Carissa carandas

Carissa carandas is a species of flowering shrub in the family Apocynaceae. It produces berry-sized fruits that are commonly used as a condiment in Indian pickles and spices. It is a hardy, drought-tolerant plant that thrives well in a wide range of soils. Common names in English include Bengal currant, Christ's thorn,[1] carandas plum and karanda.[2][3]

Carissa carandas
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Gentianales
Family: Apocynaceae
Genus: Carissa
Species:
C. carandas
Binomial name
Carissa carandas
Synonyms
  • Arduina carandas (L.) Baill.
  • Arduina carandas (L.) K. Schum.
  • Capparis carandas (L.) Burm.f.
  • Carissa salicina Lam. Echites spinosus
  • Burm.f. Jasminonerium carandas
  • (L.) Kuntze Jasminonerium salicinum (Lam.) Kuntze
Fruit

The supposed varieties congesta and paucinervia actually refer to the related conkerberry (C. spinarum).

Distribution

Normally it flourishes well in regions with high temperatures. Thus, it is found in abundance in Western Ghats of Konkan region in the western coastal states of Maharashtra and Goa. Nevertheless, it grows naturally even in the temperate conditions of Siwalik Hills of Himalayas in India and Nepal at elevations of 30 to 1,800 metres (98 to 5,906 ft). In rest of India, it is grown on a limited scale in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Bihar, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh. It grows naturally in most South Asian countries like in the lowland rain forests of Sri Lanka and in other countries like Nepal, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh.

Propagation

The plant is grown from seed sown in August and September. Vegetative propagation also is practiced in the form of budding and inarching. Cuttings may also succeed. The first monsoon shower is planting time. Plants raised from seed start bearing two years after planting. Flowering starts in March and in Northern India the fruit ripens from July to September.[1]

Chemistry

Isolation of many terpenoids has been reported.[4] In particular mixture of sesquiterpenes namely carissone [5] and carindone as a novel type of C31 terpenoid have been reported.[6] Other products include pentacyclic triterpenoid carissin.[7]

Uses
Fruits ready for consumption

Medicine and food

It is rich in iron,[8] vitamin C,[8] vitamins A,[9] calcium[9] and phosphorus.[9]

Its fruit is used in the ancient Indian herbal system of medicine, Ayurvedic, to treat acidity, indigestion, fresh and infected wounds, skin diseases, urinary disorders and diabetic ulcer,[8] as well as biliousness, stomach pain, constipation, anemia, skin conditions, anorexia and insanity.[9] Leaf decoction is used to treat fever, diarrhea, and earache.[9] The roots serve as a stomachic, an anthelmintic medicine for itches and also as insect repellents.[9]

In India, the mature fruit is harvested for Indian pickles. It contains pectin and accordingly is a useful ingredient in chutney. Ripe fruits exude a white latex when severed from the branch.

Colonial British in India also made jelly, jams and syrups from it.[10]

Other uses

It was used in the Great Hedge of India (1803-1879 CE) because it is easy to grow, drought resistant, is a sturdy shrub that grows in a variety of soils, and also ideal for hedges as it grows rapidly, densely and needs little attention.[10]

The roots of the plant are heavily branched, making it valuable for stabilizing eroding slopes.

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References
  1. <Khare CP. Indian Medicinal Plants: An Illustrated Dictionary Springer Berlin; 2007 pg. 123.
  2. Lim TK. Edible Medicinal and Non-Medicinal Plants; Volume 1, Fruits Springer Berlin; 2012. p. 240–245
  3. "Carissa carandas". Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Agricultural Research Service (ARS), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Retrieved 27 May 2018.
  4. V Devmurari, P Shivanand, MB Goyani, S Vaghani, NP Jivani. Carissa Congesta: Phytochemical constituents, traditional use and pharmacological properties 2009; 3: 375-377.
  5. J. Reisch, R. Hussain, B. Krebs, M. Dartmann. The structure of carissone. Monatshefte fuer Chemie 121(11): 941-4 (1990).
  6. B. Singh, R.P. Rastogi . The structure of carindone. Phytochemistry, 11(5):1797-801 (1972).
  7. Siddiqui BS, Ghani U, Ali ST, Usmani SB, Begum S. Triterpenoidal constituents of the leaves of Carissa carandas. Natural Product Research. 2003; 17:153-8.
  8. benefits, research, side effects, Easy Ayurveda.
  9. Benefits of Carvanda, Fruitsinfo.com.
  10. Summer brings astringently delicious karonda, a fruit that's ripe for pickling, Economic Times, June 2012.
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