Caimito Caimito is a tree with a spreading crown, growing to a height of 15 meters. Branches are numerous and slender, the young tips are copper-colored and covered with appressed hairs. Leaves are leathery, ovate or oblong, 7.5 to 13 centimeters long, pointed at the tip, blunt or rounded at the base and covered underneath with silky, golden-brown, soft hairs. Flowers are purplish-white, small and clustered in the axils of leaves, with 5 sepals, and a tubular corolla with 5 lobes. Fruit is large and rounded, 6 to 10 centimeters in diameter, shiny and smooth, purplish or light-green skin, with a translucent whitish or purplish, soft pulp surrounding flattened seeds about 1 to 1.5 centimeters long. The flesh, contains a small amount of milky juice, is somewhat fibrous, sweet, mild and pleasant tasting. Distribution - Cultivated for its edible fruit and as an ornamental tree. - Recently introduced from tropical America. Constituents - Seed contains saponin, 0.19%; pouterin, 0.0037%; a bitter principle (lucumin), 1.2%; a fixed oil, 6.6%; and dextrose, 2.4%. - Leaves contain an amorphous bitter principle, some alkaloids, and no saponin. - Bark is rich in tannin. - Analysis for volatile constituents yielded 104 compounds in the aroma concentrate. Major constituents were: (E)-2-hexenal, 1-hexanol, limonene, linalool, α-copaene and hexadecanoic acid. (8) Properties - Seed is tonic, diuretic and febrifuge. - Pectoral, tonic, stimulant. Parts used Seeds, leaves, bark, fruit. Uses Folkloric • In Mexico, decoction of the bark given for dysentery. • In Costa Rica, infusion of bark is tonic and refreshing. • Tonic: Infusion of the bark is tonic and refreshing. • Latex is used for abscesses. • Dried latex used as antihelminthic. • In some countries, the fruit is used for diabetes. • Bitter seed sometimes used as tonic, for diarrhea and fevers. • Fruit eaten for inflammation in laryngitis and pneumonia. • Used for diabetes. • Decoction used for angina. • In the Ivory Coast, decoction of leaves used for hypertension. Leaf decoction also used for diabetes. • In Venezuela, unripe fruit used for intestinal problems. • In Puerto Rico, fruit used in treatment of diabetes. • Decoction of bark used as tonic and stimulant; used for diarrhea, dysentery, hemorrhages and treatment of gonorrhea. • Cubans in Miami reported to use the leaf decoction for cancer treatment. • In Brazil, bark latex used resolutive on abscesses; and as a potent vermifuge when dried and powdered. Studies • Polyphenolic Antioxidants: Polyphenolic Antioxidants from the Fruits of Chrysophyllum cainito: A study on fruit extracts yielded nine known phenolic antioxidants. (2) • Anthocyanin Antiioxidant: Study of extracts of 12 edible fruits showed nine to exhibit high antioxidant activity; C cainito yielded cyanidin-3-O-ß-glucopyranoside, an anthocyanin antioxidant. (3) • Vasorelaxant: A preliminary study on the relaxant effect of the crude extract and fractions of the bark of Chrysophyllum cainito L. in isolated rat thoracic aorta: Methanolic bark extract study on rats showed vasorelaxant activity on the smooth muscle. (5) • Lectin Activity: Plant samples of 178 species and 62 families were studied for lectin activity. Potent lectins possessing more than 100,000 unites per gram were found in the fruits extracts of C arabica and Chrysophyllum cainito. (4) • Antidiabetic Activity / Leaves: Study of the aqueous decoction of C cainito leaves showed hypoglycemic activity at doses of ≥ 20 g/l. From 30 g/l, the plant would exert a toxic effect. The hypoglycemic effect was mainly attributed to alkaloids, sterols, or triterpenes. (6) • Hypotensive Effect: Phytochemical study attributes the hypotensive effect flavonoids with vasodilation effect and inhibition of adrenergic receptors. (7) • Glue Effect: Study explored the potential of star apple extract as glue. Results showed the glue from the star apple extract can be used as a substitute for commercial glue. (12) Scientific names Common names Chrysophyllum cainito Linn. Caimito (Tag., Span.) Achras cainito Ruiz & Pavon. Caymito (Bis.) Cainito pomiferum Tussac Cainito (Engl.) Calophyllum inophyllum Linn. Star apple (Engl.) Star plum (Engl.) Niu nai guo (Chin.) Other vernacular names CHINESE: Niu nai guo. CZECH: Zlatolis obecny. DANISH: Stjerneæble. DUTCH: Apra, Goudblad boom (Surinam), Sterappel. FRENCH: CaimitIer, Pomme surette, Kaymit, Macoucou, Pomme de lait, Pomme étoilée. GERMAN: Sternapfel, Sternapfelbaum. INDONESIA: Sawo ijo, Sawo hejo, Sawo kadu. JAPANESE: Hoshi ringo, Kaimito, Kainitto, Miruku furuutsu, Suishougaki, Sutaa appuru. MALAYSIAN: Sawu duren, Pepulut. PORTUGUESE: Ajara, Cainito. RUSSIAN: Zevezdnoe iabloko, Chrizofillum. SINGAPORIAN: Chicle durian. SPANISH: Ablaca, Aguay, Caimitero, Caimito, Guyabillo, Olivoa, Pipa, Sapotillo. THAI: Sataa appoen.
Posted on: Thu, 30 Oct 2014 08:22:42 +0000
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