Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Synonyms —
Adansonia bahobab
Gaertn.,
Adansonia integrifolia
Raf.,
Adansonia scutula
Steud.,
Adansonia situla
(Lour.) Spreng.,
Adansonia somalensis
C h iov.,
Adansonia sphaerocarpa
A.Chev.,
Adansonia sulcata
A.Chev.,
Baobabus digitata
(L.) Kuntze,
Ophelus sitularius
Lour
Related Species —
Adansonia fony
Baill.,
Adansonia grandidieri
Baill.,
Adansonia gregorii
F. Muell.,
Adansonia madagascariensis
Baill.,
Adansonia perrieri
Capuron,
Adansonia suarezen-
sis
H. Perrier,
Adansonia za
Baill.
Family —
Malvaceae
Common Names —
Baobab, monkey-bread tree, dead-rat tree, cream-of-tartar tree, magic tree,
chemist tree, symbol of the earth, upside-down
African Names —
Ashanti: odade; Hausa: kuka, bumbu, murna; Bambara: sira; Bisa: hor-go,
poh-go; Gourounsi-Lele: koukoulou, ekoulou; Peul: boki, olohi; Igbo: Oyili-akpu; Wolof: gui, bui,
gif; Yoruba: ose, oske; Baoule: frondo; Malinke: sira; Senoufo: ngigue; Swahili: mbuyu, mkuu hap-
ingwa, mkuu hafungwa, muuyu
Description —
This is a huge and dominant species in the savanna and Sahel regions of Africa.
Its massive structure with its bottle shape makes it easy to identify. The tree is rather remarkable for
its enormous trunk in comparison with the small crown of foliage. The trunk is comparatively short,
13-17 m high but 10-14 m or more in girth, with short, thick branches. A specimen with a girth of
37 m has been recorded. The bark is unarmed. The leaves are palmate with 5 sessile leaflets. The
flowers are large, 12.5-15 cm in diameter, white, with numerous monadelphous purple stamens.
The flowers are oblong, 15-20 cm long, pendulous on long stalks, woody, indehiscent, with large
seeds embedded in dry acid pulp.
Habitat and Distribution —
Baobab occurs naturally throughout the drier parts of the conti-
nent, and it is available all year round. Outside Africa, it has been widely introduced in tropical and
subtropical regions as a commercial crop. Although it was introduced late in many Central African
countries, it is now a valued crop in many countries in that region. It is still not common in Rwanda,
Burundi, Djibouti, and Uganda. It has been introduced in Madagascar and many other Indian Ocean
islands. In West Africa, it often occurs in northern parts of the subregion from Nigeria to Senegal
in savanna forests and in baobab orchards around villages.
Ethnomedicinal Uses —
This majestic tree is revered in Africa for its medicinal and nutritional
value. Many parts of the plant are used to treat various ailments, such as diarrhea, malaria, and
microbial infections. Other activities include use for urinary tract disorders; as a diaphoretic for
fevers; as an anti-inflammatory; for mild asthma, fatigue, dysentery, kidney and bladder diseases;
and as an expectorant, astringent, and tonic. It is reported that it is an excellent antioxidant due to the
vitamin C content. It has a widely held reputation as an antiviral and anti-inflammatory medicine.
The leaves are most valuable for medicinal uses, but the fruits and stem bark are also used in the
preparation of remedies.
Constituents —
Baobab fruit pulp has 10 times the vitamin C content of orange (w/w). It also
contains the following, per 100 g: water 8.7 g, energy 1290 kJ (308 kcal), protein 2.7 g, fat 0.2 g,
carbohydrate 73.7 g, fiber 8.9 g, Ca 335 mg, Mg 167 mg, P 76.2 mg, Fe 2.7 mg, Zn 1.0 mg, thiamin
0.62 mg, riboflavin 0.14 mg, niacin 2.7 mg, ascorbic acid 209 mg. The seed, which is about 55% seed
coat and 45% kernel, contains the following, per 100 g of kernel: water 8.1 g, energy 1805 kJ (431
kcal), protein 33.7 g, fat 30.6 g, carbohydrate 4.8 g, fiber 16.9 g, Ca 273 mg, Mg 640 mg, P 5.1 mg, Fe
6.6 mg, Zn 6.7 mg, thiamin 0.25 mg, riboflavin 0.14 mg, niacin 1.0 mg. The fatty acid composition
is linoleic acid 34.9%, oleic acid 32.3%, palmitic acid 26.5%, and stearic acid 4.4%. Phytochemical
investigation has also revealed the presence of flavonoids, amino acids, fatty acids, vitamins, and
minerals. Phytosterols such as campesterol, stigmasterol, isoflucasterol, and avenasterol are present
in the seeds. An alkaloid, adansonin, has been identified from the bark of the baobab tree, and it is
believed to be the active agent that is responsible for the antimalarial properties of baobab tree bark.
The seed protein contains a large amount of lysine, but its use as a protein source is limited by the
