PDR for Herbal Medicines

202 /COCONUT PALM PDR FOR HERBAL MEDICINES

Jaggi KS, Arora N, Niphadkar PV, Gangal SV,

Immunochemical characterization of cocos nucifera pollen. J

Allergy Clin Immunol, 84:378-85, 1989 Sep.

Karmakar PR, Chatterjee BP, Cocos nucifera pollen inducing

allergy: sensitivity test and immunological study. Indian J Exp

Biol, 84:489-96, 1995 Jul.

Nalini N, Sabitha K, Chitra S, Viswanathan P, Menon VP,

Antifungal activity of the alcoholic extract of coconut shell -

Cocos nucifera Linn. J Ethnopharmacol, 84:291-3, 1980 Sep.

Nalini N, Sabitha K. Chitra S, Viswanathan P, Menon VP,

Histopathological and lipid changes in experimental colon

cancer: effect of coconut kernel (Cocos nucifera Linn.) and

(Capsicum annum Linn.) red chilli powder. Indian J Exp Biol,

84:964-71, 1997 Sep.

Cocos nucifera

See Coconut Palm

Coffea arabica

See Coffee

Coffee

Coffea arabica

DESCRIPTION

Medicinal Parts: The medicinal part of the plant is the seed

in various forms and stages.

Flower and Fruit: The inflorescences are axillary dense

clusters with 10 to 20 flowers. The sessile or very short

pedicled partial inflorescences bear dense, overlapping apical

leaves. The calyx is 2.5 to 3 mm long with a blunt 5-tipped

border. The corolla is white and fragrant. The stamens come

from the mouth of the tube and are exserted. The ripe fruit is

ellipsoid, 12 to 18 mm long by 12 to 15 mm wide with a 3 to

6 mm long stem. It is initially green, later yellow and dark

red when ripe. The exocarp is tough and the mesocarp fleshy

and slightly sweet. The endocarp is hard. The seeds are flat-

convex with a groove on the flat adaxial side. They are 8 to

12 mm long, 5 to 8 mm wide and 3 to 5 mm thick. When

fresh, the seeds are gray-green. They turn brown after

roasting.

Leaves, Stem and Root: Coffea arabica is an evergreen shrub
or small tree up to 8 m high with many basal branches. The
young branches are glabrous and flattened, and the nodes
produce many shoots. The bark of the fruiting branches is

ashy-white. The leaves are 6 to 20 cm long, 2.5 to 6 cm wide

and live for 2 to 3 years. They are glabrous, slightly

coriaceous, dark green, glossy and elliptoid-lanceolate, with

a distinct leaf tip. The border is occasionally extensively

ribbed.

Habitat: Coffee's area of origin is disputed, but it is now

cultivated in many tropical regions of the world, including

Brazil, Mexico, Columbia and Ethiopia.

Production: Coffee charcoal is produced by roasting the

outer seed parts of the green, dried fruit of Coffea arabica

(and other Coffea species) until almost black, then grinding

the carbonized product.

Coffee beans are the seeds of Coffea arabica, which are ripe

for harvest nine months after flowering. Thereafter, they are

processed using one of two methods. In the dry method, the

beans are dried for 3 to 4 weeks in the sun, or mechanically

with air-stream dryers. In the wet method, the beans are

placed in a water-filled tank, where only the ripe ones sink to

the bottom. The ripe fruit is then mechanically crushed and

subsequently fermented. Fermentation lasts for approximate-

ly 48 hours (for arabica varieties). Afterward, the coffee is

dried mechanically or in the sun.

Not to be Confused With: Coffee beans are not easily

confused with other drugs. However, ground and roasted

coffee may contain coffee substitutes such as chicory,

dandelion root, figs, sugar beet root, lupin seeds, rye kernels

and barleycorn.

Other Names: Arabica Coffee, Arabian Coffee, Caffea

ACTIONS AND PHARMACOLOGY

COMPOUNDS: COFFEE CHARCOAL

Purine alkaloids: main alkaloid caffeine

Trigonelline

Carbonization products of hemicelluloses

EFFECTS: COFFEE CHARCOAL

Coffee charcoal contains purine alkaloids, with caffeine as

the man constituent, and is absorbent and astringent.

COMPOUNDS: COFFEE BEANS (SEEDS)

Purine alkaloids: main alkaloid caffeine (0.6 - 2.2%), with it

theobromine, theophylline

Caffeic and ferulic acid ester of quinic acid: in particular

chlorogenic acid

Trigonelline

Norditerpene glycoside ester: atractylosides

Diterpenes: including the diterpene alcohol fatty acid esters

kahweol and cafestol