Bhat RB (1995) Leaf Architecture and its Dynamics in the Bombacaceae. Beitraege zur Biologie der Pflanzen, 68(2): 169-179

The architecture of the leaf (leaflets) has been investigated in 3 genera and 3 species of the family Bombacaceae. The mature leaflets from both fresh and herbarium materials were cleared using the customary methods, and terminologies of Hickey (1973) are used to determine the characters of leaf architecture. The whole lamina of the leaflet is more or less symmetrical in all the species studied. The major venation pattern conforms to the camptodromous mixed with festooned brochidodromous and the festooned brochidodromous types. In all the members of the family studied, the primary and secondary veins are ornamented with parenchymatous bundle sheaths. Imperfectly developed areoles are predominant over the developed ones. The size and the shape of the areole is variable. The vein endings may be simple, once or sometimes twice dichotomously branched. The highest venation order of the family is 6 degree . Marginal ultimate venation is looped. Tracheids are either uni-, bi-, tri-, or multi-seriate and vary in shape, size and are commonly found at the free vein endings. Extension cells and isolated tracheids are not common. These characters are of great taxonomic importance.


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Bianchini J P, Ralaimanarivo A, Gaydou E M and Waegell B (1982) Hydrocarbons, sterols and tocopherols in the seeds of six Adansonia species. Phytochemistry, 21(8): 1981-1987

Analyses are presented of the total seed oil content and the unsaponifiable components of seed lipids of Adansonia grandidieri, A. za, A. fony, A. madagascariensis, A. digitata and A. suarezensis. Oil contents were highest for A. suarezensis (46.2%) and A. grandidieri (38.7 and 36.4% in 2 samples). Cholesterol was present in low concentrations in all spp., 24-ethylcholesterol being the main sterol. The tocopherol composition differed considerably between spp., but γ-tocopherol predominated. Each sp. showed a characteristic gas liquid chromatography pattern for the hydrocarbon fraction, squalene being the major component for 5 spp.

Bianchini J P, Ralaimanarivo A and Gaydon E M (1982) Reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography of fatty acid methyl esters with particular reference to cyclopropenoic and cyclopropanoic acids. Journal of High Resolution Chromatography & Chromatography Communications, 5(4): 199-204.

HPLC of saturated, monounsaturated, diunsaturated, triunsaturated, cyclopropenoic (malvalic and sterculic) and cyclopropanoic (cis-8,9-methylenehexadecanoic and dihydrosterculic) fatty acids obtained from litchi seed oil was performed with their methyl esters. All separations were carried out with 2 types of reversed phase columns, the eluent consisting of acetonitrile/water mixture. The effect of water was studied in the range 0-15%. The best separation was obtained with acetonitrile/water (85:15 v/v). Quantitative results indicated that the detection limits depended on UV wavelength and in the present study were 4 ng of methyl sterculate and 125 ng of methyl dihydrosterculate at 195 nm. The detn. of response factors using a UV detector at 195 nm permits a quantitative study of potentially carcinogenic cyclopropenoid fatty acids (CPEFA). Results suggest that reverse HPLC would be a convenient method for assay of CPEFA in edible oils (cottonseed, kapok and baobab oils).


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Chauhan J S, Kumar S and Chaturvedi R (1984) A new flavanonol glycoside from Adansonia digitata roots. Planta Medica, 50(1): 113

It was isolated and identified as 3,7-dihydroxy flavan-4-one-5-O- beta-D-galactopyranosyl (1 right arrow 4)- beta -D-glucopyranoside.

Eromosele I C, Eromosele C O and Kuzhkuzha D M (1991) Evaluation of Mineral Elements and Ascorbic-acid Content in Fruits of some Wild Plants. Plant Foods for Human Nutrition, 41(2): 151-154

The fruits of some wild plants were examined for their contents of mineral elements and ascorbic acid. High levels of ascorbic acid were found in fruits Sclerocarya birrea (403.3 mg/100 g) and Adansonia digitata (337 mg/100 g). In nine of the fruits examined, the mineral contents (Ca, P) were comparable with average values found in common fruits. The iron contents were however 2-5 times higher than the values for common fruits.


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Essien A I and Fetuga B L (1989) β"-Carotene content and some characteristics of under-exploited seed oils of forest trees in Nigeria. Food Chemistry, 32(2): 109-116

In oils from 21 species, "β"-carotene content varied from 11.97 micro g/100 g oil (Berlinia auriculata) to 684 micro g/100 g oil (Lonchocarpus caprium). Six oils were useful sources of vitamin A (Bauhinia monandra, Tetrapleura tetraptera, Pterocarpus osun, L. caprium, Triplochiton scleroxylon and Voacanga africana).

Gaiwe R, Nkulinkiye Nfura T, Bassene E, Olschwang D, Ba D and Pousset J L (1989) Calcium and mucilage in the leaves of Adansonia digitata (baobab). Original Title: Calcium et mucilage dans les feuilles de Adansonia digitata (baobab). International Journal of Crude Drug Research, 27(2): 101-104

The leaves, which are a known source of Ca, are eaten as a laxative condiment by certain west African populations, especially those whose diet is based on millet. Analyses of leaves collected in May at Dakar showed a mucilage content of 12% (DW) as well as 2.01% Ca. Tests elsewhere on rats have shown that the mucilage is rapidly excreted together with much of the Ca and other beneficial constituents. A food preparation method is described for extracting all the mucilage but retaining 23% of the total Ca in the fraction.

Glew R H, VanderJagt D J, Lockett C, Grivetti L E, Smith G C, Pastuszyn A and Millson M (1997) Amino acid, fatty acid, and mineral composition of 24 indigenous plants of Burkina Faso. Journal of Food Composition and Analysis, 10(3): 205-217

The leaves, seeds, flowers, and fruit of many indigenous plants are staples of populations who inhabit the Sahel region of Africa. They serve to supplement the nutrients provided by cereals such as millet and sorghum. However, there is a lack of comprehensive compositional data regarding the nutrient content of these indigenous plants. In this report, we present nutritional data for 24 plant materials collected in Burkina Faso, including their content of amino acids, fatty acids, and minerals. Three plants contained 20 to 37% protein (on a dry weight basis): Vigna sp., Hibiscus esculentus, and Parkiia biglobosa. Relative to a WHO protein standard, three plants scored relatively high: Voadzeiia subterranea, Pennisetum americanum, and Bixa orellana. Plants which contained large amounts of the essential fatty acids linoleic or alpha-linolenic acid were Vigna sp., Hibiscus esculentus seeds, Parkiia biglobosa seeds, and Vitex doniana fruit. Three plants were rich in iron: Adansonia digitata, Bixa orellana, and Xylopia sp. The fruit and seeds of Hibiscus esculentus were an excellent source of zinc. The plant foods with the highest calcium content were Adansonia digitata leaves, Hibiscus sp., and Bombax costatum. These data show that in terms of both quality and quantity there are numerous spontaneous desert plants that can serve as significant sources of essential amino acids, essential fatty acids and trace minerals for populations living in the western Sahel.

Nour A A, Magboul B I and Kheiri N H (1980) Chemical composition of baobab fruit (Adansonia digitata L.). Tropical Science, 22(4): 383-388.

Baobab fruit pulp contained moisture 6.7% and, on a dry basis, protein 2.6, fat 0.2, fibre 5.7, ash 5.3, total soluble solids 79.3, alcohol-insoluble solids 57.3, total sugars 23.2, reducing sugars 18.9, pectin, as galacturonic acid, 56.2% and, in mg/100 g, ascorbic acid 300, calcium 655, phosphorus 51 and iron 9. The pectin was mainly water-soluble and of poorer quality than commercial pectin.

Okoh P N (1984) An assessment of the protein, mineral and vitamin losses in sun-dried Nigerian vegetables. Nutrition Reports International, 29(2):359-364

Edible parts of Adansonia digitata, Capsicum annum, C. frutescens, Zingiber officinale and Hibiscus esculentus were dried in the sun for 7 to 10 days to about 5% moisture. There was no difference in fat, protein, carbohydrate and mineral contents between fresh and dried samples but dried samples showed considerable loss of vitamins, particularly of vitamin C from between 252 and 980 mg/100 to between trace and 27 mg/100 g. Greatest loss of riboflavin was 19% in fruit of H. esculentus. Loss of thiamin varied from 18% in fruit of A. digitata to 83% in root of Z. officinale.

Ramadan A, Harraz F M and El Mougy S A (1994) Anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antipyretic effects of the fruit pulp of Adansonia digitata. Fitoterapia, 65(5): 418-422

The aqueous extract of A. digitata fruit pulp showed a LD-50 in mice by i.p. route of 8000 mg/kg and induced a marked and long lasting anti- inflammatory and antipyretic effects at 400 and 800 mg/kg per os in rats. The extract showed also a marked analgesic activity in mice at 2 h after administration. Phytochemical screening of the fruit pulp of the plant indicated the presence of sterols and/or triterpenes, saponins, tannins, carbohydrates and glycosides.

Sipra Dan and Dan S S (1986) Phytochemical study of Adansonia digitata, Coccoloba excoriata, Psychotria adenophylla and Schleichera oleosa. Fitoterapia, 57(6): 445-446

Friedelin, lupeol, bauerenol, β-sitosterol and scopoletin were identified in the leaf and bark of A. digitata. The bark also yielded betulinic acid and the leaf taraxerone and the acetates of bauerenol and lupeol. Leaf and bark of C. excoriata yielded taraxerone, lupeol, betulinic acid, ursolic acid and β-sitosterol. The leaf yielded friedelin and the bark lupeol acetate. P. adenophylla leaf yielded bauerenol acetate, bauerenol, friedelin, betulin and ursolic acid, and traces of α-amyrin, betulinic acid and β-sitosterol. The bark of S. oleosa contained lupeol, lupeol acetate, betulin, betulinic acid, β-sitosterol and scopoletin.

Woolfe M L, Chaplin M F and Otchere G (1977) Studies on the mucilages extracted from okra fruits (Hibiscus esculentus L.) and baobab leaves Adansonia digitata L.). Journal of the Science of Food & Agriculture, 28(6): 519-529.

The mucilages from both species were acidic polysaccharides with associated protein and minerals. The polysaccharide from okra was composed of galacturonic acid, galactose, rhamnose and glucose. Both mucilages formed viscous solutions at low concentrations (5-10 g/1) and attained maximum viscosity at neutral pH, but neither was heat stable.