be fairly round or slightly pointed at one end (the fruit ranges from nearly round to oblate or pear-shaped). They range from cantaloupe-size to as large as a 25-pound watermelon and have very thick, soft rind. The skin is green to yellow and slightly bumpy; flesh color ranges from pink to rose.

Like grapefruits, they can range from almost seedless to very seedy, from juicy to dry, from sweet to sour. It is sweeter than a grapefruit and can be eaten fresh, although membranes around the segments should be peeled. Pummelos commonly have 16 to 18 segments, compared to most grapefruit that have about 12 segments. Be sure to refrigerate and use quickly. Use as you would grapefruit sections. They are also good for jams, jellies, marmalades and syrups.
The pomelo tastes like a sweet, mild grapefruit – it has very little or none of the common grapefruit’s bitterness, but the membranes of the segments are bitter and usually discarded. The peel is sometimes used to make marmalade, or candied then dipped in chocolate. The peel of the pomelo is also used in Chinese cooking or candied. In general, citrus peel is often used in southern Chinese cuisine for flavouring, especially in sweet soup desserts.

The flowers of Pomelo are highly aromatic and gathered in North Vietnam for making perfume. The wood is heavy, hard, tough, fine-grained and suitable for making tool handles.

Containts:One-fourth of a Pummelo (152 grams) has 60 calories and provides 130% of the Vitamin C recommended for the day. It is sodium, fat and cholesterol free and is a source of potassium.

Medicinal Uses:
In the Philippines and Southeast Asia, decoctions of the leaves, flowers, and rind are given for their sedative effect in cases of epilepsy, chorea and convulsive coughing.
The hot leaf decoction is applied on swellings and ulcers. The fruit juice is taken as a febrifuge. The seeds are employed against coughs, dyspepsia and lumbago. Gum that exudes from declining trees is collected and taken as a cough remedy in Brazil.

In the Philippines and Southeast Asia, decoctions of the leaves, flowers, and rind are given for their sedative effect in cases of epilepsy, chorea and convulsive coughing, The hot leaf decoction is applied on swellingd and ulcers. The fruit juice is taken as a febrifuge . The sarcocarps are employed against coughs, dyspepsia and lumbago. Gum that exudes from declining trees is collected and taken as a cough remedy in Brazil . An essence prepared from the flowersis taken to overcome insomnia, also as a stomachic, and cardiac tonic. The pulp is considered an effective aid in the treatment of urinary disorders. Leaf extractions have shown antibiotic activity.

In Indian Ayurveda Pomelo is verymuch useful for vata-kaphha nashak,mild laxative,digestive,appetiser,loss of appetite,abdominal colick,worm,vomiting,nausea

Recipes
Pomelo salad

Ingredients:
1 large pomelo, 1 red chili, 1 clove garlic, 1 teaspoon honey, 1 tablespoon fish sauce, 1 stalk lemongrass, 2 limes, some fresh coriander

Preparation:
Peel and segment the pomelo. Crush the garlic. Slice the lemon grass (fine) and the chili. Squeeze the limes. Prepare a dressing from chili, garlic, honey, fish sauce, lemon grass and line juice. Mix this dressing in a bowl with the fruit and decorate it with fresh coriander.

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Dangerous/Poisonous:
Like that of other citrus fruits, the peel of the pummelo contains skin irritants, mainly limonene and terpene, also citral, aldehydes, geraniol, cadinene and linalool, which may cause dermatitis in individuals having excessive contact with the oil of the outer peel.
Harvesters, workers in processing factories, and housewives may develop chronic conditions on the fingers and hands.
(Morton, J. 1987. Fruits of warm climates.)

Resources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pomelo
http://whatscookingamerica.net/pomelo.htm
http://www.bijlmakers.com/fruits/pomelo.htm
http://www.ntbg.org/plants/plant_details.php?rid=419&plantid=2851

http://www.hinduwebsite.com/hinduism/concepts/ayurveda.asp

http://www.pomelofruit.cn/faq.asp

Tags China, Chinese New Year, Citrus, Fruit, Grapefruit, Malaysia, New Guinea, United States

Herbs & Plants

Peltophorum Pterocarpum or Radhachura in Bengali

Post author By Mukul
Post date November 4, 2008
No Comments on Peltophorum Pterocarpum or Radhachura in Bengali

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Botanical name: Peltophorum pterocarpum.
Family: Fabaceae
Subfamily: Caesalpinioideae
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Fabales
Genus: Peltophorum
Species: P. pterocarpum

Synonyms : Baryxylum inerme (Roxb.) Pierre, Caesal pinia ferruginea Dcne., Caesalpinia arborea Zoll. ex Miq., Caesalpinia inermis Roxb., Inga pterocarpa DC., Peltophorum ferrugineum (Dcne.) Benth., Peltophorum inerme (Roxb.) Llanos, Poinciana roxburghii G.Don

Common Name:Copperpod, Golden Flamboyant, Yellow Flamboyant, Yellow Flame Tree, Yellow Poinciana.
(English: Copper pod tree, Rusty shield bearer. Kannada: Peltophorum, Bengali: Radha chura)

Habitat: Native to tropical southeastern Asia and northern Australasia, in Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines (doubtfully native), and the islands off the coast of Northern Territory, Australia.

Description:
It is a deciduous tree growing to 15–25 m (rarely up to 50 m) tall, with a trunk diameter of up to 1 m. The leaves are bipinnate, 30-60 cm long, with 16-20 pinnae, each pinna with 20-40 oval leaflets 8-25 mm long and 4-10 mm broad. The flowers are yellow, 2.5-4 cm diameter, produced in large compound racemes up to 20 cm long. The fruit is a pod 5-10 cm long and 2.5 cm broad, red at first, ripening black, and containing one to four seeds. Trees begin to flower after about four years.

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You may click to see the pictures of Peltophorum Pterocarpum

Its with wide-spreading branches form an umbrella-like crown up to 25′ across. The stems and twigs are rusty-red tomentose (fuzzy). The leaves are bipinnate (twice compound), about 2′ long with 8-20 pairs of 3/4″-long oblong leaflets. The fragrant flowers are clustered on upright stalks (racemes, actually) about 18″ long. Each flower is about an inch and a half across with translucent yellow, strangely-crinkled petals. The flowers have conspicuous orange stamens and each petal has a reddish brown mark in the center. They are followed by purplish brown, flattened, oblong seed pods, 3-4″ long, which remain on the tree until the next flowering season.

click to see the pictures…..>…..(01)...….(1).……...(2).…..…..(3)……….(4).…..….(5).....

Compared to gul mohar this tree flowers for longer periods, and often you can see buds, flowers, pods (copper coloured) and also leaves in the same tree. It is remarkably drought resistant and can grow very big and is a good shade tree.

Cultivation
Peltophorum pterocarpum is widely grown in tropical regions as an ornamental tree, particularly in Nigeria, Pakistan, and Florida and Hawaii in the United States.Propagation of yellow poinciana is by seeds that must be treated before they will germinate. In nature, the seeds would have passed through the gut of a bird or mammal before germinating in a pile of rich “compost.” We simulate that process with scarification (use a file or sandpaper), or a two-minute immersion in dilute acid or boiling water.

Uses:
Yellow poincianas are usually planted as specimen trees or as shade trees. They are used as street trees in tropical cities, and commonly planted for shade in tropical and subtropical gardens. They are fast-growing and vigorous, but they cannot tolerate frost.The wood has a wide variety of uses, and the foliage, which are rich in protein, is used as a fodder crop.
It serves as a host for lac insects.

It is also used as a shade and cover plant in cacao and coffee plantations, for reforestation of wastelands covered with (Imperata cylindrica) and as a windbreak.

Also grown as an ornamental. Sap wood soft and light, not durable and of little use, heartwood red, hard and strong. Good for carpentry, construction and cartwright’s work. Bark contains tannins, giving a light yellow color to leather, tannins also present in leaves and wood.The wood is used for cabinet work, coach-building, furniture, planks and as firewood.

Medicinal uses: bark for dysentry, tooth powder, eye lotion, embrocation for pains and sores; the bark gives a dye of a yellow color. Can be used as a shade – or specimen tree.
USDA hardiness zone 10b..

Resources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peltophorum_pterocarpum
http://www.floridata.com/ref/P/pelt_pte.cfm
http://toptropicals.com/cgi-bin/garden_catalog/cat.cgi?uid=Peltophorum_pterocarpum
http://ecocrop.fao.org/ecocrop/srv/en/cropView?id=8410

http://www.isibang.ac.in/~bhat/peltho.html

Tags Malaysia, Nigeria, Northern Territory, Papua New Guinea, Recreation and Sports, Rugby league, Sri Lanka, United States

Herbs & Plants

Mangosteen

Botanical Name : Garcinia mangostana

Kingdom: Plantae
Family: Clusiaceae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Malpighiales
Genus: Garcinia
Species: G. mangostana
Alternate names: Garcinia mangostana L., mangostan, manggis, mangis, mang cut
Brand Names: XanGo, Thai-Go, Mangosteen Plus, Mango-xan

Bengali Name: Gub
Habitat: originated in the Sunda Islands and the Moluccas.Mangosteen is a tropical fruit that is grown primarily in hot, humid climates of southeast Asia such as Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, and Indonesia.

Description:
Mangostina is a tropical evergreen tree,
The tree grows from 7 to 25 m (20-80 ft) tall. The rind (exocarp) of the edible fruit is deep reddish purple when ripe. Botanically an aril, the fragrant edible flesh can be described as sweet and tangy, citrusy with peach flavor and texture. Mangosteen is closely related to other edible tropical fruits such as button mangosteen and lemondrop mangosteen. Botanically, it bears no relation to the mango.

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Maturation of the exocarp and edible aril:
The juvenile mangosteen fruit, which does not require fertilization to form , first appears as pale green or almost white in the shade of the canopy. As the fruit enlarges over the next two to three months, the exocarp color deepens to darker green. During this period, the fruit increases in size until its exocarp is 6–8 centimeters in outside diameter, remaining hard until a final, abrupt ripening stage.

The subsurface chemistry of the mangosteen exocarp comprises an array of polyphenolic acids including xanthones and tannins that assure astringency to discourage infestation by insects, fungi, plant viruses, bacteria and animal predation while the fruit is immature. Color changes and softening of the exocarp are natural processes of ripening that indicates the fruit can be eaten and the seeds are finished developing.

Mangosteen produces a recalcitrant seed and must be kept moist to remain viable until germination. Mangosteen seeds are nucellar in origin and not the result of fertilization; they germinate as soon as they are removed from the fruit and die quickly if allowed to dry.

Once the developing mangosteen fruit has stopped expanding, chlorophyll synthesis slows as the next color phase begins. Initially streaked with red, the exocarp pigmentation transitions from green to red to dark purple, indicating a final ripening stage. This entire process takes place over a period of ten days as the edible quality of the fruit peaks.

The edible endocarp of the mangosteen is botanically defined as an aril with the same shape and size as a tangerine 4–6 centimeters in diameter, but is white. The circle of wedge-shaped arils contains 4–8 segments, the larger ones harboring apomictic seeds that are unpalatable unless roasted.

Often described as a subtle delicacy, the arils bear an exceptionally mild aroma, quantitatively having about 400 times fewer chemical constituents than fragrant fruits, explaining its relative mildness. Main volatile components having caramel, grass and butter notes as part of the mangosteen fragrance are hexyl acetate, hexenol and ?-copaene.

On the bottom of the exocarp, raised ridges (remnants of the stigma), arranged like spokes of a wheel, correspond to the number of aril sections. Mangosteens reach fruit-bearing in as little as 5–6 years, but more typically require 8–10 years

Nutrient content and antioxidant strength:
Mangosteen is typically advertised and marketed as part of an emerging category of novel functional foods sometimes called “superfruits” presumed to have a combination of 1) appealing subjective characteristics, such as taste, fragrance and visual qualities, 2) nutrient richness, 3) antioxidant strength and 4) potential impact for lowering risk against human diseases. Among six exotic fruits, the unpigmented, white fruit of the mangosteen was ranked lowest overall for these qualities.

The aril is the flavorful part of the fruit but, when analyzed specifically for its nutrient content, the mangosteen aril only meets the first criterion above, as its overall nutrient profile is absent of important content, it contains no pigmentation (correspondingly, no antioxidant phytochemicals in significant concentration) and there is no scientific evidence of aril constituents having any health properties.

Some mangosteen juice products contain whole fruit purée or polyphenols extracted from the inedible exocarp (rind) as a formulation strategy to add phytochemical value. The resulting juice has purple color and astringency derived from exocarp pigments, including xanthones under study for potential anti-disease effects. However, as xanthone research is at an early stage of basic laboratory research and only preliminary evidence has been found for anti-disease activity, no conclusions about possible health benefits for humans are warranted presently.

Furthermore, a possible adverse effect may occur from chronic consumption of mangosteen juice containing xanthones. A 2008 medical case report described a patient with severe acidosis possibly attributable to a year of daily use (to lose weight, dose not described) of mangosteen juice infused with xanthones. The authors proposed that chronic exposure to alpha-mangostin, a xanthone, could be toxic to mitochondrial function, leading to impairment of cellular respiration and production of lactic acidosis.

Uses:
People eat mangosteen as they would any other tropical fruit.

In southeast Asia, the rind—or pericarp—has been used for medicinal purposes for generations. According to folklore, the rind was used to make a tea for conditions such as diarrhea, bladder infections, and gonorrhea. An ointment made from the rind was applied to skin rashes.

Today, the rind has been found to contain the compounds alpha-mangostin, beta-mangostin, garcinone B, and garcinone E, which are collectively called xanthones.

Laboratory studies suggest xanthones have anti-cancer effects when they are studied in test tubes. Mangosteen has also been found to have anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antifungal, and antiseptic properties in test tube studies.

The excitement about mangosteen beverages may be premature. There are no clinical trials showing that oral mangosteen extracts have any benefit in humans. What happens in a test tube may not occur when mangosteen is taken orally.

Although the “superfruit” properties are often attributed to the xanthone content, some of mangosteen’s medicinal properties may be attributed to compounds called tannins in the rind. Tannins have anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, and astringent properties, and are used for such conditions as diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome, and skin conditions.

Tannins are ubiquitous in the plant world and are found in common, less expensive foods such as black tea, green tea, cranberries.

We also don’t know about the side effects of mangosteen and whether mangosteen extracts will interact with certain medications. This is a concern because of research on the xanthones in other plants.

Medicinal Uses: Dried fruits are shipped from Singapore to Calcutta and to China for medicinal use. The sliced and dried rind is powdered and administered to overcome dysentery. Made into an ointment, it is applied on eczema and other skin disorders. The rind decoction is taken to relieve diarrhea and cystitis, gonorrhea and gleet and is applied externally as an astringent lotion. A portion of the rind is steeped in water overnight and the infusion given as a remedy for chronic diarrhea in adults and children. Filipinos employ a decoction of the leaves and bark as a febrifuge and to treat thrush, diarrhea, dysentery and urinary disorders. In Malaya, an infusion of the leaves, combined with unripe banana and a little benzoin is applied to the wound of circumcision. A root decoction is taken to regulate menstruation. A bark extract called “amibiasine”, has been marketed for the treatment of amoebic dysentery.

The rind of partially ripe fruits yields a polyhydroxy-xanthone derivative termed mangostin, also ß-mangostin. That of fully ripe fruits contains the xanthones, gartanin, 8-disoxygartanin, and normangostin. A derivative of mangostin, mangostin-e, 6-di-O-glucoside, is a central nervous system depressant and causes a rise in blood pressure.

Resources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mangosteen
http://altmedicine.about.com/od/completeazindex/a/mangosteen1.htm
http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/mangosteen.html

Tags Fruit, Green tea, Malaysia, Mangosteen, Moluccas, Southeast Asia, Sunda Islands, Thailand, XanGo

Herbs & Plants

Candlenut

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Botanical Name: Aleurites moluccana
Family: Euphorbiaceae
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Malpighiales
Genus: Aleurites
Species: A. moluccana
Other Names:Candleberry, Indian walnut, Kemiri, Varnish tree or Kukui nut tree.
Habitat:Native to Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, and South Pacific Islands including Hawaii.
Common Names: Candlenuts, Indian walnut, Tahitian walnut, jangli akrot (Hindi), nattu-akrotu-kottai (Tamil), dakkuna (Sinhalese), phothisat (Thai), buah keras (Malay), kemiri (Indonesian)

Description:Its native range is impossible to establish precisely because of early spread by humans, and the tree is now widely distributed in the New and Old World tropics. It grows to a height of 15-25 m, with wide spreading or pendulous branches. The leaves are pale green, simple and ovate, or trilobed or rarely 5-lobed, with an acute apex, 10–20 cm long. The nut is round, 4–6 cm in diameter; the seed inside has a very hard seed coat and a high oil content, which allows its use as a candle, hence its name….CLICK & SEE

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Growing Environment: They grow very well in tropical climates with ample rainfall, but also adapt to dry climates. Candlenut’s need little if any care after they are established.

Cultivation: Moderate to abundant water; prefers a good drainage. Propagated by seed and takes 3-4 months to germinate. Use nuts that sink. Soak in hot water 5 minutes before planting. Seeds take 3-4 months to germinate. To transplant seedling, keep soil surrounding the start intact. Fruits are gathered twice per year. Gather fruits from trees or nuts from the ground. Throw away nuts that float in water. Kernels adhere to sides of shell and are difficult to separate. Seedlings planted 300/ha. Once established, trees require little to no attention.

Mythology:
In Hawaii the Candlenut tree is a symbol of enlightenment, protection and peace. Candlenut was considered to be the body form of Kamapua’a, the pig god. One of the legends told about a woman who, despite her best efforts to please her husband, was routinely beaten. Finally, the husband beat her to death and buried her under a kukui tree. Being a kind and just woman, she was given new life, and the husband was eventually killed.

Constituents: Moluccanin, moretenone, moretenol, alpha-amyrin, and beta-sitosterol. The oil cake, contains ca 46.2% protein, 4.4% P2O5, and 2.0% K2O and is said to be poisonous. A toxalbumin and HCN have been suggested. Bark contains ca 4–6% tannin. Oil also contains glycerides of linolenic, oleic and various linoleic acids. Per 100 g, the seed is reported to contain 626 calories, 7.0 g H2O, 19.0 g protein, 63.0 g fat, 8.0 g total carbohydrate, 3.0 g ash, 80 mg Ca, 200 mg P, 2.0 mg Fe, 0 mg beta-carotene equivalent, 0.06 mg thiamine, and 0 mg ascorbic acid. The fruit contains alkaloids. The nuts have 626 calories, 7 grams of water, 19 grams of protein, and 63 grams of fat. They also contain 8 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of ash, 80 milligrams of calcium, 200 milligrams of potassium, 2 milligrams of iron, and 0.06 milligrams of thiamine.

Different Uses :
Cooked nuts are generally edible, although some strains contain high amounts of cyanide. Usually the nut is pressed for its oil, which is used for a variety of industrial purposes like soapmaking, varnishes, and fuel. The oil is sometimes used medicinally similar to castor oil, as well as a laxative. In Southeast Asia, the oil is sometimes applied topically to treat headaches, fevers and swollen joints.

*The candle nut is similar (though “rougher”) in flavor and texture to the macadamia nut, which has a similarly high oil content. It is mildly toxic when raw.

*The nut is often used cooked in Indonesian cuisine and Malaysian, where it is called kemiri in Indonesian or buah keras in Malay. In Java of Indonesia, it is used to make a thick sauce which is eaten with vegetables and rice.

*In ancient Hawaii, the nuts, named kukui were burned to provide light. The nuts were strung in a row on a palm leaf midrib, lit one end, and burned one by one every 15 minutes or so. This led to their use as a measure of time. One could instruct someone to return home before the second nut burned out.

*In Tonga, still nowadays, ripe nuts, named tuitui are pounded into a paste, tukilamulamu, used as soap or shampoo.
Candle nuts are also roasted and mixed into a paste with salt to form a Hawaiian condiment known as inamona. Inamona is a key ingredient in traditional Hawaiian poke. It’s the Hawaiian state tree.

*Dead wood of candlenut is eaten by a larva of a coleoptera called Agrionome fairmairei. This larva is eaten by some people.

Modern cultivation is mostly for the oil. In plantations, each tree will produce 30–80 kg of nuts, and the nuts yield 15 to 20% of their weight in oil. Most of the oil is used locally rather than figuring in international trade.

Medicinal Uses: Several parts of the plant have been used in traditional medicine in most of the areas where it is native. The oil is an irritant and purgative and sometimes used like castor oil. The seed kernels have a laxative effect. In Japan its bark has been used on tumors. In Sumatra, , pounded seeds, burned with charcoal, are applied around the navel for costiveness. In Malaya, the pulped kernels or boiled leaves are used in poultices for headache, fevers, ulcers, swollen joints, and gonorrhea. In Java, the bark is used for bloody diarrhea or dysentery. In Sumatra, pounded seeds, burned with charcoal, are applied around the navel for cositiveness. Bark juice with coconut milk is used for sprue. The fruit is eaten to produce aphrodisiac stimulation and the gum from the bark is chewed for the same reason. The oil is sometimes used medicinally similar to castor oil, as well as a laxative. In Southeast Asia, the oil is sometimes applied topically to treat headaches, fevers and swollen joints. To treat sores or infections in the mouth and to soothe the gums of teething babies, healers pick green kukui nuts in the morning when the sap is running. They separate the stem from the husk of the nut, and a small pool of sap fills the resulting hole. They apply the sap topically on sores or mix it with water to make a mouthwash. Its partly dried sap is used to treat thrush (ea) and its leaves are used as poultice for swellings and infections.

Dosage: For constipation, 1 roasted nut. Topical as needed.

Toxicity: The nuts can be poisonous when raw, causing violent vomiting. In 1999 the media reported that a child became ill after eating raw candlenuts in a park in Brisbane. However others have eaten them raw without ill effects. Roasting destroys the toxin in the oil which causes these effects. The roasted nuts are delicious, and are reported to be nutritious and high in energy from the fat they contain. They can be used to tenderize meat. However particular trees produce a nut which has a high cyanide content, and if many roasted nuts are eaten at a time, they can cause stomach cramps and vomiting, so suitable selection methods need to be applied. Kukui is used as a “poison” in Haiti and Turkey. If too much kukui was taken in old Hawai’i, and diarrhea resulted, specially prepared Tacca leontopetaloides (pia) root was given with poi. Not for use in pregnancy. Not with diarrhea. Not with weak central Qi.

Cosmetic Uses: Oil is used topically to stimulate hair growth in Fiji. Kukui nut oil is high in the essential fatty acids linoleic and linolenic acids. These acids are vital for the metabolism of healthy skin. Vitamins A, C and E are added to stabilize the oil. Kukui nut oil is easily absorbed by the skin. It soothes irritated, sunburned, or burned skin. Surveys have shown that kukui nut oil can help relieve itchy and dry skin due to eczema, psoriasis and rosacea. You can use up to 10% kukui nut oil for a nourishing bar of soap or use it at 5-10% in your cream, lotion, balm and scrub formulations.

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Culinary Uses: The nut is often used cooked in Malaysian and Indonesian cuisine, where it is called buah keras or kemiri. In Java, it is used to make a thick sauce which is eaten with vegetables and rice. The nuts are roasted, then ground and mixed with Hawaiian salt and limu kohu to make a relish called “inamona”.

Other Uses: Seed yields 57–80% of inedible, semi-drying oil, liquid at ordinary temperatures, solidifying at 5°F, containing oleostearic acid. Oil, quicker drying than linseed oil, is used as a wood preservative, for varnishes and paint oil, as an illuminant, for soap making, waterproofing paper, rubber substitutes and insulating material. Seeds are moderately poisonous and press cake is used as fertilizer. Kernels when roasted and cooked are considered edible; may be strung as candlenuts. Oil is painted on bottoms of small crafts to .protect against marine borers. Tung oil, applied to cotton bolls, stops boil weevils from eating them. Also prevents feeding by striped cucumber beetle. In old Hawai’i soot from burning nuts were used for tattoos and fixed with the juice of Plumbago zeylanica (‘ilie’e). A superior black dye obtained from the soot produced by burning the seed, is used to dye the tapa and for tattooing. The seeds are strung into leis. The inner bark is used to dye the fishnets and the tannin in the dye strengthened nets and prevented decay. The soot from the burnt kukui nuts is also used to stain surfboards.

Resources:
http://www.tradewindsfruit.com/candlenut.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Candle_nut
http://www.innvista.com/HEALTH/foods/seeds/candle.htm
http://www.herbnet.com/magazine/mag7_p05__candlenut.htm

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