Vangueria madagascariensis, commonly known as Spanish tamarind, Indian tamarind, vanga or voa vanga, is a flowering plant of the Rubiaceae family native to the African continent and has an edible fruit. It is the type species of the genus Vangueria and was described in 1791 by Johann Friedrich Gmelin.
The round fruit has large orange fruits that are edible and commonly consumed locally.
They have an autotrophic growth form. They have simple, broad leaves. Individuals can grow up to 4.7m.
native distribution
The round fruit is native to Angola, Benin, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Nigeria, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania and Uganda.
use
The fruit is used as a herbal remedy for diabetes, gastrointestinal problems, malaria, pain, parasites and skin diseases. Phytochemical compounds identified from this species include alcohols, aldehydes, esters, furans, ketones, and terpenoids.
Pharmacological studies have shown that truncatula extract has antibacterial, anticonvulsant, antidiabetic, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, cytotoxic, antimalarial and antiplasmodial properties.
