Scientific names Common names

Cordia dichotoma Forst. f. Anonang (Ibn., Ilk., Tag., Bik., Bis.)

Cordia obliqua Willd. Anonang- bakir (Ilk.)
Cordia mixa C. B. Clarke Anong (Tag.)
Cordia sebastena Blanco Anono (Tag.)
Cordia blancoi Vidal Anonung (Tag.)
Cordia leschenaultii DC Anunong (If.)
Cordia blancoi Vidal var, mollis Merr. Bibili (Bis.)
Varronia sinensis Loureiro Guma (Sul.)
Er qi po bu mu (Chin.) Nunang (Sul.)
Saloyong (Tag.)
Sinaligan (Ilk.)
Fragrant manjack (Engl.)
Glue berry (Engl.)
Indian cherry (Engl.)
Lasora (Engl.)
Sebestan plum (Engl.)
Soap berry (Engl.)
Po bu zi (Chin.)

Other vernacular names

CHINESE: Feng zheng zi
FRENCH: Capestan.
INDONESIA: Kendal, nunang, toteolo.
LAOS: 'man.
MALAYSIA: Sekendal, sekendai, petekat.
MARATHI: Bhokar.
MYANMAR: Thanat.
PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Cordia.
THAILAND: Phak mong, man muu, man dong.
VIETNAM: L[as] b[aj]c, l[as] tr [aws]ng, ti[ee]n d[aaf]u th[oos]ng.
Soap berry or Anonang is a tree growing to a height of 5 to 10 meters, deciduous and smooth or nearly
so. Leaves are alternate, ovate to oblong-ovate or elliptic-ovate, 6 to 15 centimeters long, with entire or
somewhat undulate margins, with a pointed tip and rounded or heart-shaped base. Flowers are
stalkless, white or yellowish-white, about 7 millimeters long and borne in lax inflorescences 5 to 10
centimeters long. The calyx is ovoid. Corolla tube is no longer than the calyx, with spreading and
reflexed lobes. Throat of the corolla and stamens are hairy. Fruit is a drupe, yellowish white or
pinkish, ovoid, 10 to 13 millimeters long with a rather scanty pulp and a hard stone. The persistent
calyx in the fruit is broadly funnel-shaped, enlarged and about 8 millimeters in diameter.

Distribution

- Found in most islands and provinces, usually common in secondary forests and thickets, at low and
medium altitudes.

- Also occurs in Philippines, India to southern China and Taiwan, and through Malaya to tropical
Australia and Polynesia.

Chemical Constituents of Soap berry

- Bark contains a large amount of tannic acid.

- Fruit yields saponins, amino acids, flavonoids, sugar, gum, proteins, palmitic, stearic, linoleic acids,
oleic, arachidic, behenic acids.

- Bark contains a principle similar to "cathartin."

- Phytochemical screening of leaves and fruits yielded pyrrolizidine alkaloids, coumarins, flavonoids,
saponins, terpenes, and sterols.
- Fruit pulp extract yielded flavonoid, alkaloid, glycosides.

Medicinal Properties of Soap berry

- Bark considered astringent and tonic.

- Fruit considered demulcent, expectorant, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, diuretic,

aphrodisiac and anthelmintic.

Parts used

Leaves, fruit, seeds, bark.

Uses
Edibility of Soap berry

- In India, the translucent pulp of the fruit is sweet and edible; sometimes, pickled.

- In Pakistan, ripe fruit eaten raw, green, eaten as vegetable.

Folkloric traditional benefits and uses of Soap berry

- The bark is moistened an applied to boils and tumors to hasten ripening.

- Also used for headaches and stomachaches.

- Bark is used as antidyspeptic and as febrifuge.

- Powdered bark used for mouth ulcers.

- Infusion of bark used as gargle.

- The bark juice, mixed with coconut milk, is used to relieve colicky pains.

- In Java and Bengal, the bark is used as a tonic.

- In Java, the bark is used for dysentery; and with pomegranate rind, used for fevers.

- The bark are rubbed on the teeth to strengthen them.

- Leaves used for ulcers and headaches.

- The highly mucilaginous fruit is used for coughs and ailments of the chest, uterus and urethra. In
large quantities, used as a laxative.

- In India traditionally used for ulcerative colitis, ulcers, and colic pain.

- In Bengal, fresh fruit is used as laxative and pectoral.

- In Java, fruit used for gonorrhea.

- In Punjab and Cashmere, dried fruit used as expectorant.

- Kernels, powdered and mixed with oil, used for ringworm.

- In Pakistan, used as tonic and refrigerant; for irritation of urinary passages, alleviation of thirst and
dry cough.

- In Ayurveda, leaves and stem bark used for dyspepsia, fever, diarrhea and leprosy.

Other uses

- In the Philippines, rope is made from the bast.

- From the fruit, the white gelatinous substance is used as glue.

- Fish are cooked wrapped in leaves.

- In Burma, the leaves substitute for cigar wrappers.

Scientific studies on the benefits and uses of Soap berry

Antiulcer Activity:

Study yielded flavonoids in all three extracts of CD tested and showed significant anti-ulcer and
cytoprotective effects against gastric ulcer in rats. (1)

Hepatoprotective : Study of the methanolic extract of Cordia dichotoma studied its

hepatoprotective action in male Wistar rats with carbon tetrachloride induced liver damage. (2)

Wound Healing / Fruit:

Study of fruit extracts of C dichotoma showed significant wound healing activity on three different
models, viz. excision, incision and dead space wound models on albino rats. (4)

Anti-Inflammatory:
Study of C. dichotoma seeds extract yielded alkaloids, glycosides, saponins, tannins and
carbohydrates. Screening showed the ethanol extract and aqueous fraction of C. dichotoma possess
acute anti-inflammatory activity. (5)

Antioxidant:

Study of methanolic extract of seeds and leaves of C. dichotoma showed positive antioxidant activity
in a concentration dependent manner. The activity was more pronounced in leaves as compared to
seeds. (6)

Corrosion Inhibitor:

Study investigated the corrosion inhibition of mild steel using C. dichotoma extracts. Results showed
the alcoholic extracts to be a better corrosion inhibitor than toxic chemicals. (7)

Antioxidant in Cerebral Reperfusion Injury:

Study investigated the effect of C. dichotoma on acute cerebral reperfusion in rats. Pretreatment with
methanol, chloroform, and aqueous extracts decreased MDA level, increased SOD, catalase, and
glutathione levels, with a decrease in BBB penetration and infarct volume. Results suggest Cd may be
useful in reducing neuronal damage in stroke patients. (8)

Anthelmintic:

Study evaluated the anthelmintic activity of ethanolic and aqueous extracts of Cd on Eudrilus
euginieae earthworms. Both extracts showed concentration dependent paralysis and death of worms,
with the aqueous extract showing more significant activity. (9)

Antidepressant / Leaves:

Study of ethanolic and aqueous extracts of leaves in behavioral animal models showed antidepressant
activity. (10)

Wound Healing / Fruits :

Ethanol fruit extracts showed wound healing activity in three different models, viz. excision, incision,
and dead space wound models on either sex of albino Wistar rats. (11)

Effects on Long-term Hypoperfusion / Potential Benefit for Cerebrovascular

Insufficiency:

Study evaluated the effect of C. dichotoma on long-term cerebral hypoperfusion in rats. Long-term
hypoperfusion caused a tendency for anxiety, listlessness, and depression, with histopathological
changes in the forebrain. Treatment with Cd alleviated the behavioral, cognitive and histopathological
changes, and suggests a benefit for treatment of cerebrovascular insufficiency. (14)

Antiimplantation:

A methanolic extract of Cordia dichotoma showed significant antiimplantation activity. (15)

Antimicrobial:

Study investigated the antibacterial and antifungal potentials of C. dichotoma bark. Extracts showed
remarkable inhibition zones of bacterial and fungal growth comparable with standard drugs. with the
activity increasing with concentration. (16)

Ulcerative Colitis Benefits / Antioxidant Potential:

Extract fractions from dried bark powder were tested for effectiveness against ulcerative colitis.
Results showed animals treated with the methanol extract fraction showed lower pathological scores
and good healing. The fraction contained a high level of phenolics, and showed antioxidant potential
in the DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP assays. (17)

Degenerative Disorders:

An etiologic factor in several degenerative disorders is free radical induced stress, which affect
immunomodulatory response and recruit inflammatory cells. In an in-vitro model viz DPPD and
hydrogen peroxide assays, a methanolic extract of seeds and leaves demonstrated positive antioxidant
activity in a concentration-dependent manner, an activity more pronounced in the leaves. (18)

Reversible Contraceptive Potential / Leaves:

Study evaluated the ethno-contraceptive use of C. dichotoma leaves (LCD) in post-coital albino rats.
(2-hydroxypropyl)--cyclodextrin (BCD) was used as bioavailability enhancer to form LCD-BCD
complex, Leaves extract showed 100% anti-implantation activity. LCD-BCD complex exhibited 100%
pregnancy interception and showed strong estrogenic potential with a luteal phase defect. Histological
and biochemical estimations showed reversible contraceptive potential after withdrawal. (19)

Availability

Wildcrafted.

Click here to find the links of all the source studies mentioned in
this article.
Read about other interesting fruits

Acai berry Ambarella Avocado Bael Banana Bilberry Cocunut

Cantaloupe Cashew apple Dragon Fruit Durian Fig Jack fruit Jamun

Kiwi Lychee Malay apple Mango Mangosteen Miracle fruit Pomelo

Papaya Passion fruit Phalsa Pineapple Plum Pomegranate

Prickly pear Quince Rambutan Roselle Santol Sapota

Sea buckthorn Sour Orange Soursop Sweet Lime Star gooseberry

Star Apple Strawberry Surinam Cherry Sweet lime Tamarind Tomato

Tree tomato Wampi Watermelon Wood apple

Read about herbs and spices

Allspice Alfalfa Ashwagandha Bay leaf Black cohosh

Black onion seeds Black pepper Cayenne pepper Celery Chives

Chamomile Clove Coffee senna Coriander Curry leaf Cumin

Eucalyptus Fennel Fenugreek Garlic Ginger Gotu Kola

Hibiscus Holy basil Jasmine Kava Kava Lavender Licorice

Long pepper Lotus Majoram Marigold Mugwort Mustard seeds

Neem Nutmeg Oregano Peppermint Red clover Rose Rosemary

Sage Sensitive plant St.John's wort Tarragon Thyme Triphala powder

Turmeric Vetiver grass Wheat grass Wild amarnath