Uses
editIts leaves are edible, as are its fruit, as with some other members of the family Aizoaceae. In South Africa the sour fig's ripe fruit are gathered and either eaten fresh or made into a very tart jam.
Carpobrotus edulis, also known as igcukuma in the Xhosa language, is a medicinal plant used by the traditional healers in cases of common infections in HIV/AIDS patients. The leaves can be ingested orally to aid digestive problems or the juice can be sucked out to help a sore throat[1]. The juice can also be mixed into a lotion base and helps heal external issues such as ringworm, bruises, sunburns, and cracked lips[1].
Mainly practiced in South Africa, the different parts of the Carpobrotus edulis are used in different forms in traditional medicine. Mostly, the fruits and flowers are eaten raw or cooked for fungal and bacterial infections[2].
The fruit of the Carpobrotus edulis plant are taken by the Khoi women during their pregnancy, and smeared on the head of the new born baby in hopes to make it strong and agile.[3]
- ^ a b "Carpobrotus edulis - Useful Tropical Plants". tropical.theferns.info. Retrieved 2020-11-09.
- ^ Mudimba, Toonse (2019). "Traditional uses, phytochemiscy and pharmacoligcal activity of Carpobrotus eduilis: A global perspective" (PDF). The Journal of Phytopharmacology 2019: 111.
- ^ "Carpobrotus edulis | Medicinal Uses | The Herb Academy". Herb Academy. Retrieved 2020-11-09.