Journal of the North for Basic and Applied Sciences (JNBAS), (2018/1440 H), Vol. (3), Issue (2), 131-147

KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA Northern Border University (NBU) Journal of the North for Basic & Applied Sciences (JNBAS) p- ISSN: 1658-7022 / e- ISSN: 1658-7014 www.nbu.edu.sa http://jnbas.nbu.edu.sa

Review Article

Sudanese Baobab ( digitata)

1* Nuha Mohammed Elhassan Satti

)Received 03/30/2018; accepted 12/23/2018)

Abstract: The baobab tree is widespread throughout the hot, drier regions of tropical , where it dominates the landscape and reveals the presence of a watercourse from afar. The baobab fruit is referred to as “The fruit of Africa’s Tree of Life” because it is one of the biggest trees in the continent and can store huge amounts of water and its trunk. Baobab leaves, bark, roots, pulp and seeds are used for multiple medicinal purposes, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antipyretic, anti-diarrhea, anti- dysentery. The baobab fruit is used as food or drinking juice; baobab pulp has a high nutritive value in terms of protein and carbohydrate contents and also contains minerals, such as calcium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, sodium, and it is a good source of vitamin C. This article aims to shed light on the baobab literature, particularly baobab from . Baobab trees are well known in Sudan by the local names of Gongulaze and Tabaldi.

Keywords: Baobab, Gongulaze, Tabaldi, Adansonia digitata, Nutritive value.

1658-7022© JNBAS. (1440 H/2018). Published by Northern Border University (NBU). All Rights Reserved.

*Corresponding Author:

(1) *Department of Biology, College of Arts and Sciences, Northern Border

University, Rafah 91911, P.O. Box 840, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

jnbas.nbu.edu.sa

DOI: 10.12816/0051342 e-mail: [email protected]* & [email protected]

131

يجهت انشًال نهعهٕو األساسٍت ٔانتطبٍقٍت (JNBAS)، )1114ْـ/1412و(، انًجهذ )3(، انعذد )2(، 111-131

المملكة العربية السعودية جامعة الحدود الشمالية (NBU) مجلة الشمال للعلوم األساسية والتطبيقية (JNBAS) طباعة ردمذ: 7022-1658 / إلكتروني ردمذ: 1658-7014 www.nbu.edu.sa http://jnbas.nbu.edu.sa

بحث مرجعي

أشجار الباوباب االستوائية بالسودان

نهى دمحم الحسن ساتي1*

(قذو نهُشز ف11ً/11/ 1439ْـ؛ ٔقبم نهُشز فً 10/02/ 1440ْـ(

ُمل َّخص ال ِّ ذراسة: أشجار انبأباب ًْ األكثز اَتشا ًرا فً جًٍع أَحاء انًُاطق انحارة ٔانجافت ألفزٌقٍا االستٕائٍت، حٍث تسٍطز عهى انًُاظز انطبٍعٍت. ٌٔطهق عهٍٓا "ثًار أفزٌقٍا ٔشجزة انحٍاة'، ألَٓا ٔاحذة يٍ أكبز األشجار فً ْذِ انًُاطق، ًٌٔكُٓا تخزٌٍ كًٍت كبٍزة يٍ انًٍاِ فً جذٔعٓا. كًا تستخذو أٔراقٓا ٔنحاؤْا ٔجذٔرْا ٔنبٓا ٔبذٔرْا فً أغزاض طبٍت يتعذدة، فًٓ تحٕي يضاداث أكسذة َٔشا ًطا شبٍٓاً بانًضاداث انحٌٍٕت ٔيضاداث انتٓابٍت ٔيسكُاث ٔخافط نهحزارة ٔيضاد نإلسٓال ٔيضاد نهذسُتارٌا. فٕاكّ انبأباب تستخذو كغذاء أٔ عصٍز يشزٔب، ٔنهبأباب قًٍت غذائٍت عانٍت يٍ حٍث انبزٔتٍٍ، ٔيحتٌٕاث انكزبٍْٕذراث، كًا أَٓا تحتٕي عهى انًعادٌ يثم انكانسٍٕو ٔانًغٍُسٍٕو ٔانبٕتاسٍٕو ٔانفٕسفٕر ٔانصٕدٌٕو ْٕٔ يصذر جٍذ نفٍتايٍٍ C. ٔ ٌٓذف ْذا انًقال إنى إنقاء انضٕء عهى األدبٍاث حٕل بأباب، خاصت يٍ انسٕداٌ. أشجار بأباب يعزٔفت جٍذا فً انسٕداٌ باألسًاء انًحهٍت )انقُقهٍز ٔانتبهذي(.

الكلمات المفتاحية: الباوباب، تبلدي، قنقليز، ادنوسينا، قيمة غذائية.

JNBAS ©1658-7022. )1114هـ/1412م(. نشر بواسطة جامعة الحدود الشمالية. جميع الحقوق محفوظة.

للمراسلة:

)1( *قســى االحٍـاء، كهٍــت اَداب ٔانعــهٕو، جـايعـت انـحـذٔد انشـًـانـٍت، رفـحـاء 91911، ص. ب. 040، انًًـهكت انعزبٍت انسعٕدٌت.

jnbas.nbu.edu.sa

e-mail: [email protected]* & [email protected] DOI: 10.12816/0051342

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Journal of the North for Basic and Applied Sciences, Vol. (3), Issue (2), Northern Border University, (2018/1404 H)

1. INTRODUCTION position of baobab fruits and illustrates with pho- tos of the tree and fruits. The main objective of Baobab is the common name (in English and the study is to provide a comprehensive and French) of a genus of Adansonia. Baobab (Adan- well-organized profiling information about a sonia digitata L.) trees belonging to the famous fruit regularly used worldwide and par- family (Baum, 1995). The baobabs ticularly in Sudan, i.e., the baobab, which is also are comprised of many species; the ninth species called Tabaldi and Gongulaze in Sudan. was described in 2012, and is found in the up- land populations of southern and eastern Africa 2. BAOBAB TREES (Pettigrew, Bell, Bhagwandin, Grinan, Jillan, Meyer, Wabuyele, & Vickers, 2012). The Baobab Baobab trees (Figure 1) are the largest in the trees are culturally and religiously important in world, having a diameter of up to 12 m and a many areas. The naturally hollow or excavated height of about 23 m or more (Wickens, 1982; trunks of these trees often serve as water reserves Chadare, Linnemann, Hounhouigan, Nout, & or temporary shelters and have even been used as Van Boekel, 2009). Several studies in different prisons, burial sites, and stables (Petruzzello, African countries have highlighted baobab as an 2018). The tribes believe that when the indigenous fruit tree and a species of priority for Gods became angry, they uprooted the tree and domestication (used as food and home building) threw it back into the ground upside-down (or beside various expanded uses (Gebauer, El- they threw it over the wall of Paradise onto the Siddig, & Ebert, 2002). earth below) but the tree landed upside down and Baobab is indigenous to the hot and dry regions continued to grow because baobabs were upright of the semi-arid and sub-humid zones of tropical and too proud, and they are still growing in the Africa (FAO, 2005). It is found in countries of Gods‟ garden, However, an Arabian legend has it western Africa (e.g. , and ), south- that “the devil plucked up the baobab, thrust its ern African countries, such as and South branches into the earth, and left its roots in the Africa, and also in eastern African countries (e.g. air”. The African Bushman legend states that Sudan, , , ) (Stapleton, Thora Evil spirits will cause bad luck to anyone 2015; Buchmann, Prehsler, Hartl, & Vogl, 2010). who picks up the sweet white flowers of the tree; Baobab fruit is wildly harvested; it is collect more specifically, a lion will kill them. The histo- from its natural environment. It is the only fruit ry of known references to African baobab is well in the world that dries naturally on the branch, documented (Baum, 1995; Wickens, 2008). baking in the sun for 6 months (Gebauer et al., This study covers the published literature on the 2002). baobab tree and fruits, concentrating on those Baobab is a traditional food plant and considered researches conducted in Sudan and Africa, orga- in African culture as a physically majestic tree nized in parts, beginning with an introduction, (Kamatou, Vermaak, & Viljoen, 2011). African then a part about the baobab tree, names, uses baobab is associated with the savannah, especial- and nutritional value, with special emphases on ly the drier parts of Africa, and occurs naturally Sudanese baobab. The study discusses the com- in traditional agroforestry systems (Wickens,

133 Nuha Mohammed Elhassan Satti: Sudanese Baobab (Adansonia Digitata): A Review

Figure 1: Tabaldi (Baobab) tree (Seeds for Africa, 2018).

1982). Baobab is little-known elsewhere outside (GRAS) by the U.S. Food and Drug Administra- Africa (National Research Council, 2006). tion in 2009 (Rdnld, 2018). Many populations of Africa use baobab as a Sudan is a country located in . In source of food, medicine and other uses,such as Sudan, different baobab populations are found in the use of the fibers. Most of baobab products Kordofanand parts of the Nuba Mountainsin (e.g. fruits, seeds, leaves, bark) contribute to the southern- west Sudan, comprsing Kordofan, Dar- livelihood of these populations (Wickens, 1982; fur, Blue Nile, Upper Nile and Bahr El Ghazal Sidibé & Williams, 2002; Chadare et al., 2009; (Gurashi, Kordofani, Abdelgadir, & Salih (2016). De Caluwé, Halamová, & Van Damme, 2010). Baobab is the third most abundant (16%) indige- They have traditionally been used as immuno- nous fruit tree species (Wiehle, Prinz, Kehlen- stimulants, anti-inflammatory agents; analgesics, beck, Goenster, Mohamed, Finkeldey, Buerkert, insect repellents and their pesticidal properties & Gebauer, 2015), and it is of particular im- have also been used in the treatment of diarrhea portance for local food and nutrition security of and dysentery and have been evaluated as a sub- the local communities. stitute for imported western drugs (El-Rawy, Gergis, Bazaid, & El-Mougy, 1997; Ramadan, 3. NAMES OF BAOBAB Harraz, & El-Mougy, 1994). Therefore, the Bao- bab is a multipurpose and majestic tree revered Baobab has several indigenous names depending in Africa for its medicinal and nutritional value, on geographical location, such as “Tree of life” with its fruits and leaves being the most im- “magic tree”, “chemist tree”, “symbol of the portant for food and nutrition security of local earth”, “upside-down tree”, and “monkey bread communities. of Africa” (Wickens, 1982; Diop, Saho, Dornier, In recent years, the European Commission has Cisse, & Reynes, 2005; Vermaak, Kamatou, considered the baobab fruit pulp as a novel food, Komane-Mofokeng, Viljoen, & Beckett, 2011; and permits its importation to Europe (Buch- Hills, 2008). Africa‟s wooden elephant (Gebauer mann et al., 2010; Addy, 2009). Baobab fruit et al., 2002). It is also known as “Dead-rat tree” was certified and generally recognized as safe (based on the appearance of the fruits), "Upside-

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down tree” (since its bare branches look like 4. BAOBAB USES AND NUTRITION- roots) and “Cream of tartar tree” (due to the acid- AL VALUE ic taste of its fruits) (Sidibé & Williams, 2002). The baobab has been referred to as “arbre a pala- The large egg-shaped fruit is covered bre”, meaning the place in the village where the with velvety hairs that can reach 12 cm (Wick- elders meet to resolve problems (Kamatou et al., ens, 1982). It is composed of an outer shell (epi- 2011). It has also been referred to as a small carp) (45%), fruit pulp (15%) and seeds (40%) pharmacy or chemist‟stree, as many authors have (Shukla, Dubey, Jainand, & Kumar, 2001). The reported that all parts of the baobab plant are woody epicarp or pod contains the internal fruit valuable (Gebauer et al., 2002; De Caluwé et al., pulp (endocarp) which is split in small floury, 2010). dehydrated and powdery slides that enclose mul- However, most scientists believe that the vernac- tiple seeds and filaments; the red fibres subdivide ular name "baobab" derived from the Arabic the pulp in segments (Nour, Magboul, & Kheiri, ,būħibāb), meaning “fruit 1980; Besco, Bracioli, Vertuani, Ziosi, Brazzo) بو ِحباب name buhibab with many seeds” (Diop et al., 2005) or "father Bruni, Sacchetti, & Manfredini, 2007), (Figure of many seeds" (Ajayi, Dawodi, & Oderinde, 3). 2003) (Figure 2). The common names of the Af- rican baobab in the United Arab Republic are: Buhibab, hamao-hamaraya and gangoleis (Sidibé & Williams, 2002). Rahul, Manish, Shishu, Rakesh, Anuradha, Ali- ya, Anup Kumar, & Sujeet (2015) mentioned different common names of baobab in different languages, and suggested that the scientific name "digitata" may refer to the digits of the hand.

Figure 3: Baobab fruit (De Caluwé et al., 2010).

Baobab fruits are wild edible fruits that hold great potential for improving human diets, espe- cially in agricultural societies of the developing world. The fruit pulp is of high nutritional value, especially regarding calcium and vitamin C, it has pre-biotic and antioxidant functions and high Figure 2: Baobab seeds (Ajayi et al., 2003). dietary fiber content (Gebauer et al., 2002).

135 Nuha Mohammed Elhassan Satti: Sudanese Baobab (Adansonia Digitata): A Review

Baobab is called “Fruit of Africa's Tree of Life” Kehlenbeck et al. (2015) reported that the natu- because its leaves, bark, roots, pulp and seeds are rally dry, whitish fruit pulp is high in sugars, vit- used for multiple medicinal purposes in many amin C and minerals, such as calcium, magnesi- parts of Africa and have been found to show in- um and iron. teresting medicinal properties including antioxi- De Caluwé et al. (2010) noted that Baobab dant, prebiotic-like activity, anti-inflammatory, leaves are superior in nutritional quality to fruit analgesic, antipyretic activity, anti-diarrhea, anti- pulp, and contain significant levels of vitamin A. dysentery activity. The world agro forestry website has reported that Baobab‟s green, prickly, velvet-like coating baobab is high in minerals, such as calcium, transforms into a smooth, brown, coconut-like magnesium and iron. shell. Inside its hard casing (usually a hammer is Previously published biochemical analyses re- used to crack it open), is the dry whitish pulp of veal that the leaves, seeds and pulp from baobab the fruit which contains no moisture whatsoever. are rich in nutrients with some variations be- It is simply harvested and sieved to produce a tween different baobab trees (Becker, 1983; 100% natural and organic powder that is excep- Glew, Vander, Lockett, Grivetti., Smith, Pas- tionally nutrient-rich, with an equally impressive tuszyn& Millson, 1997; Diop et al., 2005; range of benefits. Nkafamiya, Osemeahon, Dahiru, and Umaru, The pulp (powder) can be dissolved in water or 2007; Chadare et al., 2009; Sidibé & Williams, milk. The liquid is then used as a drink and sauce 2002; De Caluwé et al., 2010). for food, a fermenting agent in local brewing, or The fruit pulp contains a high amount of carbo- as a substitute for cream of tartar in baking. The hydrate, low protein, and extremely low fat, and pulp is either sucked or made into a drink and Baobab fruit pulp is a rich source of calcium has been found to be acidic. The seeds are re- (Osman, 2004). According to Murray, Schoenin- moved and ground into a powder that can be ger, Bunn, Pickering, & Marlett, 2001, Baobab added to food products, (Figure 4). fruit contains sugars but no starch and is rich in pectin. The simple sugars in baobab pulp account for about 35.6% of the total carbohydrate con- tent. The low water content, strong acidity and high sugar content was confirmed by Cisse, Sakho, Dornier, Diop, Reynes and Sock (2009). The pulp is acidic, due to the presence of the organic acids citric, tartaric, malic, succinic and ascorbic, with pH 3.3 (Nour et al., 1980). Bao- bab fruit pulp supplies a quantity of soluble (22.54% dry weight) and insoluble (22.04% dry weight) fibres (Manfredini, Vertuani, & Buzzoni,

2002). Figure 4: Fruit and seeds of Adansonia digitata In Sudan, the seed was found to contain 19% oil, (Rahul et al., 2015). and further studies in reported the pres-

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ence of betacarotene (Ibiyemi, Abiodun, & Recommended Daily Intake (RDI). Akanji, 1988). The levels of some nutritional Kamatou et al. (2011) stated the vitamin C con- constituents of baobab fruit pulp were presented tent in baobab is seven to ten times higher than in Table 1. the vitamin C content of oranges, i.e., 51 mg/100g (Manfredini et al., 2002; Täufel, Table 1: The levels of some nutritional constituents Ternes, Tunger, Zobel, Lebensmittel-lexikon, of baobab fruit pulp (mg/100 g) (Rahul et al., 2015; Aufl (1993). This compares to a vitamin C con- Manfredin et al., 2002). tent of 46 mg/100g in oranges, a well- Constituent Content (mg/100g) documented source of vitamin C (Vertuani, Ascorbic acid (vitamin C) 280.00-300.00 Braccioli, Buzzoni, & Manfredini, 2002). Calcium 293.00 The level of vitamin C contained in the fruit pulp Phosphorus 96.00-118.00 of Adansonia digitata ranges from 2.8 to 3 g/kg Carbohydrates 75.60 (Vertuani et al., 2002), and 337 mg/100 g of Soluble and insoluble 52.00 ascorbic acid (Diop, Franck, Grimm, and Has- dietary fibers Potassium 2.31 selmann, 1988; Eromosele, Eromosele, & Ku- Protein 2.30 zhkuzha, 1991; Gebauer et al., 2002). In , Lipids 0.27 the fruit pulp was found to have the highest ascorbic acid content out of twenty-two wild 5. VITAMIN C IN BAOBAB FRUIT fruit species (179 mg/100g) (Diop et al., 1988). In Nigeria, the concentration of baobab ascorbic One of the major interests in baobab products is acid was found to be 337.0 mg/100g and the fruit as a result of its ascorbic acid and dietary fiber is used as sweetener for many local foods and as content. The exact vitamin C content depends on a curding agent for milk (Ibiyemi et al., 1988). the individual tree. Sidibé, Scheuring, Tembely, However, the vitamin C content of the bulk fruit Sidibé, Hofman, & Frigg (1996) and Hills (2008) pulp varies from 1623mg/kg in one tree to reported that baobab contains more antioxidants 4991mg/kg in another (Sidibé et al., 1996). than any other whole fruit, and full of vitamin C. Carr (1955) reported that Baobab fruit pulp has 6. BAOBAB FRUIT ‘GONGLASE’ among the highest vitamin C or ascorbic acid AND DRINK IN SUDAN content found in any fruit. Sidibé & Williams (2002) recommended that baobab leaves should The vernacular names for the baobab tree in the be stored as whole leaves rather than ground leaf Sudan are: „Humar‟, „Homeira‟ and „Tebeldi‟. powder in order to preserve the high vitamin The fruits are most commonly named content. „Gonglase‟, while the trees are called „Tebeldi‟ Chadare et al. (2009) demonstrated that the con- (Gebauer et al., 2002). The powder of the fruit sumption of 40 g of baobab pulp provided 100% can be dissolved or soaked in water and used as a of the recommended daily intake of vitamin C in drink making Tabaldi juice. pregnant women (19–30 years), and 40gprovides The Sudan baobab fruit is described by Hankey from 84 percent to more than 100 percent of the (2004) as follows: fruit is large, egg-shaped cap-

137 Nuha Mohammed Elhassan Satti: Sudanese Baobab (Adansonia Digitata): A Review

sules. It is filled with pulp that dries, hardens, The Sudan Tabaldi fruits have a natural shelf-life and falls to pieces which look like chunks of of 3 years (Nour et al., 1980), so there are no powdery, dry bread (National Research Council, additives or preservatives added to them, just 2006). The seed are hard, black and kidney- 100% pure baobab fruit pulp powder. It also has shaped (Hankey, 2004) (Figure 5). The mean a delicious sweet and citrusy flavor - a bit like fruit length is in the range of 13.9–16.5 cm in healthy sherbet. It is a healthy and delicious reci- Sudan (Sanchez, De Smedt, Haq, & Samson, pe; the taste is nice and not overbearing. 2011) and from 15.7–22.2 and 12.9–17.6 cm in In Sudan, the baobab pulp is separated from the and Malawi, respectively (Munthali, Chir- pods and seeded manually. The most commonly wa, & Akinnifesi, 2012). used processing techniques is soaking in water. The fruit capsule is broken, the pulp is then sepa- rated from the seeds and the pulp is also eaten fresh. The dried pulp is scraped from baobab fruits and made into a solution. These processing techniques may rob a food item of some nutri- ents. On the other hand, processing may enhance food nutritional quality by reducing or destroy- ing the anti-nutrients present in it. The baobab drink is not kept for a long period because it may ferment or deteriorate. A study Figure 5: Seeds of the baobab tree, with and with- for the utilization of the Adansonia digitata fruit out fruit pulp (Rahul et al., 2015). pulp by the soft drink industry in Nigeria showed fast deterioration of the fruit pulp even when Ventricose, crescent-shaped, globose and fusi- exposed to a limited supply of humid air. This form fruit types were identified (Figure 6). The occurred even when each pulp was kept intact in fruit shape varied between trees but was con- the pod (Ibiyemi et al., 1988). Whole fruits or sistent within each individual tree. The percent- just the fruit pulp can be stored for months under age of fruit pulp varied between the different dry conditions. The pulp powder is extracted and fruit types with 14, 15, 18, and 21 % recorded for stored in polyethylene bags which protect it ventricose, fusiform, crescent-shaped and glo- against ambient moisture (Sidibé et al., 1996). bose fruits, respectively. The fruit pulp drinks are used in rural areas and The fruits are capsules, ellipsoid, avoid or globor have recentlybecome a popular ingredient in ice 15.2 cm long, 4.5-8 cm in diameter, numerous products in urban areas (Sidibé et al., 1996). yellowish-brown seeds are embedded in a dry Adansonia digitata fruit pulp is processed locally acid edible pulp. The edible fruit pulp is enclosed to obtain sweets (Ibiyemiet al., 1988). Sudanese in a woody fruit capsule which is oblong and children suck these instead of unhealthy sweets slender with different sizes 12-27cm long, 4.6 - and love them, as do adults; they like to eat 10.5 cm in diameter. The seeds are hard, black, Tabaldi paste; they add a small amount of water and kidney-shaped (Hankey, 2004). to a bulk of Tabaldi powder forming a thick

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Figure 6: Diversity in fruit shape of Adansonia digitata L. (Omer, 2002). soft paste, then eat it either with their fingers or potassium calcium, sodium, phosphorus and spoon or even suck it from a plastic bag; they magnesium) and vitamin C in variable propor- drink it during break-time in primary school. tions. Although it tastes slightly acidic, the Tabaldi Biochemical studies have shown that the baobab drink rarely causes an acidic stomach feeling. It fruit pulp contains 2.6% protein, 0.2% fat, 2.61% has a somewhat acidic flavor, described as fructose, 2.9% glucose, 12.8% sucrose. Previous 'somewhere between grapefruit, pear, and vanilla' studies on the chemical composition of baobab (Lange, 2010). Baobab (Gongulaze) drink is full showed higher results in total sugars and similar of goodness. protein and fat contents (Abdel Galil, 1996). 7. SUDANESE BAOBAB FRUIT A study done in Sudan by Abdel Galil (1996) POWDER COMPOSITION showed that baobab is a nutritious solution, con- taining the four groups of nutrients: energy- Gurashi et al. (2016) reported a relation between yielding protein 2.6%, fat 0.2%, fructose 2.6%, fruit pulp and fruit shape, type and location in glucose 2.9%, and sucrose 12.81. The electrolyte Sudan. Their results showed that dry matter and inorganic content of baobab showed it to be (86.5±0.7), crude protein (10.44±0.15), fat con- a rich source of К (450 ppm), Ca (670 ppm), Fe tent (1.70±0.14) and carbohydrate (62.58±0.17) (53 ppm), Mn (57 ppm), Se (10 ppm), and Zn were found to be the lowest with the spheroid (10 ppm). Unusually high contents of the trace emarginated fruit shape (The Diversity in fruit elements Ti (865 ppm) and Cr (297 ppm) were shape shown in Figure 5). The study revealed observed. The vitamins studied were ascorbic that there were slight differences (P≤ 0.05) in acid (335 mg/l00g), free nicotinic acid (50 baobab pulp minerals related to fruit shape (as mg/l00g) and vitamin B^ (10 mg/l00g). The fiber

139 Nuha Mohammed Elhassan Satti: Sudanese Baobab (Adansonia Digitata): A Review

content of the baobab was pectin 56% and crude acute diarrhea. Although, results obtained in the fiber 5.7% (Omer, 2002). study revealed that the WHO solution was found to be superior to the baobab mixture, there was 8. MEDICINAL USE OF BAOBAB no statistical difference between the two solu- tions in terms of duration of diarrhea and weight A survey conducted in two villages in Sudan re- gain. Gruenwald & Galizia (2005) have suggest- vealed that homemade fluids including rice wa- ed that baobab may also play a role in the effects ter, custard, pap and Tabaldi juice were used by against diarrhea. 45% of the mothers (Ahmed, Karrer, & Gibril, The results of our pilot survey indicated that 1994). Baobab solution has been used by the more than 50% of the capital cities of Sudan had Sudanese for management of diarrhea and dysen- used Baobab drink (as juices) (particularly in tery. However, few studies have been carried out Ramadan – the Muslim month of fasting), most to evaluate it as a remedy for diarrheal diseases of them (about 70%) using it on a daily basis. when compared with the standard formulation Also, they use baobab in the treatment of diar- (WHO/ORS). A study conducted in Sudan by rhea, dysentery and blood vessel diseases. The Abdel Galil (1996) compared the anti- diarrheal fact is that many Sudanese people use Baobab as activity of Tabaldi with that of World Health Or- a nutritional refreshing drink rather than for ther- ganization (WHO) dehydration solutions apeutic or medicinal purposes. (WHO/ORS). The study found that the baobab Rahul et al. (2015) catalogs the traditional me- solution provided a distinct home management dicinal uses of Adansonia digitata in different of diarrhea to the extent that it exceeded the types of aliments, with data collected from many WHO/ORS standard. The study concluded that references (Kamatou et al., 2011). The study the use of baobab solutions for home manage- claimed that Baobab leaves can be used for the ment of childhood diarrhea suggested a new rela- treatment of diarrhea, fever, inflammation, kid- tionship between traditional medicine and public ney and bladder diseases, blood clearing, asthma, health. and malaria. Baobab seeds mixed with water can Baobab solution is an effective early home man- be used for the treatment of fever and diarrhea agement for diarrhea. At this stage there is no (Watt & Breyer-Brandwijk, 1962). Baobab Fruits need for a base, such as is added in Oral Rehy- used for treatment of microbial diseases (Jumelle dration Salts (ORS) to correct acidosis. The acid- and Perrier, 1909). Baobab powdered seeds can ic nature of the baobab pulp is due mainly to its also be used for the treatment of Coughs (Watt & high content of acids, particularly ascorbic acid Breyer-Brandwijk, 1962). (337 mg/l00g) (Abdel Galil, 1996). The study is Abiona, Adedapo, & Suleiman (2015) studied in accordance with the one carried out by Tal- the antibacterial activity of the baobab aqueous Dia, Toure, Sarr, Sarr, Cisse, Garnier, & Wone extract and showed that as the concentration of (1997), in which the efficacy of a traditional lo- baobab extract increases, the zone of inhibition cal solution made up of dried baobab fruit with increases and vice versa. Also, the inhibitory water and sugar was compared to the WHO effect was more pronounced on Staphylococcus standard solution used to treat children with aureus and less in pseudomonas aeruginosa and

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saimonelletyphi. without any processing. They dissolve about 2 -3 teaspoons of powder into a cup of water, adding 9. DISCUSSION about 2 teaspoons of table-sugar, and drink as a cold delicious juice. The drink is very refreshing, Adansonia digitata L., which is known as Bao- delicious, and full of health with a tropical lem- bab, is a unique tree that produces unique fruits. onade flavor. The drink can be described as a The different plant parts are widely used as food, milky solution. medicine and the bark fibers are also used Comprehensive reports on a baobab nutritional (Sidibé & Williams, 2002). The tree has a large profile (e.g. vitamin, fatty acid, mineral) justifies stem of many meters in diameter. Although some reasons for calling it a “super fruit”. It is a majes- differences in the shape of the tree exist between tic tree of multipurpose. But actually most of the countries, such as Senegal, , , Sudanese people use Baobab as a nutritional re- Sudan and outside Africa, such as , all freshing drink rather than for therapeutic or me- these trees have the common characteristics of a dicinal purposes, particularly in Ramadan – the wide stem and the ability to produce the same Muslim month of fasting. fruits. Although the use of various methods highlights Baobab trees in Sudan are located in Kordofan variations in the content of baobab constituents, region (western Sudan), which is rich with many the major trend is that baobab fruit pulp is rich in similar cultivates, such as Gum Arabic and Hi- vitamin C and the anti-oxidant capacity of the biscus and many others. Many studies mentioned fruit pulp is greater than that of other common African countries as producers of Baobab, but fruits known for their high anti-oxidant activity. few mentioned Sudan as one of them, in spite of There is no doubt that baobab pulp is a valuable the large production of Baobab in Sudan. This source of vitamin C, baobab contains about 5-7 neglect may be due to the local consumption of times as much vitamin C as an orange. Improv- this product, and the weak exporting efforts to ing baobab handling quality and storage stability European countries. by using adequate methods might promote a bet- The baobab tree has been described in the litera- ter organization of the food chain in Sudan. ture by many common names. The most com- However, the impact of processing on the nutri- monly used names of baobab in Sudan are tional value of the end product needs to be inves- "Tabaldi" for the tree and “Gongulaze” for the tigated. The literature review has revealed a great fruit and its juice. That drink (pulp beverage), variation in reported values of nutrient contents which has a citrus flavor, is obtained by soaking of baobab parts. According to Chadare et al. the fruit pulp in water. Preparing Baobab fruit (2009), the causes of these variations are not well powder is simple; it can be accomplished just by known, however the study made several assump- removing the seeds from the pulp and grinding tions. them into a fine powder. No heat is necessary; Sudanese baobab drink gives a nice feeling when so, it is a very natural process that retains the drunk after a long period of thirst; it stimulates flavor and nutrients. the secretion of salivary glands in the mouth. Sudanese people use the powder in its raw state This stimulation may indicate the presence of

141 Nuha Mohammed Elhassan Satti: Sudanese Baobab (Adansonia Digitata): A Review

more health enhancing effects concerning stimu- Some researchers consider baobab as one of the lation of other secretions in the body-- this needs wild fruits help solve Africa‟s malnutrition crisis; more investigation. they use the sentence: "A bit of baobab a day The most medicinal traditional utilization of ba- keeps the doctor away". The fruits of the giant obab in Sudan is for treating diarrhea and dysen- baobab tree have up to 20 times the Vitamin C of tery, particularly in children. This fact was ob- mangoes and 30 times the calcium (Ouya, 2012). tained from a survey done on Sudanese families Most of the literature this study reviewed dis- and from scientific published researches (though cussed either the unique nature of the baobab tree they are few). This fact is in accordance with or its multipurpose usage. The most frequently what stated by Kamatou et al. (2011) that the cited reference is Sidibé & Williams (2002), usage of baobab as a treatment of diarrhea and which this study also used as a main reference dysentery in many African countries may be due and source of data about baobab. Further re- to its immuno-stimulating, anti-inflammatory, search is needed as there is really not enough analgesic, insect repelling and pesticidal proper- evidence at this stage to make any definitive ties. In several African countries, baobab has health claims. been evaluated as a substitute for imported west- Constraints on the full use of baobab‟s economic ern drugs (El-Rawy et al., 1997; Ramadan et al., potential have been mentioned as: limited availa- 1994). Some Sudanese studies indicate that for bility of planting material (fruits are mainly har- diarrhea treatment baobab drink can substitute vested from natural stands), lack of knowledge the WHO dehydration solutions. on management techniques, poor fruit processing technologies and the lack of well-organized mar- 9.1 Final Notes ket chains (Wickens, 2008). Value chains and marketing pathways are poorly developed and Some traditional information about baobab "ex- the species is largely neglected by research, de- ceeded the limits" by saying that the various velopment and extension institutions. parts of the baobab tree (leaves, bark, and seeds) Because: Sub-Saharan African countries are at are used to treat almost any disease. Specific the tail-end of fruit consumption rates in the documented uses include the treatment of malar- world: no region meets the World Health Organi- ia, tuberculosis, fever, microbial infections, diar- zation's recommended daily intake of 200 grams rhea, anemia, dysentery, toothache, etc. (Watt & per person. East Africa has the lowest intake, at Breyer-Brandwijk, 1962; Van Wyk & Gericke, 36 grams of fruit per day (Ouya, 2012); there- 2000; Nguta, Mbaria, Gakuya, Gathumbi, & fore: in Sudan there is a need for baobab fruits, Kiama, 2010). The leaves and fruit pulp of bao- the soft, pale, powdery pulp, which is extremely bab are used as febrifuge as well as an immune nutritious, containing high levels of vitamin C, stimulant. The various parts of the tree (leaves, calcium, vitamin B complex, magnesium, iron, bark and seeds) are also used as a panacea to phosphorus and complex carbohydrates, compo- treat almost any disease. The fruit of the baobab nents from which baobab fruits earned the repu- is the most important foodstuff and probably the tation as a "super fruit". It is recommended to most useful in all (, 2017). improve processing technologies for maintaining

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the high nutrient content of the baobab fruit pulp. rhea in Sudanese children. Unpublished Ph. D. the- However, Sudanese "Gongulaze powder" has not sis. Khartoum, Sudan: University of Khartoum. been studied extensively. Only a few authors Abiona, D. L., Adedapo, Z., & Suleiman, M. K. (2015). have presented a (general) literature review and Proximate analysis, phytochemical screening and only a few of these concerns to the nutritional antimicrobial activity of baobab (Adansonia digi- and medicinal value of baobab products exclu- tata) leaves. IOSR Journal of Applied Chemistry, sively. 8(5), 60-65. doi: 10.9790/5736-08516065. Many studies in the literature have recommended Addy, R. (2009). Baobab fruit approved as food ingredi- further studies on baobab. This study agrees with ent in US. Retrieved from those authors who have mentioned that there is https://www.confectionerynews.com/Article/2009/0 great potential for this indigenous wild fruit tree 9/11/Baobab-fruit-approved-as-food-ingredient-in- of Africa in regional and even world markets US. (Buwalda, Otsyina, Filson, & Machadon, 1997). Ahmed, I. S., Karrar, Z. A., & Gebreil, A. R. (1994). Sudan is one of these countries. This study hopes Knowledge, attitudes and practices of mothers re- that it will encourage and stimulate Sudanese and garding diarrhea among children in Sudanese rural other researches towards a better understanding, community. East African Medical Journal, 71(11), utilization and better efforts concerning Adanso- 716-719. PMID: 7859655. nia Digitate, particularly the Sudanese "Gongu- Ajayi, I. A., Dawodi, F.A., & Oderinde, R. A. (2003). laze powder". Further studies are needed to sup- Fatty acid composition and metal content of Adan- port any health claims. sonia digitata seeds and seed oil (in Italian). La Ri- vista Italianadelle Sostanze Grasse, 80, 41-43. 10. CONCLUSION Baum, D. A. (1995). A systematic revision of Adansonia (Bombacaceae). Annals of the Missouri Botanical

The Baobab tree is a unique tree regarding its Garden, 82(3), 440-470. doi: 10.2307/2399893. size, shape, and uses. Baobab fruit is a good nu- Becker, B. (1983). The contribution of wild to tritional and medicinal material as a valuable human nutrition in the Ferlo (Northern Senegal). source of vitamin C, containing about 5-7 times Agroforestry Systems, 1(3), 257-267. doi: more vitamin C as an orange. There are great 10.1007/BF00130611. variations in the values of nutrient contents of Besco, E., Bracioli, E., Vertuani, S., Ziosi, P., Brazzo, F., baobab parts, but the causes of these variations Bruni, R., Sacchetti, G., & Manfredini, S. (2007). are not well known; however, several assump- The use of photo chemiluminescence for the meas- tions have been made. The Sudanese utilize bao- urement of the integral antioxidant capacity of Bao- bab fruits and powder in their natural state as a bab products. Food Chemistry, 102(4), 1352-1356. cold drink called Tabaldi or Gongulaze. doi: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2006.05.067 . Buchmann, C., Prehsler, S., Hartl, A., & Vogl, C. R. (2010). The importance of baobab (Adansonia digi- REFERENCES tata L.) in rural West African subsistence-- Abdel Galil. N. E. (1996). Evaluation of Baobab suggestion of a cautionary approach to international (Gonglase) solution for home management of diar- market export of baobab fruits. Ecology of Food

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