NAME: Dennettia tripetala
FAMILY NAME: Annonaceae
COMMON NAMES: Pepperfruit
LOCAL NAMES: Igbere, Nmimi
MORPHOLOGY: D. tripetalais a small woody shrub with a height of about 12-18 m. The wood is soft, white in colour and liable to termite attack. It has a fibrous bark which has a very strong characteristic scent. The leaves are 3 – 6 inches long by 1.5–2.5 inches broad, elliptic in shape, shortly acuminate and broadly connate to round at the base. The plant usually produces fruits between March and May (12). The outside of the flower is light brown while the inside is red and the flower is usually in small clusters on the young or older wood. The fruit appear green when unripe and red when ripe. There is a finger-like carpel constriction between the seeds. The young leaves and fruit when ripe has a peppery and spicy taste when chewed
PART(S): Leaves, Fruits, Seed, Root, Bark, Stem, whole plant
GENERAL USES: The fruits and leaves are commonly used as a spices or seasonings
GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION: Nigeria, Ivory Coast and Cameroon
WHY IS IT GREEN: Treatment of fever, cough, asthma, catarrh, toothache, diarrhea and rheumatism and serves as Insect repellant, stimulant
FURTHER READING:
Ihemeje A, Ojinnaka MC, Obi KC,Ekwe CC. Biochemical Evaluation of Pepper fruit (Dennettia tripetala) and its use as Substitute for Ginger in Zobo Drink Production. Academic Research International. 2013; 4(6):513–521.
Anaga AO,Asuzu IU. Antihyperglycaemic Properties of the Ethyl Acetate Extract of Dennettia tripetala in Diabetic Rats. Journal of Complementary and Integrative Medicine. 2010; 7: 1553-3840.
D. Muhammed Y. H. Adebiyi, B. O. Odey and et al., Dennettia tripetala (Pepper Fruit), a review of its ethno-medicinal use, phyto[1]constituents, and biological propertie. GSC Advanced Research and Reviews, 2021, 06(03), 035–043
Mordi, J.C., Ichipi-Ifukor, P.C., Kweki, G.R. et al. Preliminary toxicology profile of Dennettia tripetala (Pepper Fruit) methanolic leaves extract. Clin Phytosci 7, 61 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40816-021-00298-w