Medicinal herbs of Chhattisgarh, India region having less known traditional uses. XXI. Kaju (Anacardium occidentale, family Anacardiaceae).
Medicinal herbs of Chhattisgarh, India region having less known
traditional uses. XXI. Kaju (Anacardium occidentale, family
Anacardiaceae).
http://www.pankajoudhia.com/RA1.pdf
Research Note - Pankaj Oudhia © 2001,2002,2003 Pankaj Oudhia - All Rights Reserved
Kaju is a small evergreen tree, native to tropical America from o to Peru and Brazil but now cultivated largely in Malabar, Kerala, Karnataka, Tamilnadu and Andhra Pradesh and to some extent in Maharashtra, Goa, Orissa and West Bengal in India. In Chhattisgarh, the experts found the climatic conditions of Bastar ion suitable for commercial plantation of Kaju. Few decades back the governmental organizations planted several thousands of Kaju trees in Bastar region. Like other government schemes, this scheme also failed and today thousands acres, having Kaju tation are of no use. Last week during my visit to Rajnagar area of Bastar region, I observed this wasteland plantation. The caretakers told me that due to the problem of poor fruit setting, this plantation is of no use. Kaju is not native to Chhattisgarh but the natives and traditional healers of Bastar region are aware of its medicinal properties and uses. In general, the natives plant this herb for ornamental purposes in home gardens. Many farmers have tried commercial cultivation of Kaju in private lands but do not get much success. In this article, I am describing the promising medicinal uses of Kaju in Chhattisgarh, I have observed and noted during my Ethnobotanical surveys. Botanically Kaju is a much branched tree, 8-12 meters. Leaf obovate or obovate oblong, obtuse- retuse or rounded tip, 10-12 cm long, hard, coriaceous, glabrous above. Flower small, yellow with pink stripes, staminate and hermaphrodite, in terminal, 15-25 cm long panicles, flowering starts when two years old. Fruit grayish-green, hard, smooth, shining, oleaginous, kidney shaped, one seeded nut, 2-5 cm long, borne on 5.0-7.5 cm long, fleshy, pyriform receptacle, called Cashew Apple, with bright yellow to scarlet skin. Seeds 300/kg. The seeds are source of Cashew nuts. They find use in confectionery and as dessert, and also yield edible oil. Nearly 90 percent of the International trade in Cashew Kernels and cashew-shell-oil is monopolized by India. Kaju is not known and marketed for its medicinal properties and uses. In ancient literatures, related to different systems of medicine in India, many valuable medicinal properties and uses of Kaju have been reported. As medicine, bark leaves, flowers and swollen peduncle of fruit are used. According to Ayurveda, ripe peduncle of fruit is acrid, sweet, hot, digestible, aphrodisiac, anthelmintic and useful in treatment of tumours, ascites, fever, ulcers, leucoderma, skin diseases, dysentery, piles, and loss of appetite. The traditional healers of Bastar region, use Kaju roots as purgative in combination with other herbs. The tar from the bark is used externally in treatment of skin diseases particularly in treatment of ringworm. The traditional healers specialized in treatment of sciatica use the latex of Kaju externally. The latex is massaged externally on affected parts to reduce the pain. To mature the immature boil, the aqueous paste of Kaju seeds is applied externally. The natives use cashew shell oil externally on corns and for treating cracks on soles of feet. The natives also eat fruit apple because of its taste. In reference literatures it is mentioned that the intake of fruit apple cures the scurvy. The natives are not aware of this fact. The above mentioned uses are not enough to establish Kaju as potential medicinal herb in Chhattisgarh but from documentation point of view, it is very valuable information. The detailed surveys are in progress and I am confident that I will get more information on traditional uses of Kaju as medicine through these surveys. Thank you very much for reading the article
http://www.pankajoudhia.com/RA1.pdf
Research Note - Pankaj Oudhia © 2001,2002,2003 Pankaj Oudhia - All Rights Reserved
Kaju is a small evergreen tree, native to tropical America from o to Peru and Brazil but now cultivated largely in Malabar, Kerala, Karnataka, Tamilnadu and Andhra Pradesh and to some extent in Maharashtra, Goa, Orissa and West Bengal in India. In Chhattisgarh, the experts found the climatic conditions of Bastar ion suitable for commercial plantation of Kaju. Few decades back the governmental organizations planted several thousands of Kaju trees in Bastar region. Like other government schemes, this scheme also failed and today thousands acres, having Kaju tation are of no use. Last week during my visit to Rajnagar area of Bastar region, I observed this wasteland plantation. The caretakers told me that due to the problem of poor fruit setting, this plantation is of no use. Kaju is not native to Chhattisgarh but the natives and traditional healers of Bastar region are aware of its medicinal properties and uses. In general, the natives plant this herb for ornamental purposes in home gardens. Many farmers have tried commercial cultivation of Kaju in private lands but do not get much success. In this article, I am describing the promising medicinal uses of Kaju in Chhattisgarh, I have observed and noted during my Ethnobotanical surveys. Botanically Kaju is a much branched tree, 8-12 meters. Leaf obovate or obovate oblong, obtuse- retuse or rounded tip, 10-12 cm long, hard, coriaceous, glabrous above. Flower small, yellow with pink stripes, staminate and hermaphrodite, in terminal, 15-25 cm long panicles, flowering starts when two years old. Fruit grayish-green, hard, smooth, shining, oleaginous, kidney shaped, one seeded nut, 2-5 cm long, borne on 5.0-7.5 cm long, fleshy, pyriform receptacle, called Cashew Apple, with bright yellow to scarlet skin. Seeds 300/kg. The seeds are source of Cashew nuts. They find use in confectionery and as dessert, and also yield edible oil. Nearly 90 percent of the International trade in Cashew Kernels and cashew-shell-oil is monopolized by India. Kaju is not known and marketed for its medicinal properties and uses. In ancient literatures, related to different systems of medicine in India, many valuable medicinal properties and uses of Kaju have been reported. As medicine, bark leaves, flowers and swollen peduncle of fruit are used. According to Ayurveda, ripe peduncle of fruit is acrid, sweet, hot, digestible, aphrodisiac, anthelmintic and useful in treatment of tumours, ascites, fever, ulcers, leucoderma, skin diseases, dysentery, piles, and loss of appetite. The traditional healers of Bastar region, use Kaju roots as purgative in combination with other herbs. The tar from the bark is used externally in treatment of skin diseases particularly in treatment of ringworm. The traditional healers specialized in treatment of sciatica use the latex of Kaju externally. The latex is massaged externally on affected parts to reduce the pain. To mature the immature boil, the aqueous paste of Kaju seeds is applied externally. The natives use cashew shell oil externally on corns and for treating cracks on soles of feet. The natives also eat fruit apple because of its taste. In reference literatures it is mentioned that the intake of fruit apple cures the scurvy. The natives are not aware of this fact. The above mentioned uses are not enough to establish Kaju as potential medicinal herb in Chhattisgarh but from documentation point of view, it is very valuable information. The detailed surveys are in progress and I am confident that I will get more information on traditional uses of Kaju as medicine through these surveys. Thank you very much for reading the article
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