04/10/2020
How to Use Aidan
Aidan pods can be crushed, ground, grated or broken into tiny pieces before adding to food or using for medicinal purposes.
Alternatively, the pod can be broken into two or added whole to food during preparation but in this case, remember to scoop it out from the food before serving.
It is important to add this spice a lot more earlier in the food while cooking so that it can infuse properly for more flavourful and aromatic smell. For herbal medicines, the stem, bark, root, leaves and pods of aridan can be infused, boiled, soaked, squeezed, extracted, crushed or transformed into concoctions.
Benefits of Tetrapleura Tetraptera (Aidan)
1. Contraceptive Properties
Saponin and ethanol extract from the stem and bark of this plant has an inhibitory effect on luteinizing hormone released by the pituitary gland. This suggests why this plant equally serves as a contraceptive.
2. Management of convulsion
In folk medicine, both the stem, leaves and fruit of the uyayak are used for producing herbal concoction for managing convulsion. Studies reveal that the aqueous extract of this plant exhibits anticonvulsant activities and this confirms it's inhibitory effects on the central nervous system.
3. Management of Leprosy
Studies reveal that aidan can be used for treating leprosy, which is an infectious disease that affects mainly the skin, nerves and the mucous membranes thereby causing blemishes and lumps on the skin. Severe cases of leprosy can lead to deformities and mutilation.
4. Anti-inflammatory Properties
The extract of this plant is known for its anti-inflammatory properties and this suggests its inhibitory impacts against certain human pathogens. As a result, it can be used for reducing inflammation of the body, arthritic pains and rheumatoid pains.
5. Culinary Purposes
Dried taub fruit is known for its distinguished aromatic and flavorful fragrance and as such used as a spice for flavouring assorted dishes such as meat pepper soup, palm kernel soup (banga soup or ofe akwu), nsala (white soup), fish pepper soup etc. To use this spice, you can either crush it before adding to food or break into smaller portions before adding in the food while cooking.
6. Supports the Cardiovascular System
Aidan supports the cardiovascular system due to its constituents of essential phytochemical and as such can be used for preventing and treating heart diseases.
7. Molluscicidal Properties
Studies reveal that the aqueous extracts from the stalk, leaves, stem, bark and roots of the aidan plant contain molluscicidal properties. This suggests why this plant acts as a pesticide for fighting against molluscs and pests. Aidan is normally used in gardening, planting and agriculture for offering protections and control against gastropod pests especially snails and slugs that feed on/damage crops and other valuable plants in the farmland.
8. Dermatological Care
The fruit can be dried and blended into powdered form for producing dermatological products such as soap. The great attention drawn towards the use of this plant for manufacturing soap is due to its high antimicrobial and antibacterial properties.
It is worthy to note that the aridan plant helps to promote soap foaming as well as its hardness. To make soap with aidan, the dried powdered herbs can be combined with shea butter, palm kernel oil or any other bases of choice. Soaps produced with these three key ingredients have superior qualities unlike those with individual base.
9. Treatment of Hypertension
In folk medicine, the stem and bark extracts of taub (Tetrapleura tetraptera) can be used for preventing and treating hypertension. Researchers agree that Tetrapleura tetraptera is effective for preventing high blood pressure and for improving the oxidative position in salt model of hypertension patients.
10. Treatment of Diabetes
The stem and bark extracts of Tetrapleura tetraptera (Taub) can be used for preparing herbal medicines for treating diabetes.
11. Supports the Immune System
Being an excellent source of key vitamins such as potassium, iron, calcium, magnesium and zinc, aridan helps to strengthen our immune system.
Iron helps to regenerate lost blood, zinc offers protection against viruses especially those that can cause respiratory tract infections while calcium and potassium helps to manage, prevent and control bones and muscles disorders.
12. Post-partum Care
Aidan pod is traditionally used for preparing special soups for newborn mothers immediately they put to bed in other to avoid post-partum contraction. Although aidan can be used alone for this sort of postnatal soup preparation however, it can be used together with piper guineese, gongronema latifolium and scotch bonnet pepper for superior action. Using this spice for post-partum care is attributed to its high constituents of calcium, iron and potassium, which are very important for new mothers. Furthermore, it helps to restore and replenish lost blood for new mothers and promotes lactation.
13. Wound Healing Properties
Aidan pods contain essential chemical compounds such as flavonoids, triterpenoid glycoside (aridanin) and phenols, which have been reported effective for healing wounds.
14. Anti-oxidizing Properties
Taub is an excellent source of antioxidants such as polyphenols, alkaloids, tannins and flavonoids. Antioxidants help to protect our body from oxidative damage by scavenging for free radicals thereby preventing peroxidation. It is important to note that free radicals and reactive oxygen species formed during oxidation process contribute immensely to diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes as well as ageing. Aidan fruit has a remarkable chemodiversity due to its constituents of polyphenols. It also has a strong radical reducing and scavenging abilities.
15. Treatment of Asthma
Traditionally, this plant can be used for treating asthma.
16. Treatment of Schistosomiasis
Studies reveal that aridan can be used for treating schistosomiasis. This is an infection that is also known as snail fever or bilharziasis caused by parasitic flukes of the genus Schistosoma. This infection occurs mainly in the tropical regions and eastern Asia and is mostly transmitted to humans through snails or fecal-contaminated fresh water. Common symptoms of schistosomiasis include anemia, pain, fever and breakdown of the infected organs.
17. Treatment of Gastrointestinal Disorders
The fruit can be used for treating gastrointestinal disorders such as stomach pain, diarrhea, vomiting etc due to its constituents of phytochemicals.
18. Antibacterial Ability
Researchers reveal that water extracts and alcoholic mixture of the aridan fruit can inhibit the growth of Staphylococcus aureus. The presence of glycosides and tannins in ethanolic and water extracts of aridan have been proven effective for inhibiting the growth of bacteria.✨💐
