Ziziphus spina-christi

Ziziphus spina-christi, known as the Christ's thorn jujube, is a thorny and evergreen tree or plant.

Description

A shrub or a tree. In desert places it grows 2 m high. It can grow to 15-20 m high. The trunk is 50 cm across. It is prickly or thorny. The leaves are oval and alternate. There are 3 almost parallel veins easily seen underneath the leaf. The flower stalks are hairy. The flowers are 2-4 mm across. They are in clusters in the axils of leaves near the ends of branches. The fruit is small and orange or red. They are oblong. They are 13-18 mm across. The fruit are edible.

Edible Uses

The fruit pulp is dried and milled into flour, then cooked with steam, or eaten raw. The seed kernels are eaten raw. The leaves are cooked and eaten as a snack. Fruits are sold in local markets.

Traditional Uses

The pulp of the fruit is dried and milled into flour. It is then cooked with steam. The fruit are also eaten raw. The kernel of the seeds is eaten raw. The leaves are cooked and eaten as a snack.

Medicinal Uses

The ripe fruits are edible. Historically, it was utilized in ancient Egyptian medicine for its supposed anti-inflammatory properties, specifically in treating pain, swelling, and heat. An in vitro study has suggested that the plant might have anti-inflammatory properties, identifying active compounds such as epigallocatechin and gallocatechin that inhibit inflammatory pathways like NF-κB.

Distribution

A tropical plant. It grows in very dry plains and hill slopes. It grows in the Sahel in watercourses that occasionally get flooded. It grows in areas that have a rainfall between 50-300 mm per year. It can grow in arid places. It is highly salt tolerant. In Ethiopia it grows up to 2,400 m above sea level.

Where It Grows

Afghanistan, Africa, Algeria, Angola, Arabia, Asia, Australia, Bahrain, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central Africa, Central African Republic, CAR, Chad, Comoros, Cuba, Djibouti, East Africa, Egypt, Egypt - Sinai, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinée, India, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kenya, Lebanon, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mediterranean, Middle East, Morocco, Netherlands, Niger, Nigeria, North Africa, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Reunion, Sahel, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sinai, Socotra, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Tunisia, Turkey, Türkiye, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, UAE, West Africa, West Indies, Yemen, Zimbabwe,

Cultivation

Plants can be grown by seeds. It can be cut back and will re-grow.

Other Uses

It has been reported that applying the bark in larger doses reduces nematode activity in cereal fields and leads to significant increase in the yield of sunflowers. In a trial, a methane extract of the leaf at a concentration of 10,000ppm in distilled water reduced the egg hatching of root nematodes by more than 99% after 21 days compared with a control. The red or dark brown wood is hard, heavy and resistant to termites. It is used for cabinet making, tool handles, posts, furniture, turnery and general carpentry. The wood makes a good fuel and an excellent charcoal. A thorny plant, it is grown as a stock-proof hedge and living fence. It also makes a useful windbreak and shelterbelt. The tree develops a very deep taproot and spreading lateral roots, making it useful for stabilizing sand dunes and other unstable soils. The tree improves soil quality by increasing available phosphorus. The tree is sometimes interplanted with millet.

Other Information

Fruit are sold in local markets.

Notes

Chemical composition (after Berry-Koch) (per 100g) (fruit, dried): Protein = 4.8g. Fat = .9g. Calcium = 140mg. Fe = 3.0mg. Vitamin B1 = .04mg. Vitamin B2 = .13mg. Niacin = 3.7mg. Vitamin C = 30mg. Chemical composition (after Abdelmuti): Protein (crude) = 5.6% (dry). Fat = 2.1% (dry). Ash (insoluble) = 4.4% (dry). Fibre (crude) (dry) = 4.1%(dry). Carbohydrate (soluble): Starch = 21.8% (dry). Sugars: Sucrose = 21.8% (dry). D-glucose = 9.6% (dry). D- fructose = 16.0% (dry). Amino acids (g [16g N]-1): Aspartic acid = 15.1g. Threonine = 2.2g. Serine = 3.9g. Glutamic acid = 17.6g. Proline = 5.3g. Glycine = 3.1g. Alanine = 3.4g. Valine = 3.1g. Cysteine = 0.5g. Methionine = 0.4g. Isoleucine = 2.3g. Leucine = 3.9g. Tyrosine = 1.8g. Phenylalanine = 2.2g. Lysine = 2.3g. Histidine = 0.9g. Arginine = 3.4g. Sulphur 0.04% (dry). Potassium = 0.13% (dry). Magnesium = 0.12% (dry). Calcium = 0.61% (dry). Na = 0.01% (dry). K = 1.91% (dry). Zinc = 9mg/kg-1 (dry). Iron = 20mg/kg-1 (dry). Manganese = 13mg/kg-1 (dry). Copper = 5mg/kg-1 (dry).

Nutrition

Synonyms

Also Known As

Arka, Bow, Daoom, Dhaood, Elb, Gaudi, Girem, Ilb, Jangali bair, Jangli bair, Karno, Kournahi, Kurkura, Kurna, Kurnahi, Kusira-a, Kusra, Laang, Nabak, Nabaq, Nabbag, Nabik, Nubk tree, Qurqura, Sedr, Serwie, Sidir, Sidr, Syrian thorn tree, Yuyuba

References (67)

• Abbiw, D.K., 1990, Useful Plants of Ghana. West African uses of wild and cultivated plants. Intermediate Technology Publications and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. p 42
• ABDELMUTI,
• Addis, G., et al, 2005, Ethnobotanical Study of Edible Wild Plants in Some Selected Districts of Ethiopia. Human Ecology, Vol. 33, No. 1, pp. 83-118
• Addis, G., et al, 2013, The Role of Wild and Semi-wild Edible Plants in Household Food Sovereignty in Hamer and Konso Communities, South Ethiopia. Ethnobotany Research & Applications. 11:251-271
• Al-Fatimi, M. A., Wild Edible Plants Traditionally Collected and Used in Southern Yemen. Research Square. University of Aden. p 24

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