Langka / Artocarpus Heterophyllus / Jack fruit: Philippine Medicinal Herbs / Philippine Herbal Medicine

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Family • Moraceae
Langka
Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam.
JACK FRUIT
Bo luo mi

Other scientific names	Common names
Artocarpus philippensis Lam.	Lanka (Ilk.)
Polyphema jaca Lour.	Langka (Ilk., Tag., Bis.)
Artocarpus maxima Blanco	Nangka (Bis. Tag., Ibn.)
Saccus elasticus OK.	Nanka (Bis., Sul.)
Saccus integer OK.	Jack fruit (Engl.)
Saccus heterophyllus OK.	Bo luo mi (Chin.)
Radermachia integer Thunb.
Artocarpus integer Merr.

Botany
Smooth tree reaching a height of 8 to 15 meters. Leaves are alternate, leathery, elliptic-oblong to obovate, entire or 3-lobed, 7 to 15 cm long, the apex and base pointed. The fruit is green to greenish-yellow when ripe, fleshy, hanging on short stalks, oblong with pyramidal projections, 25-60 cm long. Seeds are numerous, 2-4 cm long. The testa is thin, coriaceous with an edible luscious pulp.

Distribution
Cultvated throughout the Philippines at low and medium altitudes. Occasionally spontaneous.

Parts utilized
· Leaves.

Chemical constituents
· Jackwood contains morin and a crystalline constituent, cyanomaclurin, probably isomeric with catechins.
· Good source of provitamin A carotenoids.
· Study yielded a new flavonone, a new prenylfalvone, a novel phenolic compound, heterophylol and nine known flavonoids.

Medicinal properties
· Root: antiasthmatic.
· Ripe fruit: demulcent, nutritive, laxative.
· Unripe fruit: astringent.
· Pulp or flesh surrounding the seed is aromatic, cooling and tonic. · · Bark is considered sedative.

Uses
Nutrition
High carbohydrate content. The young fruit is also a vegetable. The pulp (lamukot) surrounding the seeds is sweet and aromatic, rich in vitamin C, eaten fresh or cooked or preserved. The seeds are boiled or roasted. The unripe fruit can be pickled.
Folkloric
· Skin diseases, ulcers and wounds: Mix the burnt ashes of leaves (preferably fresh) with coconut oil, and as ointment, apply to affected areas.
· Diarrhea, fever and asthma: A decoction of the root (preferably chopped into small pieces before boiling) of the tree, three to four cups daily.
· Glandular swelling and snake bites: Apply the milky juice of the tree. When mixed with vinegar, it is especially beneficial for glandular swelling and abscesses, promoting absorption and suppuration.
· The ripe fruit is laxative; in large quantities, it produces diarrhea.
· The roasted seeds believed to have aphrodisiac properties.
· In China, roasted seeds used as aphrodisiac. Root extract used for asthma , fever and diarrhea. (source)
• In Mauritius, used for diabetes.
• In Ayurvedic medicine, hot water extract of mature leaves used for treatment of diabetes.
Others
· Fruit used to flavor and age lambanog believed to increased alcohol potency.
· Tree latex is used as bird lime; and heated makes a good cement for china.

Studies
• Antiinflammatory: Study isolated flavonoids including: 1-cycloartomunin, 2-cyclomorusin, 3- dihydrocycloartomunin, 4- dihydroisocycloartomunin, 5- cudraflavone A, 6- cyclocommunin, 7-artomunoxanthone, 8- cycloheterohyllin, 9- artonin A, 10- artonin-B, 11- artocarpanone, 12- artocarpanone A, 13, 14, 15 -heteroflavanones A, B and C. Many of the compounds exhibited varying degrees of antiinflammatory activities–inhhibitory effects on chemical mediator release from mast cells, neutrophils and macrophages.
• Inhibition of Melanin Biosynthesis: (1) Inhibitory Effect of Artocarpanone from Artocarpus heterophyllus on Melanin Biosynthesis: Study showed the extract of AH to be one of the strongest inhibitor of tyrosinase activity. Study isolated Artocarpanone, which inhibited both mushroom tyrosinase activity and melanin production in B16 melanoma cells and presents as a potential as a remedy for hyperpigmentation in human skin. (2) Structure-Activity Relationship of Prenyl-Substituted Polyphenols from Artocarpus heterophyllus as Inhibitors of Melanin Biosynthesis in Cultured Melanoma Cells: Study isolated flavone-based polyphenols which were found to be active inhibitors of the in vivo melanin biosynthesis in B16 melanoma cells.
• Antibacterial: Multibeneficial natural material: Dye from heartwood of Artocarpus heterophyllus Lamk: Material isolated could be used as a direct dye for wool and silk; with antibacterial activity against B. subtilis, B. cereus, S. aureus, E coli, K pneumonia.
• Source of Provitamin A carotenoids: Analysis of carotenoids in ripe jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus) kernel and study of their bioconversion in rats: Study showed jackfruit to be a good source of provitamin A carotenoids (not as good as papaya).
• Antioxidant activity / Scavenging Activity: (1) Study showed prenylated flavonoid with more antioxidant than non-prenylated flavonoid. (2) Study isolated prenylflavones cycloheterophyllin and artonins A and B which inhibited iron-induced lipid peroxidation and also show radical scavenging activity.
• Hypoglycemic / Anti-Diabetic: (1) Screening of traditional antidiabetic medicinal plants of mauritius for possible -amylase inhibitory effects in vitro: Of several medicinal plants studied in Mauritius, only Artocarpus heterophyllus significantly inhibited a-amylase activity in vitro indicating that AH could act as a starch blocker to decrease post-prandial glucose peaks. (2) Study in male Wistar rats showed the flavonoid fraction of the leaf of AH to have a higher hypoglycemic effect than the sulfonylurea drug tolbutamide with no significant effects on the liver, kidney and heart.
• Sexual Competence Inhibition: Study sought to resolve the conflicting beliefs on the roasted seeds of AH - its aphrodisiac activity vs the claim that use of the seeds prior to coitus disrupts sexual function. Study in rats utilizing a seed suspension markedly inhibited libido, sexual arousal, sexual vigour and performance while also causing mild erectile dysfunction. The results suggest that AH seeds do not have aphrodisiac activity, at least, in rats.
• Cytotoxicity / Anti-Tumor: Study showed the methanol extract to have maximum cytotoxicity on HEp2 cells with cell aggregation, cell rounding and cell death. Results suggest a potential use of the crude extract from the tegmen of AH as an antitumor agent.

Availability
Widcrafted.
Commercial fruiting.

Last Update June 2010