Adansonia digitata

Source: Wikimedia.org

Source: Wikimedia.org

NAME: Adansonia digitata 

FAMILY: Bombacaceae

COMMON NAMES: Baobab, monkey-bread tree, upside-down tree, cream of tartar tree.

LOCAL NAMES: Ose, Igi-ose, kukaa, kulambali, Gorakh-imli

USEFUL PART(s):  Leaves, fruit pulp, bark

GENERAL USE(s):  

  • The leaves are use as animal feed and pasture for ruminant animal.

  • Fruit pulp is edible and juice can be made from it.

  • It is a food plant in which the leaves and seeds can be cooked to make feeding better.

  • Fibres are gotten from the bark to make mats, fishing nets, sacks and cloths.

  • The wood is used for timber and fuel.

GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION

  • Namibia

  • Nigeria

  • Angola

  • Ghana

  • Cameroon

  • Congo

  • Ethiopia

  • Sudan

  • Haiti

  • India

  • South Africa

By Roger Culos - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0,

By Roger Culos - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0,

WHY IS IT GREEN? 

Adansonia digitata medicinal uses include

  • Malaria

  • Asthma

  • Diarrhea

  • Kidney and bladder diseases

  • Demulcent

  • Prophylactic

  • Antihistaminic

  • Skin diseases

  • Caries

  • Antimicrobial

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT

  • It improves the soil by shedding its leaves

  • It can be grown for shade and sheltering

  • Support biodiversity

OTHER IMPACT

  • The plant stores water

  • Ornamental purpose

FURTHER READINGS

Abdulkarim, S.M, Bamalli Z, G. M. . and K. R. (2014). Baobab Tree ( Adansonia digitata L ) Parts : Nutrition , Applications in Food and Uses in Ethno-medicine – A Review. Austin Publishing Group, 1(3), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.1.1966.7602

Gebauer, J., Whitney, C. W., & Tabuti, J. R. S. (2016). First record of baobab (Adansonia digitata L.) in Uganda. Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution, 63(5), 755–762. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10722-016-0387-y

Nwokocha, L. M., & Williams, P. A. (2016). Rheological properties of a polysaccharide isolated from Adansonia digitata leaves. Food Hydrocolloids, 58, 29–34. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodhyd.2016.02.013

Rahul, J., Jain, M. K., Singh, S. P., Kamal, R. K., Anuradha, Naz, A., … Mrityunjay, S. K. (2015). Adansonia digitata L. (baobab): A review of traditional information and taxonomic description. Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Biomedicine, 5(1), 79–84. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2221-1691(15)30174-X

Sharma, B. K., Bhat, A. A., & Jain, A. K. (2015). Adansonia digitata L. (Malvaceae) a threatened tree species of medicinal importance. Medicinal Plants. https://doi.org/10.5958/0975-6892.2015.00025.8

Tahia, F., Majumder, P., Sikder, M. A. A., & Rashid, M. A. (2015). Studies of bioactivities of adansonia digitata (L.). Dhaka University Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 14(2), 157–162.

Tembo, D. T., Holmes, M. J., & Marshall, L. J. (2017). Effect of thermal treatment and storage on bioactive compounds, organic acids and antioxidant activity of baobab fruit (Adansonia digitata) pulp from Malawi. Journal of Food Composition and Analysis, 58, 40–51. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfca.2017.01.002

Woodborne, S., Hall, G., Robertson, I., Patrut, A., Rouault, M., Loader, N. J., & Hofmeyr, M. (2015). A 1000-year carbon isotope rainfall proxy record from South African baobab trees (Adansonia digitata L.). PLoS ONE, 10(5). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0124202