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Botany
· A deciduous
tree, 4 to 10 m high. Glabrous.
· Leaves: oblong, acute or shortly acuminate, base usually
rounded, shining, 8 to 20 cm long. Glabrous.
· Flowers: male flowers sessile, the calyx green, about
1.5 mm in diameter, shallowly-lobed. Stamens 3, anthers purple.
Female flowers shortly pedicelled, green, calyx cup-shaped. Spikes
axillary or terminal, simple, usually 5 to 15 cm long.
· Fruits: ovoid, fleshy, red, acidic-tasting, edible, about 8
mm long, borned in grapelike pendant clusters (often paired), wrinkled
when dry, the seed somewhat compressed.
Note: The plant
is very similar to Binayoyo (Antidesma ghaesembilla) differing
in the general outline of the leaves which is broadly elliptic
or obovate and being more rounded on both ends. The dorsal surface
is beset with soft hairs. The corolla lobes of the male (staminate)
flower is 5-parted.
Distribution
At lowlands and
low altitudes, in thickets in the towns and settlements, occasional
in forests.
Parts
utilized and preparation
· Parts
utilized: roots, leaves, and fruits.
· Roots and leaves, collected the year round.
· Fruits, collected May to July.
· Sun-dry.
Characteristics
and Pharmacological Effects
Acidic tasting, warming
nature.
Astringent, antidysenteric.
Thirst quenching, induces salivation.
The bark is poisonous, containing an toxic alkaloid.
Antioxidative, anti-cancer.
Contains phenolics, flavonoids, anthocyanins and carotenoids.
Leaves are sudorific.
Uses
Nutrition
Fruits made into jam and
jelly.
Fermented into vninegar, wine and brandy.
The leaves when young are edible, eaten raw or stewed with rice.
A good source of calcium and fair source of iron.
Folkloric
• Parched tongue,
lack of appetite, indigestion.
• Sprains.
• Dosage: use 15 to 30 gms dried material in decoction.
• Leaves used for snakebites.
• Leaves and fruits used for anemia and hypertension.
• Juice of fruits used for heart disease.
Others
• Wood used for
fence posts, tool handles, walking sticks.
• Fruit is source of blue dye. source
Studies
• Phytochemicals / Flavonoids: Analysis
on Flavanoids Contents in Mao Luang Fruits of Fifteen Cultivars (Antidesma
bunius), Grown in Northeast Thailand: Study showed 15 cultivars
to possess different amounts of flavonoids of catechin, proyanidins
B1 and B2.
• Cytotoxicity: (1) Biological
Activity of Bignay [Antidesma bunius (L.) Spreng] Crude Extract in Artemia
salina: Study suggests that bignay possibly contains compounds
with potential cytotoxic activity.
• Flavonoid
and Phenolic Content: An
analysis on flavonoids, phenolics and organic acids contents in brewed
red wines of both non-skin contact and skin contact fermentation techniques
of Mao Luang ripe fruits (Antidesma bunius) harvested from Phupan Valley
in Northeast Thailand: Skin
contact Mao Luang red wine showed higher amounts of flavonoids, phenolic
acids, anthocyanins of procyanidin B1 and procyanidin B2, organic acids
than non-skin contact red wine.
• Antioxidant: Study showed methanolic extracts of bignay berries exhibit a potential use as natural antioxidants.
Availability
Wild-crafted.
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