 Botany
Plant is a tree reaching a height of about 25 meters and a diameter off about 60 cm. Bark surface is smooth, with irregular cracks, greyins to pale reddish brown, exuding a clear, sticky sap with a turpentine smell. Leaves are alternate, pinnately compound, 20 cm or more in length. Leaflets are pointed at the apex, rounded or abruptly pointed at the base, 7 to 14 cm in length. Flowers are small and in panicles. Fruit is rounded, yellow, a one-seeded drupe, with a finely flavored, edible pulp.
Distribution
In primary forests at low altitudes.
Occasionally planted as a shade tree.
Widespread from India to Celebes and the Moluccas.
Constituents
Phytochemical studies have yielded flavonoids, tannins, saponins and terpenoids.
Essential oil from the pulp yielded carboxylic acids and esters, alcohols, aromatic hydrocarbons. The major compoundds were 9,12,15-octadecatrien-1-ol (36.78%), hexadecanoic acid (25.27%) and furfural (19.77%).
Parts used and preparation
Bark, leaves.
Uses
Culinary
Leaves and fruits are sour and used in stews and the filling for the fish dish "sinanglay," a Bicolano delicacy.
Dried young leaves used for laing.
Fruits eaten raw; can be made into jams, jellies and juices.
Folkloric
Bark, leaves and fruits used the treatment of burns, sores and wounds.
Elsewhere, the bark used for treatment of diabetes.
Others
Wood: Used for various carpentry application – mouldings, interior finishing, turnery, carvings, etc. Because of lightness, suitable for manufacture of matchsticks, matchboxes, boxes and crates.
Studies
• Hepatoprotective: Study showed the ethyl acetate and methanolic extracts of the stem heartwood of Spondias pinnata possess hepatoprotective activity against carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatotoxicity in rats. The hepatoprotective activity could be due to the presence of bioflavonoids.
• Laxative / Diuretic: Study on chloroform and methanol extracts of the bark of Spondias pinnata produced significant diuretic and laxative activity. The petroleum extract did not reveal significant activity.
• Hypoglycemic: Study on adult Wistar albino rats showed the methanol extract to have promising results comparable to standard reference glibenclamide. Phytochemicals showed the presence of flavonoids, tannins, saponins, terpenoids.
Availability
Wild-crafted.
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