Blighia sapida
Ackee
Blighia sapida, commonly known as ackee, is a tropical fruit tree native to West Africa. While prized in Caribbean cuisine for its unique flavor, the unripe fruit contains potent toxins. When properly prepared, it serves as a vital nutritional staple, though careful handling is essential to avoid poisoning.
- Scientific name: Blighia sapida
- Family: Sapindaceae
- Native range: Africa
Taxonomical Classification
This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae within the phylum Streptophyta and the class Equisetopsida. Under the subclass Magnoliidae, it is classified in the order Sapindales and the family Sapindaceae. Finally, it is identified by the genus Blighia.
| Rank | Classification | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom | Plantae | WCVP |
| Phylum | Streptophyta | WCVP |
| Class | Equisetopsida | WCVP |
| Subclass | Magnoliidae | WCVP |
| Order | Sapindales | WCVP |
| Family | Sapindaceae | WCVP |
| Genus | Blighia | WCVP |
Common Names
This plant, known by various names depending on the language, is commonly referred to as Аки (быдмас) in koi, Blighia in es, Aki in nl, Akee in pt, and Аки (растение) in ru.| Language | Common Name | Source |
|---|---|---|
| koi | Аки (быдмас) | Wikidata |
| es | Blighia | Wikidata |
| nl | Aki | Wikidata |
| pt | Akee | Wikidata |
| ru | Аки (растение) | Wikidata |
| kk | Аки | Wikidata |
| vi | Ackee | Wikidata |
| de | Akee | Wikidata |
| ht | Aki | Wikidata |
| ja | アキー | Wikidata |
Distribution
This plant is widely distributed across several specific regions within West Tropical Africa. In the southern part of this zone, it can be found growing in the countries of Benin and Ghana. Moving further north, the species also inhabits the territory of Burkina Faso. Its range extends into the coastal and inland areas of Guinea-Bissau. Finally, the plant is documented as being present throughout the nation of Guinea.
| Region | Area | Source |
|---|---|---|
| West Tropical Africa | Benin | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Burkina | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Ghana | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Guinea-Bissau | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Guinea | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Ivory Coast | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Liberia | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Mali | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Nigeria | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Senegal | WCVP |
Activities
Blighia sapida has 6 reported activities identified across 8 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antimicrobial, Antioxidant, Anticancer, Antidiabetic, Hypoglycemic.
- Total activities
- 6
- Scientific sources
- 8
Most Reported Activities
| Activity | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Antimicrobial | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antioxidant | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Anticancer | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antidiabetic | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Hypoglycemic | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Neuroprotective | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Medicinal Uses
Blighia sapida has 16 reported medicinal uses identified across 16 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include backache, bacterial infections, cancer, conjunctivitis, constipation.
- Total uses
- 16
- Scientific sources
- 16
Most Reported Uses
| Use | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| backache | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| bacterial infections | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| cancer | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| conjunctivitis | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| constipation | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| dysentery | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| ecthyma | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| fever | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| gonorrhea | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| hernia | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |