Anacardium occidentale

Scientific name: Anacardium occidentale L.

Botanical family: ANACARDIACEAE

Vernacular names

(In territories with significant traditional TRAMIL use)

Panama:

marañón
po'm kajou

Other vernacular names

French Guiana:

Cajou
Mihitui

Haiti:

Fèy ponm
Pom kalou
Ponm rouj
Pònm rouj
Ponm rouj (ou nwa)

Panama:

Marañon

Cuba:

Marañon

Geographical distribution

Native of tropical America, cultivated in the tropics.

Botanical description

Tree up to 10 m tall. Petiolate, coriaceous, oblong-elliptic to rounded-elliptic leaves, rounded at the apex, acute or obtuse at the base. Flowers in terminal panicles, linear-lanceolate purple petals. Reniform, grey nut on a large, thick, somewhat spongy, juicy, red or yellow hypocarp.

Voucher(s)

FLORPAN,1870,PMA

diarrhoea

ripe fruit (thickened peduncle), fresh juice, orally¹
new leaf (young), decoction, orally²

The fruit of Anacardium occidentale is a food of relatively widespread human consumption.

For diarrhoea:
Crush the pulp of several flower peduncles (or false fruit) in a mortar until half a cup is obtained. Take 1 tablespoon after each diarrhoeal episode in adults, 1⁄2 tablespoon in children over 3 years and 1⁄2 teaspoon in children under 3 years.

Prepare a decoction with 30 grams of leaves in 4 cups (1 litre) of water, boil for 10 minutes in an open vessel. Leave to cool, strain (filter) and drink 1 cup after each meal and each liquid defaecation.

Preparations must never be stored for more than 24 hours, even if refrigerated.

According to the information available:

The use for diarrhoea is classified as REC based on the significant traditional use documented in the TRAMIL surveys and the toxicity studies.

The use of this resource in cases of diarrhoea should be considered complementary to oral rehydration therapy. If deterioration is observed in the patient (dehydration with dry tongue, decreased skin turgor, oliguria or crying without tears...), seek immediate medical attention.

Do not exceed the indicated dose due to danger of intoxication.

Not for use during pregnancy of breastfeeding.

TRAMIL Work²⁰
The freeze-dried aqueous extract (decoction) of fresh new leaves orally (5 g/kg) for 5 consecutive days in male Swiss mice with an average weight of 18.78 ± 0.26 g caused a mortality of 30% of the treated animals and toxic effects (decrease in alarm reaction, motor activity and straightening reflex, dehydration, piloerection, less body weight gain) that were not statistically significant. The surviving animals recovered after administration of the extract was discontinued. The other parameters evaluated were not modified, and the macroscopic autopsy did not show any internal alterations.

TRAMIL Work²¹
The freeze-dried aqueous extract (decoction) of fresh new leaf (3 g/ kg/2 days) orally in Swiss mice (5 males 18.94 ± 0.81 g and 5 females 18.62 ± 0.85 g) did not cause mortality, but there were toxic effects in 20% of the treated animals (decrease of the alarm reaction and of motor activity). The animals recovered after administration of the extract was discontinued. There was also less body weight gain, which was not statistically significant. The other parameters evaluated were not modified, and the macroscopic autopsy did not show any internal alterations.

Fresh and processed fruit juice (cajuína) in mutagenicity tests, directly or incubated with rat liver S9 fraction, on Salmonella tiphymurium strains TA97a, TA98 and TA100 showed a mutagenic effect. With the TA102 strain, an antimutagenic effect was shown on mutagenesis induced by oxidative damage³.

Cardol (pericarp oil) is caustic and blistering²².

There is no information available documenting the safety of medicinal use in children, during pregnancy or breastfeeding.

The fruit juice, fresh or processed (cashew) contains high concentrations of vitamin C, various carotenoids and phenolic compounds³.

The pulp of the fruit (thickened stem) contains benzenoids: acetophenone, benzaldehyde, phenylacetaldehyde, toluene, m- xylene, ρ-xylene, ο-xylene; monoterpenes: limonene, α- phellandrene, α-terpinene; sesquiterpenes: caryophyllene, α- selinene, gallic acid, protocatechuic acid⁴ , salicylic acid and derivatives^5-6 ; oxygenated heterocycles: furfural⁷ ; vitamins: ascorbic acid⁸.

The leaf contains essential oil⁹; flavonoids: kaempferol and derivatives, quercetin and derivatives, apigenin, myricetin, robustaflavone¹⁰; benzenoids: caryophyllene, α-selinene; oxygen heterocycles: furfural, β-sitosterol, stigmasterol, stearic acid, gadoleic acid⁷.

Phytochemical screening of the ether extract of the leaf did not show the presence of alkaloids. Coumarins and quinones were detected in the ethanolic and aqueous extract, respectively. Anthocyanidins, triterpenes and steroids and tannins were observed in the ethanolic extract. Flavonoids and saponins were detected in the aqueous and ethanolic extracts¹¹.

Proximal analysis of the leaf indicated the presence of potassium and traces of manganese¹¹.

TRAMIL Work¹²
The juice of the fruit in vitro against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli (1000 μg/ml) showed no antimicrobial activity.

TRAMIL Work¹³
The freeze-dried aqueous extract (decoction) from fresh new leaves (1 g/kg) was administered orally in a single dose to 10 Swiss mice (5 males 16.50 ± 0.33 g and 5 females 16.34 ± 0.48 g) fasting for 6 hours; the control group with the same characteristics of the treatment, received distilled water (0.3 ml/20 g of weight). Activated carbon was used as a marker of transit speed and measurement was made 1 hour after
administration of the extract, and did not statistically significantly
modify intestinal transit.

The fruit juice, fresh and processed (cajuína), showed an antibacterial, antitumour and antioxidant effect in vitro³.

The aqueous extract (infusion 8 g/100 ml) from dried leaves (4 μg/ml) inhibited the diarrhoea-causing simian rotavirus (SA11) in vitro by 82.2%, but did not demonstrate activity against the human rotavirus (HCR3)¹⁴.

Anacardic acid is attributed with antibacterial and antipyretic¹⁵, antimicrobial¹⁶, cytotoxic¹⁷, molluscicidal^17-18and tyrosinase inhibiting qualities¹⁹.

Pharmacopoeia

Ed.3

References

1 SOLIS P, CORREA M, GUPTA M, 1995
Encuesta TRAMIL (Comunidades afro-caribeñas). Centro de Investigaciones Farmacognósticas de la Flora Panameña CIFLORPAN, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Panamá, Panamá, Panamá.

2 A SOLIS PN, ESPINOSA A, DE GRACIA J, MARTÍNEZ L, GUPTA MP, 2003
Encuesta TRAMIL-GEF Ngöbe-Buglé. Centro de Investigaciones Farmacognósticas de la Flora Panameña CIFLORPAN, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Panamá, Panamá.

3 MELO CAVALCANTE AA, RUBENSAM G, PICADA JN, GOMES DA SILVA E, FONSECA MOREIRA JC, HENRIQUES JA, 2003
Mutagenicity, antioxidant potential, and antimutagenic activity against hydrogen peroxide of cashew (Anacardium occidentale) apple juice and cajuina. Environ Mol Mutagen 41(5):360-369.

4 SATYNARAYANA D, MYTHIRAYEE C, KRISHNAMURTY V, MADHAVAKRISHNA W, 1978
Studies on the polyphenols of cashew apple (Anacardium occidentale). Leather Sci (Madras) 25:51-54.

5 KUBO J, LEE JR, KUBO I, 1999
Anti-Helicobacter pylori agents from the cashew apple. J Agr Food Chem 47(2):533-537.

6 KUBO I, OCHI M, VIERA PC, KOMATSU S, 1993
Antitumor agents from the cashew (Anarcadium occidentale) apple juice. J Agr Food Chem 41(6):1012 1015.

7 MAC LEOD AJ, DE TROCONIS NG, 1982
Volatile flavour components of cashew apple (Anacardium occidentale). Phytochemistry 21(10):2527-2530.

8 PRICE RL, HOLANDA LF, MOURA FE, MAIA GA, MARTIN CB, 1975
Constituents of Brazilian cashew apple juice. Cienc Agron 5(1):61.

9 GARG SC, KASERA HL, 1984
Antibacterial activity of the essential oil of Anacardium occidentale. Indian Perfum 28(2):95-97.

10 ARYA R, BABU V, ILYAS M, NASIM KT, 1989
Phytochemical examination of the leaves of Anarcadium occidentale. J Indian Chem Soc 66(1):67-68.

11 MARTINEZ Y, MARTINEZ O, ESCALONA A, SOTO F, VALDIVIE M, 2012
Composición química y tamizaje fitoquímico del polvo de hojas y retoños del Anacardium occidentale L. (marañón). Revista Cubana de Plantas Medicinales. 17(1)1-10.

12 SOLIS PN, RODRIGUEZ N, ESPINOSA A, GUPTA MP, 2004
Estudio antimicrobiano de algunas plantas TRAMIL con usos en Martinica. Informe TRAMIL. Centro de Investigaciones Farmacognósticas de la Flora Panameña CIFLORPAN, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Panamá, Panamá, Panamá.

13 GARCIA-GONZÁLEZ M, BARBOZA CJ, 2005
Velocidad del tránsito intestinal en ratones, del extracto acuoso de hojas nuevas frescas de Anacardium occidentale. Informe TRAMIL. PRONAPLAMED. Depto de Fisiología, Escuela de Medicina, Universidad de Costa Rica, San Pedro, Costa Rica.

14 GONCALVES JL, LOPES RC, OLIVEIRA DB, COSTA SS, MIRANDA MM, ROMANOS MT, SANTOS NS, WIGG MD, 2005
In vitro anti-rotavirus activity of some medicinal plants used in Brazil against diarrhea. J Ethnopharmacol 99(3):403-407.
15 EICHBAUM FW, 1949
Biological properties of anacardic acid O-penta-decadienyl-salicylic acid and related compounds. Memorias do Instituto Butantá 19:119-133.
16 LAURENS A, MBOUP S, GIONO-BARBER P, SYLLA O, DAVID-PRINCE LM,1982
Study of antimicrobial activity of Anacardium occidentale L Ann Pharm Fr 40(2):143-146.

17 DE SOUZA CP, 1992
The use of the shell of the cashew nut, of Anacardium occidentale, as an alternative molluscicide. Rev Inst Med Trop Sao Paulo, Brazil 34(5):459-466.

18 TYMAN JH, KIONG LS, 1978
Long chain phenol: part XI; Composition of natural cashew nut-shell liquid (Anacardium occidentale) from various sources. Lipids 13:525-532.
19 KUBO I, KINST-HORI I, YOKOKAWA Y, 1994
Tyrosinase inhibitors from Anacardium occidentale fruits. J Nat Prod 57(4):545-551.

20 GARCIA-GONZÁLEZ M, BARBOZA CJ, 2005
Toxicidad aguda (5000 mg/kg) dosis repetida, en ratones, del extracto acuoso de hojas nuevas frescas de Anacardium occidentale. Informe TRAMIL. PRONAPLAMED. Depto de Fisiología, Escuela de Medicina, Universidad de Costa Rica, San Pedro, Costa Rica.

21 GARCIA-GONZALEZ M, BARBOZA CJ, 2005
Toxicidad aguda (3000 mg/kg) dosis repetida, en ratones, del extracto acuoso de hojas nuevas frescas de Anacardium occidentale. Informe TRAMIL. PRONAPLAMED. Depto de Fisiología, Escuela de Medicina, Universidad de Costa Rica, San Pedro, Costa Rica.

22 LIOGIER HA, 1990
Plantas medicinales de Puerto Rico y del Caribe. San Juan, Puerto Rico: Iberoamericana de Ediciones. p201.

Disclaimer

The information provided is for educational purposes only for the benefit of the general public and health professionals. It is not intended to take the place of either the written law or regulations. Since some parts of plants could be toxic, might induce side effects, or might have interactions with certain drugs, anyone intending to use them or their products must first consult with a physician or another qualified health care professional. TRAMIL has no responsibility whatsoever towards the user for any decision, action or omission made in relation to the information contained in this Pharmacopoeia.

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Anacardium occidentale

Vernacular names

Panama:

French Guiana:

Haiti:

Panama:

Cuba:

Geographical distribution

Botanical description

Voucher(s)

Pharmacopoeia

References

Disclaimer