Anacardium occidentale
Anacardium occidentale, commonly known as the cashew tree, is a versatile tropical plant valued for both its nutritional and medicinal properties. Beyond providing edible nuts, various parts of the tree—including the bark, leaves, and shell oil—are utilized in traditional medicine to treat ailments ranging from skin infections to inflammation.
- Scientific name: Anacardium occidentale
- Family: Anacardiaceae
- Native range: Africa
Taxonomical Classification
This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta within the class Equisetopsida. As a member of the subclass Magnoliidae and the order Sapindales, it is classified under the family Anacardiaceae. Specifically, it is identified by the genus Anacardium.
| Rank | Classification | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom | Plantae | WCVP |
| Phylum | Streptophyta | WCVP |
| Class | Equisetopsida | WCVP |
| Subclass | Magnoliidae | WCVP |
| Order | Sapindales | WCVP |
| Family | Anacardiaceae | WCVP |
| Genus | Anacardium | WCVP |
Distribution
This plant, known scientifically as Anacardium occidentale, is distributed across several regions within West Tropical Africa. Specifically, its presence is documented in the nation of Benin. It can also be found growing within the borders of Burkina Faso. Furthermore, the species is located in Gambia and Guinea-Bissau. Finally, its geographical range extends to include the country of Guinea.
| Region | Area | Source |
|---|---|---|
| West Tropical Africa | Benin | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Burkina | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Gambia | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Guinea-Bissau | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Guinea | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Senegal | WCVP |
| West-Central Tropical Africa | Central African Republic | WCVP |
| West-Central Tropical Africa | Cameroon | WCVP |
| West-Central Tropical Africa | Congo | WCVP |
| West-Central Tropical Africa | Gulf of Guinea Is. | WCVP |
Chemicals
Anacardium occidentale has 28 reported phytochemicals identified across 34 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include anacardic acid, cardanol, cardol, iron, tannins.
- Total chemicals
- 28
- Scientific sources
- 34
Most Reported Compounds
| Compound | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| anacardic acid | 3 | ★★☆☆☆ |
| cardanol | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| cardol | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| iron | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| tannins | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| 2-methyl cardol | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Anacardic acid | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| agathisflavone | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| ash | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| cadmium | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Activities
Anacardium occidentale has 12 reported activities identified across 15 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antioxidant, Cytotoxic, Analgesic, Antibacterial, Antibiotic.
- Total activities
- 12
- Scientific sources
- 15
Most Reported Activities
| Activity | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Antioxidant | 3 | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Cytotoxic | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Analgesic | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antibacterial | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antibiotic | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antifungal | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antimalarial | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antimicrobial | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Bactericide | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Fungicide | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Medicinal Uses
Anacardium occidentale has 47 reported medicinal uses identified across 57 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include diabetes mellitus, inflammation, Oxidative Stress, edema, malaria.
- Total uses
- 47
- Scientific sources
- 57
Most Reported Uses
| Use | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| diabetes mellitus | 4 | ★★☆☆☆ |
| inflammation | 3 | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Oxidative Stress | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| edema | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| malaria | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| oxidative damage | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| oxidative stress | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Alzheimer's disease | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Cryptococcus neoformans | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Helicobacter pylori | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |