Syzygium cumini

HABIT: Syzygium cumini is a large evergreen and densely foliaceous tree with greyish-brown thick bark, exfoliating in woody scales. The wood is whitish, close grained and durable; affords brown dyes and a kind of a gum Kino. The leaves are leathery, oblong-ovate to elliptic or obovate-elliptic with 6 to 12 centimeters long (extremely variable in shape. The panicles are borne mostly from the branchlets below the leaves, often being axillary or terminal, and are 4 to 6 centimeters long. Flowers are scented, greenish-white, in clusters of just a few or 10 to 40 and are round or oblong in shape and found in dichotomous paniculate cymes. 

CONSERVATION STATUS: Evaluated as 'Least Concern' by IUCN.

MEDICINAL USES: The bark is acrid, sweet, digestive, astringent to the bowels, anthelmintic and used for the treatment of sore throat, bronchitis, asthma, thirst, biliousness, dysentery and ulcers. It is also a good blood purifier. The fruit is acrid, sweet, cooling and astringent to the bowels and removes bad smell form mouth, biliousness, stomachic, astringent, diuretic and antidiabetic. The fruit has a very long history of use for various medicinal purposes and currently has a large market for the treatment of chronic diarrhea and other enteric disorders. The seed is sweet, astringent to the bowels and good for diabetes. The ash of the leaves is used for strengthening the teeth and gums. These all have been confirmed by several experimental and clinical studies. 

(Ayyanar, M., & Subash-Babu, P. (2012). Syzygium cumini (L.) Skeels: A review of its phytochemical constituents and traditional uses. Asian Pacific journal of tropical biomedicine, 2(3), 240-246.)

ETHNOBOTANICAL USES: All parts of Syzygium cumini can be used medicinally and it has a long tradition in alternative medicine. From all over the world, the fruits have been used for a wide variety of ailments, including cough, diabetes, dysentery, inflammation and ringworm. It is widely distributed throughout India and ayurvedic medicine (Indian folk medicine) mentions its use for the treatment  of diabetes mellitus. Various traditional practitioners in India use the different parts of the plant in the treatment of diabetes, blisters in mouth, cancer, colic, diarrhea, digestive complaints, dysentery, piles, pimples and stomachache. 

(Ayyanar, M., & Subash-Babu, P. (2012). Syzygium cumini (L.) Skeels: A review of its phytochemical constituents and traditional uses. Asian Pacific journal of tropical biomedicine, 2(3), 240-246.)