Gen info / Etymology
Referred to as manila tamarind because of the sweet-sour tamarind-like taste. Genus Pithecellobium derives from from the Greek words 'pithekos' (ape) and 'lobos' (pod), and the species name 'dulce' from the Latin 'dulcis' meaning sweet.
Botany
Tree 5-18 meters
high, with pendulous branches, with short, sharp stipular spines.
The leaves are evenly 2-pinnate, 4 to 8 cm long. The flowers
are white, in dense heads, 1 cm in diameter. Pods are turgid,
twisted, and spiral, 10 to 18 cm long, 1 cm wide, and dehiscent
along the lower suture. Seeds are 6-8, with an edible, whitish,
pulpy aril. The arillus is sweet when the fruit is ripe.
Distribution
Found throughout the
Philippines at low or medium altitudes.
Constituents
Tannin, 25.36%; fixed
oil, 18.22%, olein.
A glycoside quercitin has been isolated.
Seeds have been reported to contain steroids, saponins, lipids, phospholipids,
glycosides, glycolipids and polysaccharides.
Roots reported to be estrogenic.
Properties
Considered abortifacient,
anodyne, astringent, larvicidal, antibacterial, antiinflammatory,
febrifuge, antidiabetic.
Parts used and preparation
Bark, leaves.
Uses
Nutrion
Pulp around the seed
is edible.
Folkloric
• Frequent bowel
movements: Decoction of bark taken as tea.
• The leaves, when applied as plasters, used for pain, venereal
sores.
• Salted decoction of leaves, for indigestion; also used as
abortifacient.
• Bark used in dysentery, dermatitis and eye inflammation.
• In Brazil, P. avaremotem, used
as a cancer elixir.
• In Mexico, decoction of leaves for earaches, leprosy, toothaches
and larvicide.
• In India, bark of the plant used as astringent in dysentery, febrifuge. Also used for dermatitis and eye inflammations. Leaves used as abortifacient.
• In Guiana, root bark used for dysentery and as febrifuge.
Studies
• Anti-Inflammatory / Antibacterial: Study of the fresh flowers of Pithecellobium dulce
yielded a glycoside quercitin. The activity of the flavonol glycoside confirmed its antiinflammatory and
antibacterial properties.
• Phenolics / Antioxidant: Free Radical Scavenging Activity
of Folklore: Pithecellobium dulce Benth. Leaves: Study
of the aqueous extract of Pithecellobium dulce leaves revealed phenolics
including flavonoids and showed potent free radical scavenging activity..
• Anti-inflammatory Triterpene: Anti-inflammatory triterpene saponins of Pithecellobium dulce:
characterization of an echinocystic acid bisdesmoside. A new bisdesmodic
triterpenoid saponin, dulcin, was isolated from the seeds of PD
• Genotoxicity: Mutagenic and Antimutagenic Activities in Philippine Medicinal
and Food Plants: In a study of 138 medicinal plants for genotoxicity,
Pithecellobium dulce was one of 12 that exhibited detectable genotoxicity in any system.
• Anti-tuberculosis / Antimicrobial: Hexane, chloroform and alcoholic leaf extracts were studied for activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains. The alcoholic extract showed good inhibitory activity and antimicrobial activity against secondary pathogens.
Availability
Wild crafted.
