Vernonia amygdalina
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Vernonia amygdalina, a member of the daisy family, is a small to medium-sized shrub that grows in tropical Africa. V. amygdalina typically grows to a height of Script error: No such module "convert".. The leaves are elliptical and up to Script error: No such module "convert". long. Its bark is rough.[1]
V. amygdalina is commonly called bitter leaf in English because of its bitter taste.[2][3][4]
Uses
Food
The leaves are a staple vegetable in soups and stews of various cultures throughout equatorial Africa. They are washed to reduce their bitterness, after which they are dried and used to prepare meat dishes. In Nigeria, leaves are also used in place of hops to brew beer.[5] The leaves can also be used to make bitter leaf soup, a delicacy which is one of the most traditional soups in Nigeria. It is native to the Igbos of Eastern Nigeria.
Other
In Nigeria, twigs and sticks from this plant are used as a chewing stick for dental hygiene and the stems are used for soap in Uganda. In Ghana, the young leaves rather than the old, has gained credence for its potent anti-diabetic and anti-inflammatory activity; and have been proven using animal models.[6][7]
In the Northern part of Nigeria, it has been added to horse feed to provide a strengthening or fattening tonic called ‘Chusar Doki’ in Hausa.Script error: No such module "Unsubst".
Zoopharmacognosy
In the wild, chimpanzees have been observed to ingest the leaves when suffering from parasitic infections.[8]
References
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