Balanites aegyptiaca
Uses
Sudan (western; Darfur, southern): fruit (drupe) eaten; Kordofan, Darfur: green leaves eaten in salads or cooked. Seeds boiled in continuous changes of water to dibitter and then eaten with sorghum. Extended boiling also releases a yellow oil which is eaten. Chad (central): leaves and fruit eaten. Nigeria (Kano State, northern): fruit, seeds, seed, oil, flower and resin eaten. Niger (southeastern). Leaves eaten. Ethnomedical uses: macerated fruit mixed with millet to make a porridge given to women, after childbirth and during lactation, to give them energy, strength and to increase milk production. The oil released from the seeds by boiling is used in the treatment of headache and influenza. It is also used after childbirth and during lactation to release stomach colic and facilitate milk production.
Additional Information
- Name Authority:
- Delile; Wall.
- Vernaculars:
- Sudan (Arabic) (fruit): Lalob, Laloub, Hidjihi, Heglig. Chad (central) - (Arabic ) leaves): Hidjilit. Hausa: Aduwa. Kanuri (fruit ?): Bizo, Bito. English: Desert Date
- Misc:
- Chemical composition (Sudan sample, edible portion [after Henry & Grindley]): Protein = 3.3%. Fat = 0.1%. Carbohydrate = 52.7%. Fibre (crude) = 2.1%. Ash = 4.0%. CaO = 0.08%. P2O5 = 0.10%. Moisture = 37.8%. Kcal = 231; (kernels): Protein = 27.5%. Fat = 46.5%. Carbohydrate = 11.1%. Fibre (crude) = 1.5%. Ash = 2.9%. CaO = 0.16%. P2O5 = 1.00%. Moisture = 10.5%. Kcal = 591; (oil): Specific gravity at 100 C . = .88919. Saponification value = 186.5. Iodine absorption = 99.2. Melting point about = 8°C. Chemical composition (Sudan after Abdelmuti): Protein (crude) = 5.1% (dry). Fat = 0.4% (dry). Ash (insoluble) = 21.2% (dry). Fibre (crude) = 2.8% (dry). Carbohydrate (soluble): Starch = 30.1% (dry). Sugars: Sucrose = 5.8% (dry). D-glucose = 20.6% (dry). D-fructose = 10.1%. Amino acids (g [16g N]-1): Aspartic acid = 5.1g. Threonine = 2.5g. Serine = 2.0g. Glutamic acid = 6.3g. Proline = 35.8g. Glycine = 3.3g. Alanine = 3.5g. Valine = 2.7g. Cysteine = 1.0g. Methionine = 1.0g. Isoleucine = 2.7g. Leucine = 4.1g. Tyrosine = 2.2g. Phenylalanine = 2.7g. Lysine = 1.6g. Histidine = 1.2g. Arginine = 2.4g. Sulphur = 0.10% (dry). Potassium = 0.04% (dry). Magnesium = 0.10% (dry). Calcium = 0.12% (dry). Na = 0.02% (dry). Zinc = 10mg/kg-1 (dry). Iron = 620mg/kg-1 (dry). Manganese = 3mg/kg-1 (dry). Copper = 2mg/kg-1 (dry).
