Crescentia cujete
Tzimah tree
Crescentia cujete, commonly known as the Calabash tree, is a versatile tropical plant celebrated in traditional medicine. Renowned for its hard, woody fruit, various parts of the tree are utilized to treat ailments ranging from respiratory issues to digestive discomfort, offering significant therapeutic potential within ethnobotanical practices worldwide.
- Scientific name: Crescentia cujete
- Family: Bignoniaceae
- Native range: Africa
Taxonomical Classification
This plant, known scientifically as Crescentia cujete, belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta. Within the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae, it is classified under the order Lamiales and the family Bignoniaceae. Finally, it is categorized under the genus Crescentia.
| Rank | Classification | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom | Plantae | WCVP |
| Phylum | Streptophyta | WCVP |
| Class | Equisetopsida | WCVP |
| Subclass | Magnoliidae | WCVP |
| Order | Lamiales | WCVP |
| Family | Bignoniaceae | WCVP |
| Genus | Crescentia | WCVP |
Common Names
This plant, known scientifically as Crescentia cujete, is recognized by various common names across different linguistic contexts. In Simplified Chinese, it is referred to as 葫芦树 (zh-hans) and 葫芦树 (zh-cn), which is also the designation used in Singapore (zh-sg). In Traditional Chinese, the name is written as 葫蘆樹 (zh-hant), a form that is also utilized in Hong Kong (zh-hk).| Language | Common Name | Source |
|---|---|---|
| zh-hans | 葫芦树 | Wikidata |
| zh-hant | 葫蘆樹 | Wikidata |
| zh-hk | 葫蘆樹 | Wikidata |
| zh-cn | 葫芦树 | Wikidata |
| zh-sg | 葫芦树 | Wikidata |
| zh-tw | 葫蘆樹 | Wikidata |
| ht | kalbas | Wikidata |
| pl | dzbaniwo kalebasowe | Wikidata |
| qu | tutuma | Wikidata |
| ru | Калебасовое дерево | Wikidata |
Distribution
This plant exhibits a diverse geographical distribution that spans several distinct global regions. In West Tropical Africa, its presence is documented in both Benin and Gambia. Moving across the continent, it can also be found in the Northeast Tropical African nation of Chad. The species extends its range to the Western Indian Ocean, specifically within the Comoros. Finally, its distribution reaches as far as the Indian Subcontinent in Bangladesh.
| Region | Area | Source |
|---|---|---|
| West Tropical Africa | Benin | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Gambia | WCVP |
| Northeast Tropical Africa | Chad | WCVP |
| Western Indian Ocean | Comoros | WCVP |
| Indian Subcontinent | Bangladesh | WCVP |
| Northwestern Pacific | Caroline Is. | WCVP |
| Mexico | Mexico Northeast | WCVP |
| Mexico | Mexico Northwest | WCVP |
| Mexico | Mexico Southwest | WCVP |
| Mexico | Mexico Southeast | WCVP |
Plant Parts
This plant, commonly known as the calabash tree, is highly valued for its medicinal properties, particularly those derived from its unique anatomy. The most significant part utilized in traditional remedies is the large, woody fruit, which serves as a natural vessel for its therapeutic contents. Inside this hard exterior lies a thick, mucilaginous pulp that is frequently harvested and processed into syrups, decoctions, or ointments to treat various ailments such as coughs, respiratory issues, and digestive disturbances.- Total parts
- 2
- Scientific sources
- 2
| Plant Part | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| pulp | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| fruit | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Chemicals
Crescentia cujete has 20 reported phytochemicals identified across 23 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include flavonoids, saponins, tannins, 2-(1-hydroxyethyl)naphtho[2,3-b]furan-4,9-dione, 2-isopropenylnaphtho[2,3-b]furan-4,9-dione.
- Total chemicals
- 20
- Scientific sources
- 23
Most Reported Compounds
| Compound | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| flavonoids | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| saponins | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| tannins | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| 2-(1-hydroxyethyl)naphtho[2,3-b]furan-4,9-dione | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| 2-isopropenylnaphtho[2,3-b]furan-4,9-dione | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| 5-hydroxy-2-(1-hydroxyethyl)naphtho[2,3-b]furan-4,9-dione | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| 5-hydroxydehydroiso-alpha-lapachone | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Diprotin A | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| benzoic acid | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| cardiac glycosides | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Activities
Crescentia cujete has 7 reported activities identified across 8 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antidiabetic, Anthelmintic, Antiangiogenic, Antibacterial, Antioxidant.
- Total activities
- 7
- Scientific sources
- 8
Most Reported Activities
| Activity | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Antidiabetic | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Anthelmintic | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antiangiogenic | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antibacterial | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antioxidant | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antivenom | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Cytotoxic | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Medicinal Uses
Crescentia cujete has 4 reported medicinal uses identified across 4 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include fungi, hypertension, skin diseases, type-2 diabetes mellitus.
- Total uses
- 4
- Scientific sources
- 4
Most Reported Uses
| Use | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| fungi | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| hypertension | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| skin diseases | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| type-2 diabetes mellitus | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |