Garcinia kola
| Garcinia kola | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Rosids |
| Order: | Malpighiales |
| Family: | Clusiaceae |
| Genus: | Garcinia |
| Species: | G. kola |
| Binomial name | |
| Garcinia kola Heckel | |
Garcinia kola (bitter kola, a name sometimes also used for G. afzelii) is a species of flowering plant in the Clusiaceae or Guttiferae family. It is found in Benin, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Gabon, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal and Sierra Leone. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.
Traditional medicine
Garcinia kola is traditionally used by African medicinemen who believe that it has purgative, antiparasitic, and antimicrobial properties.[2] The seeds are used for bronchitis, throat infections, colic, head or chest colds, and cough.[2] It is also used for liver disorders and as a chewing stick.[2]
Scientific research
Preliminary study of the plant in the 1990s showed signs that it may benefit ebola victims by slowing down multiplication of the virus.[3]
In animal studies, Garcinia kola increased the activities of the enzymes lactate dehydrogenase and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase.[4]
References
- ↑ Cheek. M. 2004. Garcinia kola. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 20 July 2007.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Maurice Iwu, Angela R. Duncan, and Chris O. Okunji, New Antimicrobials of Plant Origin p. 457–462. 1999, ASHS Press, Alexandria, VA
- ↑ "Ebola cure hope". BBC News. August 5, 1999.
- ↑ Olajide Olayemi Joseph and Adeniyi Philip Adeyemi (2011). "Studies on effects of aqueous Garcinia kola extract on the lateral geniculate body and rostral colliculus of adult Wistar rats". Medical Practice and Reviews 2 (2): 23–28.