Moinmoin Leaf Plant Has Other Important Uses.

The leaves that we use in Nigeria, Ghana and some other parts of West Africa to wrap or package or process foods like moinmoin, eko, ofuloju and other foods belong to the plant known botanically as Thaumatococcus daniellii. The plant is widely cultivated in West Africa for its leaves.

In Nigeria, it is popularly called ewe (leaves), ewe moinmoin in Yoruba. Even though nobody pays much attention to this plant, it has high medicinal and nutritional values.

This plant is known outside the area that it is native to as a natural source of thaumatin, an intensely

sweet protein that is about 3000 times sweeter than sucrose. Due to this fact, it is generating interest as a natural sweetener. The plant is also called serendipity berry or sweet prayer plant in English.

Thaumatin is non-toxic, has no calories and is found in the flesh or aril of the fruit. It is traditionally used to sweeten fermented foods and palm-wine in parts of West Africa. The fruit is also used as a laxative. The fruit is also rich in calcium and magnesium.

The leaves are used to wrap or package food and to roof sheds and huts. The leaf stalk or petiole is used in craft to weave mats and to tie items together. The leaves are rich sources protein, fat, phosphorus. They contain terpenoids, tannins, flavonoids and alkanoids.

The sap from the leaf is used as a sedative and as an antidote to venoms, stings and bites.

The seeds have mucilaginous properties.

The fruits are hard to find because the plant does not produce fruits for about four to five years. Once the leaves are harvested, the plants stop to produce fruits. If your desire is to grow the plant for the fruits, then you should not harvest the leaves until the plant produces fruits.

Leave your comment, feedback or question below. Follow on Twitter @healbwell.