Kavath(wood apple) - Ayurvedic remedies, health benefits, application, chemical constituents, side effects and many more

                  Kavath(wood apple)

Kavath which is known as wood apple in English. It is also called as kapittha in sanskrit. It have a very hard skin which can be difficult to crack open, it appears greenish-brown in colour from outside and contains sticky brown, juicy pulp inside with  small white seeds. Kavath tree has very large canopy and it produces large amout fruits in season of summer (December-april). Wood apples are native to India, parts of Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, andaman islands and Pakistan. According to Hindu religion this fruit is offered to the god Ganesha.

It is very delicious fruit with combination of different tastes  such as sweet, sour, bitter and in some amount fermented. Somehow it resembles to tamarind due to its sour-sweet taste. It's plup texture is not so good but it's taste is delicious with combination of tastes.  it shows immune boosting, antiinflammatory, antibiotic, Antioxidant(reduces the free radical damage), Muscle relaxant properties. ripened fruit has pleasant smell.

Fruits are refrigerant, stomachic, stimulant, astringent, aphrodisiac, diuretic, cardiotonic, tonic to liver and lungs, cures cough, hiccup and good for asthma, consumption, tumours, opthalmia and leucorrhoe.

Vitamins and minerals content:

This fruits is full of VITAMINS ( Thiamine (B1), Riboflavin (B2), Niacin (B3), Vitamin C, etc ),    MINERALS( calcium, iron, magnese zinc, phosphorus, chromium, etc ),   chemical compounds(Coumarins, Phytosterols, Tyramine derivatives, Flavanones, Limonoids).

• This fruit has high flavonoid content. Flavonoids protect against a number of diseases and disorders such as type 2 diabetes mellitus cancer, heart diseases, arthritis, and cataracts.

• It also contains umbelliferone, dictamnine, xanthotoxol, scoparone, xanthotoxin, isopimpinellin, isoimperatorin and marmin19.Leaves contain stigmasterol, psoralen, bergapten, orientin, vitedin, saponarin, tannins and an essential oil.

• It was observed that the amount of protein was higher in pulp when compared to other parts of the plant. Considerably less amount of protein was noted in the bark. The carbohydrate content was higher in seeds followed by pulp, leaves, rind and bark. The total amino acid content was comparatively higher in rind and lowest in the seeds. The leaf and pulp showed nearly same amount of amino acid. As the fruit parts (pulp and seeds) possessed high amount of carbohydrate and protein, it was traditionally a “poor man’s food” in 

India.

• Almost all the parts of L. acidissima are rich in secondary metabolites. Among 

the identified constituents, alkaloid was 

higher in bark and rind compared to other parts. Saponins, steroids and glycosides were present in all plant parts. Flavonoids are present only in pulp and seeds. Phenols were found only in bark and leaves. Gum and mucilage is present in all the plant parts except leaf. Leaf, pulp and seed possessed fixed oils and fats. Resins are present only in pulp. Bark, leaf and seeds showed the presence of tannins.

Biological classification:

Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Rosids
Order:	Sapindales
Family:	Rutaceae
Subfamily:	Aurantioideae
Tribe:	Citreae
Genus:	Limonia L.
Species:	L. acidissima

Rich in phytochemicals

This fruit rinch in phytochemicals such as alkaloids, saponins

•alkaloids act as muscle relaxant wih some anaesthetic property and relives spasm(sudden contraction) of smooth muscle.

•saponins boost the immune system and lowers the cholesterol levels

Properties and Benefits

• Rasa (Taste) – Madhura (Sweet), Amla (Sour), Kashaya (astringent)
• Guna (Qualities) – Guru (Heavy for digestion), Snigdha (Slimy in nature)
• Taste conversation after digestion – Madhura (sweet)
• Veerya (Potency) – Sheeta (Cold)
• Effect on Tridosha – reduces vitiated vata and pitta dosha
• Sagrahi – Absorbent
• Vrnanasha – Heals Wound

Unripe fruit –

Sangrahi – absorbent, useful in diarrhea, IBS

Kashaya – astringent

Laghu – light to digest

Lekhana – has scraping property, useful in balancing Kapha, in respiratory disorders and in cholesterol / clot deposition in blood vessels

Rooksha – dry

Vishaghna – anti toxic

Kanthaghna – decreases voice

Balances Kapha Dosha

Increases Vata and Pitta Dosha

Ripe wood apple :

• Guru – heavy to digest
• Kashaya – astringent
• Amla – sour
• Svadu – sweet
• Hikka – relieves hiccups
• Tridoshajit – Balances all the three Doshas
• Kanthashodhana – cleanses throat, useful in soar throat
• Sangrahi – absorbent, useful in diarrhea, IBS
• Rochana – improves taste, relieves anorexia
• Hrudya – acts as cardiac tonic, congenial for heart
• Durjara – takes a long time to undergo digestion

• The ripened Kavath alleviates all the three doshas, has sweet and sour taste, is heavy to digest 

Health benefits

1) Relif from constipation

Wood apple is full of fiber and the fiber is most important substance to get relief from constipation. Being it is very hard to digest but it is very useful in case of constipation. This fruit  also gives relief from diarrhoea, piles, peptic ulcer.
        Tip: intake is in moderate amount.

2) Purifies the blood

This fruit shows many antitoxic, antiinflammatory, antibiotic property which helps in purification of blood. Means helps in removal of toxins.

3) Type 2 diabetes mellitus

Malondialdehyde is a harmful by-product formed by free radicals. The concentration of malondialdehyde increases in individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus and it plays a major role in onset of diabetic complications. Wood apple has also shown to reduce the plasma levels of malondialdehyde and thus, prevents or reduce the complication.

4) Asthma

It very effective fruit or medicine for asthma. flavonoids, polyphenols, glycosides, saponins, tannins and alkaloids content in it helps in dilation of bronchii and bronchioles which leads to easy breathing.

Recipes of kavath

Recipes that I know are
1) kavath chutney
2) sweet kavath Chikki( vadi)
3) kavath shake
4) kavath juice
5) kavath sharbat, etc

Storage:

1) Ripe wood apples can be easily and safely stored at room temperature. If you want to store them for a little longer period, place them in the refrigerator.

2) If you need to store it for much longer period, remove the pulp and mix it with lemon juice. This can then be stored in the freezer.

Note: 1) This fruit is very useful in  condition such as vomiting, asthma and chronic respiratory disorders, excessive thirst, cough, cold, urinary tract disorders.

           2) it shows many properties such as Neuro- protective action, Analgesic action, Hepato- protective action and many more but all these are under research.

           3) Alleviates vata and pitta doshas.

           4) unripe kavath is useful in.
•it useful in kapha( dosha from tridosha). Means it helps in balancing the kapha.
•also useful in respiratory disorders.
•this fruit is highly antitoxic.

            5) according to Ayurveda it has cold potency, means it is very useful to decrease the heat of body.

            6) In Ayurvedic treatments, all parts of the wood apple plant are used to provide relief from snakebites.

            7) This fruit is beneficial for cardiac muscles, clears the phlegm from the throat, dyspnea and thirst.

            8) it improves taste perception.

            9) Antioxidants present in wood apple are so powerful that they can even scavenge hydroxyl radicals and protect the body against its harmful effect.

           10) it contains large amount of essential amino acid such as alanine, glycine, arginine and many more.

           11) it helps in dilation of bronchii and bronchioles which is very useful for astma patient.

           12) there are many free radicals which causes oxidative strees or damage on human body and organs( liver, kidney, etc). So, hoifh Antioxidant content of this fruit helps to reduce oxidative damage by free radical.

           13) it increases ability of B and T lymphocytes(involved in cell - mediated immunity) and also increases the antibody. By this way it boosts immunity.

          14) The gum is demulcent and 

constipating, and is useful in diarrhoea, dysentery, gastropathy, haemorrhoids and diabetes.

          15) Flavonoids are important for skin aging activity. Flavonoids like kaempferol delay skin aging by contrasting enzyme

that break down the extracellular matrix, such as collagenase, elastases and hyaluronidases.

Ayurvedic use of this fruit

1) regular intake of this fruit or fruit juice(30ml) helps to reduce cough, plague and kapha related problems.

2) drinking fresh ripened juice of this fruit helps in thrist related problems.

3) effective against tridosha.

4) it shows wound healing properties.

5) Fresh juice of the unripe fruit of Kapittha(wood apple) is given in a dose of 15-20 ml to improve the taste, treat anorexia and improve the appetite.

6) Fresh juice of ripened fruit or ripened fruit is consumed to improve the body strength.

7) The paste of kavath (wood apple) flower is given in a dose of 5-10 g to treat rat bite poison patients.

8) Regular intake of the fresh fruit of Kapittha is consumed regularly to improve the strength of cardiac muscles and cardiac output.

9)The juice of fruit of Feronia limonia is given in a dose of 30-50 ml to treat cough and dyspnea. It removes the phlegm from the throat.

10) paste of the root of Feronia limonia is applied over the wounds for quicker healing.

11) Leaves are astringent and carminative, good for vomiting, indigestions, hiccup and dysentery. The leaves have hepatoprotective activity. 

Side effects

• Ripened fruit is heavy for digestion and intake in excess quantity can lead to decreased digestive capacity. 
• Unripe fruit can cause hyperacidity if taken in excess quantity.
• Unripe fruit is not ideal in case of throat / voice disorders.

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