Vilaampazham ( Wood apple )

Posted September 4,By muthukumar, Wood Apple a woody fruit of a medium sized tree, Aegle marmelos of family Rutaceae. The pinnate leaves bear spine at the base. The flowers are reddish; bark thick, comparatively soft and brownish. The fruit is fairly large, globular with diameter 5-16 cm having woody rind. Ripe fruits have soft, fleshy, yellowish edible pulp with numerous seeds embedded within the pulp. Medicinal Properties The ripe fruit is rich in beta-carotene, a precursor of Vitamin A; it also contains significant quantities of the B vitamins thiamine and riboflavin, and small amounts of Vitamin C. Uses 1. This fruit is more popular as medicine than as food. 2. It is much used in India as a liver and cardiac tonic. 3. when unripe, it is used as an astringent means of halting diarrhea and dysentery. 4. It is an effective treatment for hiccough, sore throat and diseases of the gums. 5. It's leaf juice mixed with honey is a folk remedy for fever. 6. Leaves, bark, roots and fruit pulp are all used against snakebite. 7. The root juice was once popular as a remedy for snakebites. 8. The pulp is poulticed onto bites and stings of venomous insects, as is the powdered rind. 9. The leaf decoction is given to children as an aid to digestion. 10. It is also useful in preventing cancer of the breast and uterus .