Carissa carandas
Natal plum/christ's thorn
Carissa carandas, commonly known as Christ's Thorn or Karanda, is a versatile evergreen shrub native to tropical regions. Renowned for its edible, vitamin-rich berries, this plant holds significant medicinal value. It is traditionally utilized in various cultures to treat ailments ranging from digestive issues to inflammatory conditions and skin disorders.
- Scientific name: Carissa carandas
- Family: Apocynaceae
- Native range: Africa
Taxonomical Classification
This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and is classified under the phylum Streptophyta within the class Equisetopsida. It falls under the subclass Magnoliidae and the order Gentianaales, specifically being a member of the family Apocynaceae. Finally, its taxonomic identification is completed within the genus Carissa.
| Rank | Classification | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom | Plantae | WCVP |
| Phylum | Streptophyta | WCVP |
| Class | Equisetopsida | WCVP |
| Subclass | Magnoliidae | WCVP |
| Order | Gentianales | WCVP |
| Family | Apocynaceae | WCVP |
| Genus | Carissa | WCVP |
Common Names
This plant, Carissa carandas, is known by various regional names across different languages. In koi and Russian, it is referred to as Каранда and Каранда, respectively, while in Thai, it is commonly called มะนาวไม่รู้โห่. In the Indian languages of Malayalam and Gujarati, the plant is identified as കാര and કરમદાં, respectively.| Language | Common Name | Source |
|---|---|---|
| koi | Каранда | Wikidata |
| ru | Каранда | Wikidata |
| th | มะนาวไม่รู้โห่ | Wikidata |
| ml | കാര | Wikidata |
| gu | કરમદાં | Wikidata |
| as | কৰ্জা টেঙা | Wikidata |
| hi | करोंदा | Wikidata |
| lbe | Каранда | Wikidata |
| kv | Каранда | Wikidata |
| mrj | Каранда | Wikidata |
Distribution
This plant exhibits a diverse geographical distribution spanning across multiple regions of Asia and the Indian Ocean. Within the Western Indian Ocean, its presence is specifically noted in Mauritius. Its range extends significantly into China, where it can be found in the South-Central, Southeast, and Hainan regions. Furthermore, the species is distributed throughout Eastern Asia, including the island of Taiwan. These various locations highlight the wide environmental adaptability of Carissa carandas.
| Region | Area | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Western Indian Ocean | Mauritius | WCVP |
| China | China South-Central | WCVP |
| China | Hainan | WCVP |
| China | China Southeast | WCVP |
| Eastern Asia | Taiwan | WCVP |
| Indian Subcontinent | Bangladesh | WCVP |
| Indian Subcontinent | East Himalaya | WCVP |
| Indian Subcontinent | India | WCVP |
| Indian Subcontinent | Nepal | WCVP |
| Indian Subcontinent | Pakistan | WCVP |
Plant Parts
This plant, Carissa carnosa, utilizes various components for its traditional medicinal applications. The leaves are a primary part of the plant used in various preparations, often valued for their specific biological properties. Additionally, the plant produces fleshy fruits that serve as a key feature of its morphology. In certain traditional practices, the dried fruits are also employed, as the preservation process can alter the concentration of active compounds used in healing rituals or treatments.- Total parts
- 4
- Scientific sources
- 7
| Plant Part | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| leaves | 4 | ★★☆☆☆ |
| fruits | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| dried fruits | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Leaves | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Chemicals
Carissa carandas has 17 reported phytochemicals identified across 21 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include flavonoids, anthocyanins, tannins, UA, Ursolic acid.
- Total chemicals
- 17
- Scientific sources
- 21
Most Reported Compounds
| Compound | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| flavonoids | 3 | ★★☆☆☆ |
| anthocyanins | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| tannins | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| UA | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Ursolic acid | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| cardiac glycosides | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| carissic acid | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| chlorogenic acid | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| delphinidin-3-galactoside | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| delphinidin-3-rutinoside | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Activities
Carissa carandas has 7 reported activities identified across 12 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antioxidant, Cytotoxic, Antibacterial, Anticancer, Antineoplastic.
- Total activities
- 7
- Scientific sources
- 12
Most Reported Activities
| Activity | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Antioxidant | 5 | ★★★☆☆ |
| Cytotoxic | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antibacterial | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Anticancer | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antineoplastic | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antiproliferative | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Hepatoprotective | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Medicinal Uses
Carissa carandas has 21 reported medicinal uses identified across 25 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include inflammation, antioxidant, acute kidney injury, asthma, atherosclerosis.
- Total uses
- 21
- Scientific sources
- 25
Most Reported Uses
| Use | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| inflammation | 4 | ★★☆☆☆ |
| antioxidant | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| acute kidney injury | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| asthma | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| atherosclerosis | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| breast cancer | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| cancer | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| cold | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| constipation | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| diarrhea | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |