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| ACEROLA |
Family: Malpighiaceae
Genus: Malpighia
Species: glabra
Ethnic
Names: Acerola, Cereso, Barbados Cherry, Antilles Cherry
Part Used: Fruit |
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DESCRIPTION
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Properties/Actions: |
Astringent, Nutritive |
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Phytochemicals: |
Ascorbic-acid, Dextrose, Calcium, Fructose, Iron, l-Malic Acid, Magnesium, Niacin, Pantothenic-acid, Phosphorus, Potassium, Protein, Riboflavin, Sucrose, Thiamine |
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Malpighia glabra is small tree or shrub that grows up to 5 meters in height
in the dry deciduous forest and can be found growing wild and under cultivation
on the sandy soils throughout Northeast Brazil. It is native to the West Indies
and is also found in northern South America, Central America and Jamaica.
Acerola is the fruit of the tree. It is bright red and 1 to 2 cm in diameter
with several small seeds and has an appearance similar to the European Cherry.
Acerola is also known as "Antilles Cherry" or "Barbados Cherry." The mature
fruits are juicy and soft with a pleasant tart flavor and they contains about
80% juice and a large amount of vitamin C as well as iron, calcium and
phosphorous.
The Vitamin C content of Acerola varies depending on ripeness, seasons,
climate and localities and the vitamin C content is the highest while the fruit
is still green. As the fruit begins to ripen, it loses a great deal of its
vitamin content, and for this reason, much of the Acerola harvested is harvested
green. Until camu-camu appeared on the scene, Acerola was considered the richest
known source of Vitamin C, Oranges provide 500 to 4,000 parts per million
Vitamin C or ascorbic acid, while Acerola has assayed in a range of 16,000 to
172,000 parts per million ascorbic acid. Acerola can be up to 4.5% Vitamin C
compared to 0.05% in a peeled orange. Compared to oranges, Acerola provides
twice as much magnesium, pantothenic-acid, and potassium. Other vitamins present
include Vitamin A (4,300-12,500 IU/100g compared to approx 11,000 IU for raw
carrots), thiamine, riboflavin and niacin in concentrations comparable to those
in other fruits.
It's western use is mostly associated with its high content of vitamin C,
which has come under a great deal of recent attention as a free radical
scavenger due to its antioxidant properties. Malpighia glabra has also shown
active anti-fungal properties. It can now be found in many over-the counter
supplements in America as a natural form of Vitamin C in multi-vitamins. Recent
research in cosmetology indicates that vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant and
free radical scavenger for the skin as well. For this reason Acerola extracts
are now appearing in skin care products which fight cellular aging. In addition
to its vitamin content, Acerola contains mineral salts which has shown to aid in
the remineralization of tired and stressed skin, while the mucilage and proteins
have skin hydrating properties and promote capillary conditioning. |
| ETHNOBOTANY:
WORLDWIDE USES |
Elsewhere |
Astringent, Diarrhea, Dysentery,
Hepatitis |
Guatemala |
Diarrhea, Liqueur |
Mexico |
Astringent, Fever |
Venezuela |
Breast, Dysentery,
Tenesmus |
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References/Footnotes: |
- Moscoso, CG, Econ. Bot. 10, 280 (1956)
- Berry, RE. Et al. Food Prod. Dev., 14, 109 (1977).
- Nakasobem HY., et al. Proc. Am. Soc. Hort. Sci. 89, 161 (1966)
- A. Shillinger, Z. Lebensm, Unters. Forsch., 131,
89 (1966).
- Leung. A., Foster, S. Encylopedia of Common Natural Ingredients, (1996)
ed. Wiley & Sons, NY, NY. 1996
- Duke, J.A., Phytochemical Database, Agricultural Research Service, USDA
- Leme J Jr, et al. [Variation of ascorbic acid and beta-carotene content in
lyophilized cherry from the West Indies (Malpighia punicifolia L.)] Arch
Latinoam Nutr, 1973 Jun
- Medeiros RB de. [Proportion of ascorbic, dehydroascorbic and diketogulonic
acids in green or ripe acerola (Malpighia punicifolia)] Rev Bras Med,
1969 Jul
- Caceres, A. Plants used in Guatemala for the treatment of dermatophytic
infections 2. Evaluation of antifungal activity of seven American plants. J. Ethnopharmacol 40: 3, 1993
- Beckstrom-Sternberg, S., Duke, JA, Ethnobotany Database, USDA
The above text has been quoted from the book, Herbal Secrets of the Rainforest By Leslie Taylor |
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