Manihot esculenta

Scientific name: Manihot esculenta Crantz

Botanical family: EUPHORBIACEAE

Vernacular names

(In territories with significant traditional TRAMIL use)

Martinique:

mannyòk
manyok

Haiti:

mannyòk
manyok

Dominican Republic:

yuca

Other vernacular names

Haiti:

Kasav
Lanmidon
Lanmidon et Manyòk
Mannyok
Manyòk
Manyòk anmè

Dominican Republic:

Yuca

Geographical distribution

Native to Brazil, it is widely cultivated in the tropics.

Botanical description

Herb or subfrutex from 1 to 3 m, with large tuberous roots. Alternate leaves, glabrous, 3 to 7-lobed, linear to elliptic or oblanceolate, acuminate, glaucous on the underside. Inflorescences in terminal panicles; flowers with bell-shaped calyces, 5 lobate. 1.5 cm dehiscent capsule, subglobose, rugose, slightly winged.

Voucher(s)

Rouzier,63,SOE

Jiménez,1523,JBSD

headhache

leaf, mashed, applied locally¹

fungal growth (mycosis between fingers or toes)

leaf, mashed, cataplasm²

The tuber of Manihot esculenta is a food of relatively widespread human consumption.

For fungi (interdigital mycosis) or headaches:
wash the leaves adequately, crush them, take 5-10 grams of plant material and apply it to the forehead twice a day.

Preparations must never be stored for more than 24 hours, even if refrigerated.

According to the information available:

Use for headaches is classified as REC based on the significant traditional use documented in TRAMIL surveys and toxicity studies.

If deterioration is observed in the patient or if the headache persists for more than 2 days, seek medical attention.

The use for interdigital mycosis is classified as REC based on the significant traditional use documented in the TRAMIL surveys, the toxicity and validation studies and the scientific information published.

Topical application for fungi (interdigital mycosis) must follow strict hygiene measures in order to prevent contamination or additional infection.

The leaves can produce hypersensitivity reactions.

Manihot esculenta should not be consumed by people with thyroid disorders³.

Not for use during pregnancy, breastfeeding or in children under 8 years of age.

TRAMIL Work¹³
The freeze-dried juice from crushed fresh leaves, concentration of 500 mg/ml of water, topically, 4 hours daily for 5 consecutive days in 3 New Zealand rabbits, 0.5 ml on a 5 cm² quadrant with hair cut from the back, contralateral control with water, EPA870.2500 protocol, did not cause oedema or erythema during the test or in the additional 11 days of observation.

The fresh leaf decoction, variable dose, orally, did not show general toxicity in adult humans¹⁴.

Cooking enables the enzyme β-glucosidase to be destroyed, which is responsible for hydrolysing cyanogenic glycosides into hydrocyanic acid¹⁵.

There is no information available documenting the safety of medicinal use in children, during pregnancy or breastfeeding.

The leaf contains hydrocyanic acid (0.1-0.21 mg/g)⁴; lotaustralin, linamarin⁵, organic acids: oxalic acid⁶; flavonoids: amentoflavone, podocarpusflavone⁷, kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside, quercetin-3-O-rutinoside⁵; quercetin derivatives⁸.

Proximate analysis of 100 g of leaves⁹: calories: 60; water: 81 g; protein: 6.9%; fat: 1.3 g; carbohydrates: 9.2 g; fibre: 2.1 g; ash: 1.6 g; calcium: 144 mg; phosphorus: 68 mg; iron: 2.8 mg; sodium: 4 mg; potassium: 409 mg; β-carotene: 8280 μg; thiamine: 0.16 mg; riboflavin: 0.32 mg; niacin: 1.80 mg; ascorbic acid: 82 mg.

TRAMIL Work¹⁰
The fresh leaf juice (2 mg/ml) in vitro showed no activity against Candida albicans, Trichophyton rubrum or Microsporum gypseum.

TRAMIL Work¹¹
The 50% maceration of fresh leaves (100 μl/well) in vitro had no activity against Citrobacter koseri or Candida albicans (ATCC 10231).

The aqueous extract from dried aerial parts was active against Microsporum canis¹².

The ethyl acetate extract from dried aerial parts (< 0.13 mg/ml) was fungicidal against Microsporum canis, M. fulvum, M. gypseum and Trichophyton gallinae¹².

The ethanolic extract from dried leaves in vitro inhibited strains of Staphylococcus aureus (1 mg/ml) from the fungi Microsporum canis, M. fulvum, M. gypseum and Trichophyton gallinae (0.13 mg/ml) and of Sindbis virus (5.2 μg/ml)¹².

Pharmacopoeia

Ed.3

References

1 WENIGER B, ROUZIER M, 1986
Enquête TRAMIL. Service Oecuménique d’Entraide SOE, Port au Prince, Haïti.

2 LONGUEFOSSE JL, NOSSIN E, 1990-95
Enquête TRAMIL. Association pour la valorisation des plantes médicinales de la Caraïbe AVPMC, Fort de France, Martinique.

3 LINDNER E, 1995
Toxicología de los alimentos. 4^a ed. Madrid, España: Editorial Acribia S.A. p688.

4 ROSA DE BATTISTI C, TELES FFF, COELHO DT, JOSE DA SILVEIRA A, BATISTA CM, 1981
Determination of hydrogen cyanide toxicity and total soluble carbohydrates in cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz). Rev Ceres 28:521-525.

5 PRAWAT H, MAHIDOL C, RUCHIRAWAT S, PRAWAT U, TUNTIWACHWUT-TIKUL P, TOOPTAKONG U, TAYLOR WC, PAKAWATCHAI C, SKELETON BW, WHITE AH, 1995
Cyanogenic and non-cyanogenic glycosides from Manihot esculenta. Phytochemistry 40(4):1167-1173.

6 VALYASEVI A, DHANAMITTA S, 1974
Studies of bladder stone disease in Thailand. XVII. Effect of exogenous sources of oxalate on crystalluria. Amer J Clin Nutr 27(8):877-882.

7 KAMIL M, ILYAS M, RAHMAN W, OKIGAWA M, KAWANO N, 1994
Biflavones from Manihot utilissima. Phytochemistry 13(11):2619-2620.

8 SUBRAMANIAN SS, NAGARAJAN S, SULOCHANA N, 1971
Flavonoids of some Euphorbiaceous plants. Phytochemistry 10(10):2548-2549.

9 DUKE JA, ATCHLEY AA, 1986
Handbook of proximate analysis tables of higher plants. Boca Raton, USA: CRC Press.

10 CACERES A, 2000
Actividad antibiótica in vitro del zumo de hoja fresca de Manihot esculenta. Informe TRAMIL. Facultad de Ciencias Químicas y Farmacia, Universidad de San Carlos USAC, Guatemala, Guatemala.

11 BOUCOURT E, MARTINEZ M J, MOREJON Z, 2010
Evaluación de la actividad antimicrobiana de la maceración al 50% de las hojas frescas de Manihot esculenta. Informe TRAMIL. Laboratorio Central de Farmacología, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas “Dr. Salvador Allende”, C. Habana, Cuba.

12 MACRAE WD, HUDSON JB, TOWERS GH, 1988
Studies on the pharmacological activity of Amazonian Euphorbiaceae. J Ethnopharmacol 22(2):143-172.

13 PAZOS L, COTO T, GONZALEZ S, 2006
Irritabilidad dérmica, piel sana en conejos, de hoja machacada de Manihot esculenta. Informe TRAMIL. Laboratorio de Ensayos Biológicos, LEBi, Universidad de Costa Rica, San Pedro, Costa Rica.

14 ALONSO J, 1998
Tratado de fitomedicina. Bases clínicas y farmacológicas. Buenos Aires, Argentina: ISIS ediciones SRL. p687.

15 MADUAGWU EN, UMOH IB, 1982
Detoxification of cassava leaves by simple traditional methods. Toxicol Lett 10(2-3):245-248.

Disclaimer

The information provided is for educational purposes only for the benefit of the general public and health professionals. It is not intended to take the place of either the written law or regulations. Since some parts of plants could be toxic, might induce side effects, or might have interactions with certain drugs, anyone intending to use them or their products must first consult with a physician or another qualified health care professional. TRAMIL has no responsibility whatsoever towards the user for any decision, action or omission made in relation to the information contained in this Pharmacopoeia.

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Manihot esculenta

Vernacular names

Martinique:

Haiti:

Dominican Republic:

Haiti:

Dominican Republic:

Geographical distribution

Botanical description

Voucher(s)

Pharmacopoeia

References

Disclaimer