Vernacular names
(In territories with significant traditional TRAMIL use)
Dominican Republic:
- nuez moscada
Dominica:
- nutmeg
Saint Lucia:
- nutmeg
Botanical description
Tree dioecious 6-18 m high with a dense crown and aromatic wood. Leaves simple, alternate, oblong-elliptic, acutely acuminate, pinnately veined, dark green shiny above, paler beneath, 5-15 cm x 2-7 cm; male inflorescences usually 1-10 flowered cyme, fragrant, pale yellow, female inflorescences a 1-3 flowered cyme, but usually 1-flowered, pale yellow; fruit a fleshy, smooth, yellow, sub-globose, drupe, 3-6 cm long with a circumferential, longitudinal ridge; seed brown, ovoid 1.5-4.5cm long covered with a lacinate, red aril.
Voucher(s)
Fournet,4309,GUAD
García,1653,JBSD
Slane,986,SLNH
Pharmacopoeia
Ed.2References
1 JEAN-PIERRE L, 1988 TRAMIL survey. St. Lucia national herbarium, Castries, St Lucia.
2 CHARLES C, 1988 TRAMIL survey. Movement for Cultural Awareness MCA, Roseau, Dominica.
3 GERMOSEN-ROBINEAU L, GERONIMO M, AMPARO C, 1984 Encuesta TRAMIL. enda-caribe, Santo Domingo, Rep. Dominicana.
4 WHO, 1991 Guidelines for the assessment of herbal medicines. WHO/TRM/91.4. Programme on Traditional Medicines, WHO, Geneva, Switzerland.
5 NUÑEZ MELENDEZ E, 1964 Plantas medicinales de Puerto Rico. Río Piedras, Puerto Rico: Univ. of Puerto Rico - Est. Exper. Agricola, 245.
6 SCHENK H, LAMPARSKY D, 1981 Analysis of nutmeg oil using chromatographic methods. J Chromatogr204(1):391-395.
7 JANSSEN AM, CHIN NLJ, SCHEFFER JJC, BAERHEIM-SVENDSEN A, 1980 Screening for antimicrobial activity of some essential oils by the agar overlay technique. PharmWeekbl (Sci Ed) 8(6):289-292.
8 SUSUKI H, HARADA M, 1990 Identification of nutmeg by thin-layer chromatography and its introduction to Japanese standards for nonpharmacopoeial crude drugs. Eisei Shikensho Hokoku 108:98-100.
9 ORABI KY, MOSSA JS, EL-FERALY FS, 1991 Isolation and characterization of two antimicrobial agents from mace (Myristica fragans). J Nat Prod 54(3):856-859.
10 MATSUMOTO A, MATSUMOTO T, TOKUDA H, 1991 Lignans from mace as neoplasm inhibitors. Patent Japan Kokai Tokkio Koho, 03,287, 527.
11 HOSTETTMANN K, LEA P (Eds.), 1987 Biologically Active Natural Products. Oxford, England: Oxford Science Publications.
12 DUKE JA, ATCHLEY AA, 1986 Handbook of proximate analysis tables of higher plants.Boca Raton, USA: CRC Press.
13 SAITO Y, KIMURA Y, SAKAMOTO T, 1976 The antioxidant effects of petroleum ether soluble and insoluble fractions from spices. Eiyo to shokuryo vryo29:505-510.
14 OZAKI Y, SOEDIGDO S, WATTIMENA YR, SUGANDA AG, 1989 Antiinflammatory effect of mace, aril ofMyristica fragans Houtt and its active principles. Jpn J Pharmacol 49(2):155-163.
15 ICHIKAWA K, KINOSHITA T, SANKAWA U, 1989 The screening of Chinese crude drugs for Ca2+ antagonist activity: identification of active principles from the aerial part of Pogostemon cablin and the fruits of Prunus mume. Chem Pharm Bull 37(2):345-348.
16 WESLEY-HADZIJA B, BOHING P, 1956 Influence of some essential oils on the central nervous system of fish. Ann Pharm Fr14:283-289.
17 MORII L, 1987 Topical antitussive, expectorant, analgesic and sedative agents. Patent-Japan Kokai Tokkyo Koho 62(59):219.
18 CARR CJ, 1973 Evaluation of the health aspects of nutmeg, mace and their essential oils as food ingredients. US NTIS PB REP PB-266-878:1-17.
19 DUKE J, 1985 Handbook of medicinal herbs. Boca Raton, USA: CRC Press.
20 TRUITT EB, CALLAWAY E, BRAUDE MC, KRANTZ JC, 1961 The pharmacology of myristicin. A contribution to the psychopharmacology of nutmeg. J Neuropsychiatry 2(4):205-210.
21 BARTLETT B, 1911 Nutmeg poisoning. Brit Med J 2:269.
22 JOHNSON J, 1906 Nutmeg poisoning. Brit Med J 2:984.
23 STAGER J, WUTHRICH B, JOHANSSON SG, 1991 Spice allergy in celery-sensitive patients. Allergy 46(6):475-478.
24 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS, 2002 Food and drugs. Chapter I - Food and drug administration, department of health and human services. Part 182 - Substances generally recognized as safe. Sec. 182.10. Spices and other natural seasonings and flavorings. U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access, USA. 21(3):451-452. Feb. 24, 2003, URL: http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/CFRSearch.cfm?C…
25 CARBALLO A, 1995 Cálculo de concentración y dosis de las drogas vegetales TRAMIL: Mensuraciones farmacognósticas y aproximaciones técnico-clínicas. Laboratorio provincial de producción de medicamentos, Sancti Spiritus, Cuba.
26 PAZOS L, COTO T, CAIZA F, 2009
Irritación dérmica, dosis repetida en piel sana de conejos, del polvo del fruto de Myristica fragans. Informe TRAMIL. Laboratorio de Ensayos Biológicos, LEBi, Universidad de Costa Rica, San Pedro, Costa Rica.