Nutritional potential of fruit bark and leaves of Terminalia catappa

Abstract

erminalia catappa (TC) is a large tropical tree in the lead wood tree family, Combretaceae, native to Asia, Australia, the Pacific, Madagascar and Seychelles. This tree is a vital part of the cultural heritage of United Arab Emirates (UAE) and to natural desert ecology. T. catappa is considered as one of the highly valued trees in many arid areas in the world. It is commonly used as a shade giving tree but its seeds are edible and tasty. Even though it has been used in traditional medicine for wide range of ailments related to digestive, endocrine, reproductive systems and anti-cancer properties, in recent years there has been an interest in Terminalia catappa due to its medicinal and nutritional value. Terminalia catappa is an important underutilized fruit tree which has emerged as a good source for the treatment of various ailments and malnutrition. Thus, in the future a higher demand could be anticipated for various products from this tree.