Waginos
Brucea antidysenterica
Family: Simaroubaceae
What it is like
Found in tropical Africa, Brucea antidysentericais a monoecious shrub or small tree commonly used in traditional medicine as treatment for dysentry. It grows up to around 7 m high. The bark is grey, the leaves are alternate, and the flowers are green and very small. The bitter fruits reportedly have toxic effects on livestock especially sheep. The bark, fruit, and roots are also used as an anthelmintic and to relieve fever. It is also used against diarrhoea, ingestion, asthma, and stomach pain. Ointments can be made from the leaves and twigs along with ghee or butter to treat wounds and skin ailments. Roots are used for rabies and sores caused by sexually transmitted diseases. The bark is used as a bitter flavouring.
Brucea antidysenterica is an evergreen Tree growing to 7 m (23ft) by 7 m (23ft) at a medium rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 10. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in full shade (deep woodland) semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.
Height (m): 7
Where it is found
In the lower storeys of evergreen forest and often as secondary growth in deforested areas or at forest edges. Montane forests, forest margins and secondary vegetation, most frequently at elevations of 1,750 - 2,500 metres.
Tropical Africa - Guinea and Nigeria east to Ethiopia and south to Angola, Malawi and Zambia.
Conservation Status: This taxon has not yet been assessed.
Countries/locations it is found in
Found In: Africa, Angola, Cameroon, Central Africa, Congo, East Africa, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Guinea, GuinŽe, Malawi, Nigeria, Sudan, West Africa, Zambia.
How it is used
Food
Rating: 1
Edible portion: Bark - spice. The bark is used as a bitter flavouring.
Inner bark: the bark that is found just beneath the tough outer bark of trees and shrubs.
Condiment: the various plants that are used as flavourings, either as herbs, spices or condiments.
Medicine
Rating: 4
As its name suggests, the plant is of value in traditional medicine for the treatment of dysentery. Modern research has confirmed this action and also highlighted other potential uses of the plant. The leaves and stem bark contain quanninoids and canthin alkaloids that have potent anticancer properties, and these have attracted much research attention in recent decades. Some trials have been inconclusive, whilst others have shown promising results, especially since the effects were facilitated in the absence of overt toxicity. In addition to their antineoplastic activity, many compounds present in the plant are highly effective against the dysentery-causing amoeba, Entamoeba histolytica, and the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. Quassinoids from the plant have exhibited weak anti-tuberculosis activity in vitro, whilst their anti-HIV potential is marred by high cytotoxicity. Quassinoids are characteristic of the Simaroubaceae; they give the bark of Brucea antidysenterica a distinctive bitter taste. Canthin alkaloids, present in the root bark of Brucea antidysenterica, have anticancer and antimicrobial properties. The bark, fruit and roots are widely used against dysentery, as an anthelmintic and to treat fever. The bark, fruit, seeds, leaves and roots (sometimes boiled) are used as a remedy for diarrhoea, indigestion and stomach-ache. The leaves and roots are cooked with meat, or infused with milk (for children) to relieve asthma. Wounds and skin complaints, such as those caused by leprosy and scrofula, are treated with ointments made from the leaves and twigs mixed with ghee or butter, or from the ripe fruits mixed with honey. Preparations of the roots are used on sores caused by sexually transmitted diseases, while the leaves and seeds are used to treat cancerous skin tumours. The roots are used to treat rabies.
Anthelmintic: Expels parasites from the gut.
Antiasthmatic: Treats asthma.
Antibacterial: Kills bacteria.
Antidiarrhoeal: Provides symptomatic relief for diarrhoea. Also see Astringent.
Antitumor: Preventing, or effective against, tumors, it is used in the treatment of cancer. Probably synonymous with Cytotoxic.
Cancer: Used in the treatment of cancer.
Dysentery: Used in treating dysentery - an infection of the intestines that causes diarrhoea containing blood or mucus.
Febrifuge: Reduces fevers.
Leprosy: Used to treat leprosy - a chronic bacterial infection of the skin and superficial nerves (in the skin) caused by Mycobacterium leprae.
Malaria: Treats malaria - an acute febrile illness caused by Plasmodium parasites spread to people through the bites of mosquitos.
Skin: Plants used in miscellaneous treatments for the skin.
Other
Rating: 1
Other uses rating: Low (1/5). Other Uses: The fruit contains about 22% oil. No uses are mentioned. A yellow dye in the fruit endocarp is non-soluble in water. The wood is used as firewood and for roof construction.
Dye: Plants that provide dyes.
Fuel: Usually wood, plant materials that have been mentioned as being a good fuel.
Roofing: Used to give a waterproof roof to buildings. See also Thatching.
How it is grown
The plant grows at moderate elevations, usually to 2,500 metres but exceptionally to 3,700 metres in the moister tropics of Africa. Vegetative growth, flowering and fruiting continue throughout the year, even in the dry season. Brucea antidysenterica has been recorded as a host plant of the Mediterranean fruit fly, a major pest of the fruit industry.
Propagating it: Seed - best sown in situ. Readily propagated from seed, an alternative method of propagation is transplanting wildlings. Seed can be stored at room temperature for over a year.
Best place to grow:
Habit: Tree
Hardiness: 10-12
Growth: Medium
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: Full shade, semi-shade, no shade
Moisture: Moist
Things to keep in mind
The fruit is bitter and reportedly toxic to livestock, especially sheep. Crystals of calcium oxalate are present in the bark, leaves and roots.
Its other names
Local names
Waginos or Brucea antidysentericais
Synonyms
Brucea abyssinica Spreng. Brucea ferruginea L'H?r. Brucea salutaris A.Chev.