Tamarind Fruit is mainly distributed in the tropical and subtropical regions of the eastern hemisphere. It is the fruit of the Tamarindus indica, a plant of the family Fabaceae. The root and leaves of the Tamarind fruit have the functions of promoting blood circulation, relieving pain, and stopping diarrhea. What are the nutritional values of Tamarind fruit?
Picture of Tamarind Fruit
Aside from containing a certain amount of nutrients, the fruit peel and flesh of Tamarind fruit also contain anthocyanins. The Tamarind fruit pigment is safe as a food additive colorant and has certain development and utilization value.
Tamarind fruit is a climbing shrub or vine, a rare small shrub that grows 1-3 meters long. The leaves are alternate, with a petiole of 5-8mm long. The leaf blades are tough and papery, invertedly ovate or long ovate, 3-4cm long and 1-1.5cm wide, occasionally reaching 7cm long and 2.5cm wide. The apex is round, blunt or slightly concave, and the base is wedge-shaped. The leaf margins are entire, with a thin white powder on the back, and the midvein is raised, while the lateral veins are not obvious.
The inflorescence is a panicle, axillary or lateral, growing on leafless branches of the previous year. It is 3-8mm long and covered with fine soft hairs. There are 3-8 flowers in the inflorescence, with 1-2 whorls of bracts at the base. The flower stalk is about 1.5mm long, sometimes covered with fine soft hairs. The small bracts are lanceolate or elongated, with hairy margins, usually without glandular dots.
The flowers are tetramerous, about 2mm long. The base of the calyx is fused to about 1/2 or 1/3, and the equal lobes are ovate or triangular, with an acute apex and glandular dots.
Picture of Tamarind Fruit
The petals are white or yellowish, separated, ovate or elongated, with a rounded or blunt apex, about 2mm long. They have hairy margins and are densely covered with nipple-like protrusions on the inside, with glandular dots.
The stamens degenerate in female flowers, slightly longer than the petals in male flowers. The filaments are erect, and the anthers have glandular dots on the dorsal side.
The pistils degenerate in male flowers, slightly longer than the petals in female flowers. The ovary is bottle-shaped, the style is slender, and the stigma is flattened or somewhat shield-shaped. The fruit is spherical, about 5mm in diameter, with inconspicuous glandular dots. The flowering period is from December to March of the following year, and the fruiting period is from April to June.
Tamarind fruit has the effects of replenishing blood and stopping bleeding. It is mainly used for treating blood deficiency and gum bleeding. According to the "Common Handbook of Medicinal Herbs in Hainan Island," Tamarind fruit leaves are used to treat vitamin C deficiency and anemia.
