Breadfruit
Med Rating: 4/5
Description: Breadfruit has a very wide range of applications in traditional medicine with all parts of the plant being utilised in the treatment of a range of conditions[ 311 ]. Research has shown the presence of a number of active compounds in the plant:- The fruit contains artocarpine and the enzyme papayotine[ 348 ]. The leaf contains the phenols quercetin and camphorol, plus gamma-aminobutyric acid, which lowers the blood pressure[ 348 ]. The stem-bark and fruit contain cyclopropane sterols[ 348 ]. The toasted flowers are rubbed on the gums around aching teeth to ease pain[ 303 ]. An extract from the flowers is effective in treating ear oedema[ 303 ]. Latex is massaged into the skin to treat broken bones, bruises, sprains, abscesses etc, and is bandaged on the spine to relieve sciatica[ 303 , 348 ]. It is commonly used to treat puncture wounds in the eyes[ 311 ], skin ailments and fungal diseases such as thrush[ 303 , 311 ]. The latter is also treated with crushed leaves[ 303 ]. Diluted latex is taken internally to treat diarrhoea, stomach-ache and dysentery[ 303 ]. Latex and juice from the crushed leaves are both traditionally used to treat ear infections[ 303 ]. A filtrate of new, unfolded leaves is employed as a remedy for fish poisoning and as a muscle relaxant in cases of convulsive spasms[ 311 ]. The yellowing leaf is brewed into a tea and taken to reduce high blood pressure[ 303 , 348 ]. The tea is also thought to control diabetes[ 303 ]. Hypertension and diabetes medications are prepared from a mixture of the boiled leaves of this species combined with Persea americana, Carica papaya and Annona muricata[ 348 ]. The leaves are used in Taiwan to treat liver diseases and fevers[ 303 ]. The root is an astringent and is used as a purgative[ 303 ]. Pressed fluid of the root is used in the treatment of respiratory ailments which include difficult, painful breathing[ 311 ]. When macerated it is used as a poultice for skin ailments[ 303 ]. The bark is used to treat headache. Bark extracts exhibited strong cytotoxic activities against leukaemia cells in tissue culture, and extracts from roots and stem barks showed some antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive bacteria and may have potential in treating tumours[ 303 ]. Liquid squeezed from the bark or leaves is given to remedy chest pains and vomiting resulting from heart trouble[ 311 ]. Pressed liquid from the stem bark is employed in the treatment of pain in the bones and maternal postpartum infections[ 311 ]. The bark is also used to treat stomach aches and digestive tract problems[ 311 ]. Fluid pressed from young fruit is given to treat an illness which causes pain in the lungs and vomiting of blood[ 311 ].
Source: https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Artocarpus+altilis
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