Family Myrtaceae
Duhat
Syzgium cumini
BLACK PLUM / JAVA PLUM

Other scientific names  Common names 
Calyptranthes jambolana  Duat (Pamp.)
Eugenia cumini  Dungboi (Ig.) 
Eugenia djouat  Duwet (Indon.)
Eugenia jambolana  Lomboi (Ilk., Tag., C.Bis.) 
Myrtus cumini  Longboi (Ilk.) 
Syzgium jambolana  Lumboi (Ibn., Ilk., P. Bis., Bik.) 
  Lungboi (Ilk.) 
  Jambolan
  Java plum (English) 
  Black plum (English) 



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.
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 activity of Syzygium cumini seed: 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.
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: Study isolated tannins from the fruit of SC and suggests the use of the fruit as a significant source of natural antioxidants.
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.

Availability
Wild-crafted.
Seasonal fruiting.
 



Additional Sources and Suggested Readings
(1)
Antioxidant tannins from Syzygium cumini fruit / African Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 8 (10), pp. 2301–2309, 18 May 2009
(2)
Syzygium cumini and the regeneration of insulin positive cells from the pancreatic duct / Brazilian Journal of Veterinary Research and Animal Science / doi: 10.1590/S1413-95962004000400003
(3)
∂-Glucosidase inhibitory activity of Syzygium cumini (Linn.) Skeels seed kernel in vitro and in Goto–Kakizaki (GK) rats / doi:10.1016/j.carres.2008.03.003
(4)
Phytochemicals Investigation on a Tropical Plant, Syzygium cumini from South India / Pakistan Journal of Nutrition 8 (1): 83-85, 2009
(5)
Anti-inflammatory activity of Syzygium cumini seed / African Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 7 (8), pp. 941-943, 17 April, 2008
(6)
Influence of Seed Extract of Syzygium Cumini (Jamun) on Mice Exposed to Different Doses of g-radiation / Journal of Radiation Research
Vol. 46 (2005) , No. 1 59-65
(7)
The gastroprotective effect of tannins extracted from duhat (Syzygium cumini Skeels) bark on HCl/ethanol induced gastric mucosal injury in Sprague-Dawley rats
(8)
Syzygium - Cumini, (Linn) Skeels
(9)
Fermentation of Jamun (Syzgium cumini L.) Fruits to Form Red Wine / ASEAN Food Journal 14 (1): 15-23 (2007)
(10)
Central Nervous System Activity of Syzygium cumini Seed / Pakistan Journal of Nutrition 6 (6): 698-700, 2007