Cordia dichotoma (Anonang) Leaves

Anonang leaves are derived from a tree that is a genus of flowering plants in the Borage family containing more than 250 species of shrub, mostly found in the world’s warmer regions. It has the botanical name Cordia dichotoma (Cordia – gotten from a German botanist and Pharmacist, Valerius Cordus).

It is a medium-sized flowering tree with a short bole and spreading crown, greyish brown stem bark and a short-stalked, bisexual flower that is white and only opens at night. The fruit is a drupe, yellowish white or pinkish.

Its common English names are fragrant manjack, snotty gobbles, cummingcordia, glue berry, anonang, pink pearl, bird lime tree, and Indian cherry.

Also Read: Fruits, leaves and their benefits

Vitamin K Meaning: 6 Examples Of Foods That Contain Vitamin K

Vitamin E Oil; 10 Amazing  Benefits of Vitamin E Oil To The Skin 

Constituents of Cordia dichotoma (Anonang) Leaves

• study of the leaves yielded five compounds namely  β- sitosteryl-3β-glucopyranoside-6′-O-palmitate (1), nervonyl 4-hydroxy-trans-cinnamate ester (2), β-sitosterol (3), and chlorophyll a from the leaves (4) and 4 and 1,2-dilinoleoyl-3-linolenoylglycerol (5) from the twigs
• The leaves can also produce many organic solvents, such as Methanol, petroleum ether solvents, etc.
• Phytochemical screening of leaves and fruits yields pyrrolizidine alkaloids, coumarins, flavonoids, saponins, terpenes, and sterols.
• The leaves contain many nutrients and active elements that can be used traditionally for treating illness.
• The fruit gives the following: saponins, amino acids, flavonoids, sugar, gum, proteins, palmitic, stearic, linoleic acids, oleic, arachidic, behenic acids and lots more.

Related: Scent Leaf: 20 Amazing Health Benefits of Scent Leaf

Vitamins -Definition, types, 9 functions, 8 sources and 8 side effects of vitamin

Uses of Cordia dichotoma

• The leaves are used as a vegetable for making soups.
• The leaves are also used for traditional medications.
• It also has a sweet, edible fruit eaten raw when it is ripe or green or used as a vegetable by both the Indians and Pakistan.
• It is used as an antidyspeptic and for treating headaches, stomachaches, mouth ulcers, tuberculosis, dysentery, allergies, inflammation, asthma, bronchitis, rheumatic arthritis, and many more in different parts of the world.

Side effect

There have been no known or reported side effects of Cordia dichotoma leaves (Anonang leaves) on health.

Recommended: Benefits of Bitter Leaf; See the 18 Incredible Health Benefits of Bitter Leaf

Food High In Vitamin E; 10 Foods That Are High In Vitamin E For Skin, Hair, And Heart Health

Conclusion

Cordia dichotoma leaves (also known as Anonang Leaves) can be used as vegetables for cooking, herbs for traditionally treating an ailment and for some scientific purposes. In other words, it is a multipurpose leaf.

It is quite nutritional and known in various parts of the world with different names, which may include booch, लसोड़ा (lasoda), or gunda in Hindi; ਨਸੂੜੇ (lasoore) in Punjabi lasura in Nepali; गुंदा gunda in Gujarati; भोकर bhokar in Marathi; and 破布子 (phoà-pò·-chí), 樹子仔, or 樹子; ಚಳ್ಳೆ ಹಣ್ಣು challe hannu in Kannada; బంకనక్కర Bankanakkera in Telugu, nunang in Malay and Minangkabau, nonang in Maranao, and anúnang in Cebuano and many more.

Cordia dichotoma leaves are nutritious too!