Nature has bestowed on mankind a great number and variety of plants with immense health value and overall importance. The importance/utilisation of plant parts and materials as sources of healing in health care delivery dates back to human history. It is a known fact that 80 per cent or more of the world’s population depends primarily on traditional medicine for the treatment of ailments.
A great number of plant species make up the biodiversity of Nigeria’s forest zone and agricultural landscape and these species play a significant role in health care needs and nutrition. The floristic composition and species richness of the country and its importance as a centre for plant endemism in many zones make it a key global region for drug discovery based on its rich plant biodiversity.
It has been noted that a surprising number of present day drugs still come from natural products; at least over a hundred chemical substances of known structure are still extracted from plants that are still useful throughout the world.
Several important medicinal plants of global importance originate from the country. This article draws attention to some “Super Fruits,” so named for their high levels of nutrients, anti-oxidant and disease-fighting potentials.
Come let’s discover some “super fruits”!:
Bush mango (Irvingiagabonensis, ugiri-Igbo)
The extracts from bush mango has been hailed as a wonderful ‘obesity killer.’ A lot of attention was drawn to this specie when Oprah Winfrey, a Hollywood media proprietor and talk show host, featured the fruit on her show as an effective supplement for weight loss. A lot of companies have since then marketed products that contain bush mangoes. It was one of the most popular over-the-counter weight loss pills in the UK in 2011. Studies have shown that bush mango can prevent the synthesis of cholesterol and fatty acids and reduce fasting blood sugar levels. The fruit contains calcium, phosphorous, iron, and Vitamin C. Compared to the fruit, the seeds have six times more calcium, about twice more iron, and additional thiamin, riboflavin, and niacin. The seeds also have a high fiber content that aid in removing cholesterol from the body.
Picralimanitida(osuigwe-Igbo, abere-Yoruba): Small tree with dark green opposite simple leaves. Fruits are round and borne in pairs. Seeds are oval white and sold in the market as ‘osun.’ It is very popular in many local-mixes used in the treatment of infection. In one of my ethnobotanical surveys in the East, I found that many traditional healers added Picralima in their concoctions as local anesthetic, analgesics, anti histamine, anthelmintic, anti-inflammatory, hypotensive, anti-microbial, anti tumor and anti ulcer. Most of the healers claimed that this ‘super plant’ even cured many ailments that defied medical attention. Studies authenticating the indigenous knowledge on Picralimahave shown the isolation of alkaloids, tannins, polyphenols and steroids. Generally, it is very useful for treating malaria, asthma, skin diseases, jaundice, chest pain, pneumonia, stomach ache, indigestion, kidney and bladder problems. And it may even be used as a prophylactic.
Baobab fruit (Adansoniadigitata, ose-Yoruba): This has been noted as the “African super fruit” that fights diabetes. It is sprinkled in smoothes and food to keep diabetes at bay! The baobab fruit is said to contain three times as much Vitamin C as an orange, twice as much calcium as in milk and is high in antioxidants. The fruits are filled with pulp that dries and hardens, resembling dry bread. This earned it the moniker ‘monkey bread.’ The pulp is usually tart and citrusy but can be eaten raw. Traditionally, it dissolved in milk or water and sugar or mixed with corn meal or cassava. But the chances are most of us wouldn’t have heard of the baobab, let alone using it for many of its potentials, including fever, cough, diarrhea, dysentery, chicken pox and measles. It is interesting to note that Arabic sailors carried the fruit in ships to prevent scurvy.
Some experiments on rats demonstrated anti-inflammatory and pain-killing effects, reduced edemas from formalin, and decreased temperature from fever. Other tests indicate that the baobab pulp can be even used to treat sickle-celled anemia and a traditional drink from it stops diarrhea. Since 2001, when the Baobab Fruit Company was formed in Italy, skin creams, dietary supplements and tonics now contain extracts from the pulp.
Dennettiatripetala(pepper fruit, mmimi-Igbo, igberi-Yoruba): Small tree with aromatic leaves, bark and fruits. Fruits edible served as kola. Proximate studies show that the fruit contains crude protein, fats, carbohydrates, fiber and lipids. Minerals like calcium, phosphorous, potassium and magnesium are also found in this super fruit; as well as water soluble vitamins like ascorbic acid, thiamine, riboflavin and niacin. Fruit used as spice in local alcoholic drinks and may be used in annovulation situations. When next Dennetiafruits, you may dry the seeds and grind to powder for food and juice flavouring; cough and fever mixtures. Many who suffer from bad breath may also benefit from its aromatic and medicinal values. Bark is useful in treating arthritis in the bone. Dennettia tastes and smells like the popular cinnamon, though they do not belong to the same family.
Tetrapleuratetraptera(Oshosho or Ushakirisha-Igbo, aridan-Yoruba): Tree with woody winged fruits and bi pinnate leaves. The fruit is conventionally used as spice and as a natural multivitamin. It is rich in protein, lipids, potassium, iron, magnesium, phosphorous, and Vitamin C. It is cooked in soup and fed to mothers to prevent post-partum contraction. It can also be used to flavour drinks. Fruits are useful in expelling snakes from houses as well as treating streams infested with bilharzias. It can also inhibit the growth of bacteria and is useful for treating convulsion. Studies indicate that the fruit extract reduces the risk of certain types of ulcer and hypertension; decreases the severity of asthmatic attacks, rheumatism, gonorrhea; and increases blood flow. But be careful while using Tetrapleura as it may induce vomiting. Oil extracted from fruits has been combined in soap and cream bases to include anti-microbial properties as well as fragrance.
White Star Apple (Chrysophyllumalbidum, udara-Igbo, agblumo-Yoruba): The fruit contains more Vitamin C than guava or orange. They are also an excellent source of calcium, potassium, phosphorous, magnesium, tannins, flavonoids, terpenoids, and phytochemicals.
While they are regularly consumed as a snack, recent studies indicate that it has properties that can be used to lower blood sugar and cholesterol prevent and treat heart diseases. The seeds are also used to treat vaginal and skin infections in Nigeria. Pregnant women love taking this fruit to stop their nausea. The bark of the tree is traditionally used to treat yellow fever and malaria, while the leaf can treat wounds, stomachache, and diarrhea.