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Botany
A tree about 8 to
14 meters high with white branchlets and reddish young shoots. Leaves
are broad-tipped, opposite, shiny and leathery, ellipitic, 6 to 15 cm
long. Flowers, small, pinkish, in clusters, petal arranged to form a
cup. Fruit is oval, 1 to 2 cm long, dark purple to black, fleshy and
one-seeded, with a sweet-astringent taste.
Constituents
and properties
• Gallic acid,
1.67% ; tannin, 19%; volatile oil, 0.05 %; fat, 0.37%; antimellin; jambulol;
olein; linolein; palmitin; stearin; phytosterin; myricyl alcohol; hentriacontane.
• Considered astringent, stomachic, diuretic, anti-diabetic, anti-diarrheal.
Parts used
Fruit and bark.
Uses
Folkloric
• Diarrhea: Liberal amounts of the fleshy portion of the fruit.
• Gum gingivitis: Use a 1% decoction of the bark as a gargle or
mouthwash.
• Wounds: Use the bark decoction as an astringent wash.
• In India, seeds used for diabetes.
• Bark used for sore throats, indigestion, appetite loss, leucorrhea,
bronchitis, asthma, ulcers and dysentery.
• In Brazil, leaves and fruits used to treat infectious diseases, diabetes and stomachaches.
Others
· Wine and fruit drink from the ripe fruits. Seeds used for fodder.
Studies
• Anti-Diabetes:
Animal study of aqueous extract from SC bark showed stimulation of development
of insulin positive cells from the pancreatic duct epithelial cells.
• Anti-Diabetic / a-glucosidase:
Study of SC seed kernel extracts in
vitro and in Goto–Kakizaki (GK) rats showed inhibition of a-glucosidase as a possible
mechanism for its anti-diabetic effect.
• Phytochemicals: Investigation on
a Tropical Plant, Syzygium cumini from South India:
Phytochemical screening of extracts of Syzygium cumini seed revealed
alkaloids, amino acids, phytosterols, saponins, steroids, tannins and
triterpenoids. These phytochemicals probably explain the plants medicinal
properties.
• Anti-inflammatory: The study on SC extracts established
the anti-inflammatory activity of the SC seed.
• Radioprotective:
Influence of Seed Extract
of Syzygium Cumini (Jamun) on Mice Exposed to Different Doses of .GAMMA.-radiation
: SCE treatment protected mice against radiation sickness and mortality
against all doses and showed an increase survival.
• Gastroprotective: The gastroprotective effect of
tannins extracted from duhat (Syzygium cumini Skeels) bark on HCl/ethanol
induced gastric mucosal injury in Sprague-Dawley rats:
The study suggests the tannins extracted from SC have gastroprotective
and anti-ulcerogenic effects.
• Antioxidant
/ Tannins: (1) Study isolated tannins from
the fruit of SC and suggests the use of the fruit as a significant source
of natural antioxidants. (2) Study showed a significant correlation between extract concentration and percentage of free radical inhibition or lipid peroxidation. Authors suggest the antioxidant property of the fruit skin may come in part from the antioxidant vitamins, phenolics, tannins and anthocyanins present in the fruit.
• Red Wine Source:
Study prepared a red wine from the anthocyanin-rich fruit of SC through
fermentation using wine yeast.
• Central Nervous
System Activity: Animal study of seed
extract of SC showed dose-dependent depressant effect of locomotion
attributed to the presence of saponins.
• a-Amylase Inhibition / Anti-Hyperglycemic: Study of 11 medicinal plants showed Syzygium cumini seeds with strong inhibition of a-amylase activity. Crude ethanolic and aqueous extracts reduced glycemia of diabetic rats. The bark showed anti-hyperglycemic activirty on oral glucose tolerance testing. Seed extract yielded betulinic acid and 3,5,7,4'-tetrahydroxy flavanone. The compound showed high a-amylase inhibitor activity, but the inhibitory activity of the individuals compouds needs further testing and verification.
• Anti-Cervical Cancer: Study of Z cumini extract showed inhibition of growth and induction of apoptosis in HeLa and SiHa cervical cancer cell lines in a time- and dose-dependent manner.
• Anti-Allergic: Study of on the aqueous leaf extract of Syzygium cumini showed the main components to be hydrolyzable tannins and flavonoids. Results showed inhibition of paw edema, edema induced by histamine, prevention of mast cell degranulation and consequent histamine release in Wistar rat peritoneal mast cells. The findings demonstrate an anti-allergic effect; the anti-edematogenic effect is attributed to inhibition of mast cell degranulation.
• Prophylactic Anti-Septic Effect: Study concluded that treatment with S. jambolanum has a potent prophylactic anti-septic effect not due to a direct microbicidal effect but rather, associated with a recruitment of activated neutrophils to the infectious site and to a diminished antiinflammatory response.
Availability
Wild-crafted.
Seasonal fruiting. |
