Sandoricum koetjape

Sandoricum koetjape

The santol or sentul, cotton fruit, kechapi, lolly fruit, red santol, sentol, wild mangosteen (Sandoricum koetjape (Burm.fil.) Merr. 1912) is an arboreal species belonging to the Meliaceae family.

Systematic –
From a systematic point of view it belongs to:
Eukaryota domain,
Kingdom Plantae,
Division Magnoliophyta,
Class Magnoliopsida,
Subclass Rosidae,
Sapindales Order,
Meliaceae family,
Genus Sandoricum,
Species S. koetjape.
The term is basionym:
– Melia koetjape Burm.fil..
The terms are synonymous:
– Azedarach edule Noronha;
– Azedarach edulis Noronha;
– Sandoricum glaberrimum Hassk.;
– Sandoricum harmandianum Pierre;
– Sandoricum harmandianum Pierre ex Laness.;
– Sandoricum harmandii Pierre;
– Sandoricum harmsianum Perkins;
– Sandoricum indicum Cav.;
– Sandoricum indicum var. cochinchinense Pierre;
– Sandoricum ledermannii Harms;
– Sandoricum maingayi Hiern;
– Sandoricum nervosum Blume;
– Sandoricum radiatum King;
– Sandoricum serratum G.Don;
– Sandoricum ternatum Blanco;
– Sandoricum venosum M.Roem.;
– Sandoricum vidalii Merr.;
– Trichilia nervosa Vahl;
– Trichilia venosa Spreng..

Etymology –
The term Sandoricum comes from the Moluccan name of the plant which is sandori; in Malayalam chandana, meaning “holiness” or “blessing”.
The specific epithet koetjape is instead a variation of the Indonesian term “kutjap”, which indicates the tree of this plant.

Geographic Distribution and Habitat –
Sandoricum koetjape is a tropical plant native to maritime Southeast Asia (Malaysia) but has been introduced to Indochina, Sri Lanka, India, northern Australia, Mauritius and Seychelles where it is commonly grown and the fruits are seasonally abundant in local and international markets.
Its habitat is that of primary or sometimes secondary rainforest but it is also present in lowland dipterocarp forests, on the banks of rivers and humid tropical plains up to altitudes of 800 metres.

Description –
Sandoricum koetjape is a semi-deciduous tree, with a dense and narrowly oval crown, fast growing, and with milky sap.
It grows up to 30 m (50) in height and has a columnar trunk up to 1 m in diameter, with predominantly smooth greyish to light brown bark.
The young branches are covered with dense brown hair.
The leaves are carried by a petiole up to 18 cm long, are trifoliate and arranged in a spiral, 25-45 cm long, with oblong leaflets with an entire or slightly toothed margin, 6-25 cm long and 3-15 cm wide, of intense green.
The flowers are bisexual, gathered in axillary panicles 10-25 cm long, have 5 separate, retroflexed, light yellow petals, 0.6-1 cm long, and 10 stamens.
The fruit is a globose-depressed capsule of 5-7 cm in diameter, golden yellow or pink in colour, with the external part of the pulp thick and consistent with a sour flavour, the internal juicy whitish and translucent part, with a sweet and sour or sour flavour.
Inside there are 3-5 seeds about 2 cm long, non-edible, which can cause problems, including perforations, in the intestine.

Cultivation –
Sandoricum koetjape is an ornamental evergreen plant that produces an edible fruit popular in some parts of the tropics. It also has a wide range of traditional medicinal uses and produces a useful timber. It is often cultivated in tropical areas, especially for its edible fruits and as an ornamental in parks, along roads, etc.
For its cultivation, keep in mind that it is a plant of hot and humid tropical plains and cannot be grown above 1,000 meters in Java. It flourishes in the dry and humid areas of the Philippine lowlands. Large trees can tolerate occasional frosts.
Average annual rainfall should be between 950 and 5,000 mm, preferably distributed throughout the year but tolerant to a dry season of 2 – 5 months.
Temperatures during the hot season are best around 32 – 35 °C, in the cold season between 18 and 22 °C, but not lower than 16 °C.
Prefers a position in full sun, but tolerates some shade.
From a pedological point of view it prefers fertile, well-drained soil of medium acidity; grows well in clay soils, sandy clay soils with plenty of organic matter, calcareous soils, volcanic soils and podsolic soils.
The plants tolerate wind.
Trees start flowering about 5 – 7 years after germination while clonal propagated trees can flower after 3 – 4 years.
There are several named varieties, developed for their superior quality fruit.
However, these varieties can be grouped into two, previously considered two different species, the yellow and the red varieties. The difference lies in the color that the older leaves turn before they fall. Red appears to be more common and the reddish leaves mixed with the green ones add distinction and attractiveness to the tree. The fruits are often the size, shape and slightly furry texture of peaches, with a reddish tinge. Both types have skin that can be thin to thicker, depending on the variety. It is often edible and in some cultivars it may contain a milky juice. The central pulp near the seeds can be sweet or sour and contains inedible brown seeds. In some varieties the outer skin is thicker and constitutes the main edible part, with a delicate peach flavor combined with some flavor and the pulpy texture of apples. In others the outer rind is thinner and harder and the internal whitish pulp around the seeds is eaten. This can be quite acidic in many cultivars, which has reduced the tree’s general acceptance. Most of the improved varieties have a thicker edible outer skin, which can be eaten with a spoon leaving only the outer skin, and are expected to increase santol’s acceptance worldwide.
The distance between plants is between 6.1 and 7.6 m. It requires fertilization twice a year in order to grow better. A mature tree can produce 18,000 to 24,000 fruits per year. In Puerto Rico it is produced in the months of August and September.
Ripe fruits are collected by climbing the tree and torn by hand, alternatively a long stick with a forked end can be used to twist the fruits.
Reproduction occurs easily by seed, to be buried within a few days, having a short-term germination potential. In this case, to witness the first flowering, it will be necessary to wait 5-7 years. Reproduction by air layering is more rapid, with flowering starting after 3-4 years. But when you want to reproduce a particular variety, you proceed by grafting.

Customs and Traditions –
Sandoricum koetjape is a plant known by various common names; among these are: kechapi, lolly fruit, red santol, santol, donol, wild mangosteen (English); faux mangoustan, sandorique, santol (French); kecapi, ketjapi, sentul (Indonesian); kecapi, kechapi, kelampu (Malay); santol (Spanish); sandoribaum (German); other names are: sentul, kechapi, ketjape, ketuat, ranggu, yellow sentol, 三都儿, 三道栋.
This plant, as well as for the production of fruit, is used as an ornamental, both in parks and gardens and in street trees.
The fruit is highly prized throughout Southeast Asia. It is consumed fresh as is or with the addition of spices, transformed, after removing the seeds, into candied fruit, jams and preserves or canned.
The pulp is eaten raw and natural or with the addition of spices. It is also cooked and candied or made into jam.
In Philippine cuisine, grated rind is cooked in coconut milk (with bits of pork and chili) and served as sinantolan in southern Luzon. Partially ripe sour fruits are also used as a souring agent in sour broth-based dishes such as sinigang.
In Thai cuisine this fruit is used to prepare som tam when it is not yet fully ripe. It is also one of the main ingredients of Santol and the pig (แกง หมู กระท้อน กระท้อน กระท้อน กระท้อน กระท้อน กระท้อน กระท้อน) and the Santol and the Thai curry of prawns (แกง คั่ว กุ้ง กุ้ง).
Doctors in Thailand and the Philippines have warned of the risk of intestinal obstruction and perforation from ingesting whole Sandoricum koetjape seeds. One source says there are about 200 cases a year in the Philippines. “Bangkok santol,” a larger variety, may be responsible for more severe cases of abdominal surgery. The most common symptoms are abdominal pain with peritonitis requiring surgery to remove the corns. In a retrospective review, 6 of 30 patients with colon perforation induced by Sandorica seeds died within 28 days of developing septic shock.
The wood of this tree is of reasonable quality and used for fixtures, boats, furniture and various objects.
The heartwood is pale red, yellowish-red or yellow-brown with a pink hue; it may be indistinct or distinguishable from the pale white or pinkish sapwood. The fiber is straight or slightly wavy; moderately fine to slightly coarse and uniform texture. The wood is light to moderate in weight; moderately soft to moderately hard; fairly weak to moderately strong. Wood is durable indoors, but not durable when exposed to the elements or in contact with the ground; it is susceptible to attack by the marine borer and moderately resistant to attack by insects. It is easy to saw; can be planed and finished with good results, if occasionally a little hairy; it takes a high polish. Wood is used for furniture making, cabinet making, joinery, interior design, shop fitting, panelling, boat planking and decking, shelving, carving, butler’s blocks, packing cases, domestic and agricultural tools, for the production of veneer, plywood, blockboard, wood pulp and paper. It is used in the construction of traditional houses and boats.
Parts of the plant are also used in traditional medicine, laboratory studies have highlighted anti-inflammatory and anticancer properties of their extracts.
The leaves and bark have been used medicinally as a poultice. Different parts of the plant may have anti-inflammatory effects, and some chemical extracts from santol stems have shown anti-tumor properties in vitro. Santol seed extracts have insecticidal properties.
Other uses include agroforestry uses.
The tree is important in its native area for soil conservation. The tree is known to form mycorrhizae that are useful for soil improvement.
Among other uses, fragrant wood is used in perfumery.
The bark is used to tan fishing nets.
Tree poles are used for fencing.
Wood is also a good fuel, wood is aromatic as it burns.
Good quality coal is made from it.

Preparation Method –
Sandoricum koetjape is a plant used and cultivated both for food and medicinal purposes, for lumber, as an ornamental and other uses.
The fruits are eaten raw or cooked.
The whitish, translucent, subacid pulp of the fruit has a good flavor and is preferably consumed fresh.
The fruit can be thin or with thick skin and pleasant, sweetish or slightly acidic pulp, depending on the variety.
It can also be dried, used to make jams, jellies, marmalades etc.
In the medicinal field, the crushed leaves are sweat-producing if applied to the skin and are used to make a decoction against diarrhea and fever.
Powdered bark is an effective treatment for ringworm and contains triterpenes with anti-tumor activity.
Both the seeds and the stems are being studied for the anti-tumor substances they contain.
The aromatic roots are used as an antidiarrheal, antispasmodic, carminative, antiseptic, astringent, gastric and are prescribed as a general tonic after childbirth.
The root can be bruised and then soaked in vinegar and water to be used as an effective remedy for diarrhea and dysentery.

Guido Bissanti

Sources
– Acta Plantarum – Flora of the Italian Regions.
– Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
– GBIF, the Global Biodiversity Information Facility.
– Useful Tropical Plants Database.
– Conti F., Abbate G., Alessandrini A., Blasi C. (ed.), 2005. An annotated checklist of the Italian vascular flora, Palombi Editore.
– Pignatti S., 1982. Flora d’Italia, Edagricole, Bologna.
– Treben M., 2000. Health from the Lord’s Pharmacy, Advice and experiences with medicinal herbs, Ennsthaler Editore.

Photo source:
– https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/56636394/original.jpg
– https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6c/Sandoricum_koetjape_Blanco1.127.png

Attention: Pharmaceutical applications and food uses are indicated for informational purposes only, they do not represent in any way a medical prescription; we therefore decline any responsibility for their use for healing, aesthetic or food purposes.