KAKAWATE
(Madre de cacao)
HEALTH BENEFITS
Kakawate leaves can cure deseases such as:
Eczema
Insect bites
Wounds
Scabies
Kills amoeba bacteria
Gonorrhea
Arthritis
Sprain
PROPERTIES
Anti-infammatory
Antidiarrheal
Antidysenteric
Antimutagenic
Anti-oxidant
Antimicrobial
Anti-scabies
Nematicidal
Insecticidal
Acaricidal
Bactericidal
Hepatoprotective
Pesticidal
Viricidal
PROCEDURES
- Dermatitis, skin itching: Apply juice or decoction of leaves, bark or roots on the skin as antipruritic.
- Fresh leaves applied to the skin as insect repellent.
- As counterirritant: Crush leaves and apply as poultice for rheumatic pains, sprains and closed fractures.
- Sap of bark, leaves and roots have been used for wound healing.
- Treatment of scabies.
- In Guatemala, the bark and leaves are used to treat skin diseases.
- In Guatemala and Costa Rica, bark decoction is used against bacterial and protozoal infections.
- In many folkloric regimens of other countries, used for headache, bruises, burns, colds, cough, fever, fatigue, gangrene, gonorrhea, skin itches and sores; as antidote, insecticide, insect repellent.
- In Panama, decoction of leaves used in urticaria, rash, burns, and erysipelas.
- In some parts of Nigeria, used for the treatment of sickle cell disease.
Others
- Wood: Wood is hard and durable used for small housing needs, posts, implement handles and firewood. In the Tagalog areas, popularly used as a living fence or live stakes to support plantings.
- Fuel: Used as firewood or source of charcoal. Wood produces a slow burn, without sparking and with little smoke. Calorific value of a 5-year old tree is 4,550 kcal/kg. (28)
- Fleas and ticks: Leaves have a fetid smell; crushed, used to rid dogs of fleas and ticks and cattle, of ticks. (Also read this blog: Washing Your Dog with Boiled Madre de Cacao Leaves.
Kakawati is a smooth, deciduous tree, 3 to 10 meters high. Leaves are 15 to 25 centimeters long with 13 leaflets which are opposite, oblong-ovate, 4 to 6 centimeters long, with a pointed tip and rounded base. Racemes are numerous on leafless branches, containing many flowers. Flowers are pink, 2 centimeters long, with a truncate calyx. The standard is reflexed and pale-yellow in the median part. The pods are narrowly oblong to oblanceolate, 10 to 14 centimeters long, about 2 centimeters wide, containing 6 to 8 seeds.
Plant has found application as rodenticide and general pesticide. Leaves, seeds, or powdered bark are toxic to humans when mixed with cooked rice or maize. The mechanism of toxicity is not understood.
There is some evidence to suggest G. sepium can protect some crops from fungal, insect or viral attack directly or by acting as a diversionary host plant for pets. Studies have also suggested G. sepium mulch has a fungicidal effect. It has been used to control termite damage in Sri Lanka and stem-borer damage to rice in the Philippines. In India, the tree was found to have a positive effect on the transmission of aphids (Aphis craccivora) causing rosette disease in groundnuts.
- Dermatitis, skin itching: Apply juice or decoction of leaves, bark or roots on the skin as antipruritic.
- Fresh leaves applied to the skin as insect repellent.
- As counterirritant: Crush leaves and apply as poultice for rheumatic pains, sprains and closed fractures.
- Sap of bark, leaves and roots have been used for wound healing.
- Treatment of scabies.
- In Guatemala, the bark and leaves are used to treat skin diseases.
- In Guatemala and Costa Rica, bark decoction is used against bacterial and protozoal infections.
- In many folkloric regimens of other countries, used for headache, bruises, burns, colds, cough, fever, fatigue, gangrene, gonorrhea, skin itches and sores; as antidote, insecticide, insect repellent.
- In Panama, decoction of leaves used in urticaria, rash, burns, and erysipelas.
- In some parts of Nigeria, used for the treatment of sickle cell disease.
Others
- Wood: Wood is hard and durable used for small housing needs, posts, implement handles and firewood. In the Tagalog areas, popularly used as a living fence or live stakes to support plantings.
- Fuel: Used as firewood or source of charcoal. Wood produces a slow burn, without sparking and with little smoke. Calorific value of a 5-year old tree is 4,550 kcal/kg. (28)
- Fleas and ticks: Leaves have a fetid smell; crushed, used to rid dogs of fleas and ticks and cattle, of ticks. (Also read this blog: Washing Your Dog with Boiled Madre de Cacao Leaves.
Kakawati is a smooth, deciduous tree, 3 to 10 meters high. Leaves are 15 to 25 centimeters long with 13 leaflets which are opposite, oblong-ovate, 4 to 6 centimeters long, with a pointed tip and rounded base. Racemes are numerous on leafless branches, containing many flowers. Flowers are pink, 2 centimeters long, with a truncate calyx. The standard is reflexed and pale-yellow in the median part. The pods are narrowly oblong to oblanceolate, 10 to 14 centimeters long, about 2 centimeters wide, containing 6 to 8 seeds.
Plant has found application as rodenticide and general pesticide. Leaves, seeds, or powdered bark are toxic to humans when mixed with cooked rice or maize. The mechanism of toxicity is not understood.
There is some evidence to suggest G. sepium can protect some crops from fungal, insect or viral attack directly or by acting as a diversionary host plant for pets. Studies have also suggested G. sepium mulch has a fungicidal effect. It has been used to control termite damage in Sri Lanka and stem-borer damage to rice in the Philippines. In India, the tree was found to have a positive effect on the transmission of aphids (Aphis craccivora) causing rosette disease in groundnuts.
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