Mespilodaphne quixos
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| Mespilodaphne quixos | |
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| Dried Ishpingo (O. quixos) cupules | |
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| Species: | O. quixos
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| Binomial name | |
| Ocotea quixos | |
Ocotea quixos is a species of evergreen tree in the Ocotea genus of plants in the Lauraceae family. It is a species of tree found in Ecuador and Colombia.
Growth conditions
Ishpingo seeds have a diameter of almost 1 inch [1] and grow in soil which is mildly acidic. It grows at an annual rate of roughly 6 inches for the first three years of its life.[1] After flowering starts, the flowers are produced once every two years.[2]
History
The Ishpingo species was previously described by Charles Marie de La Condamine in the mid 1700s and later agin in the early 1900s by the botanist Richard Spruce.[3] Ishpingo belongs to the Lauraceae family and the bark is used to produce 'Ecuadorian' (or 'American') cinnamon which bears some resemblance to common cinnamon (which also comes from a tree in this family).[4] Otherwise known in Quechua as Ishpingo (which directly refers to the flowers [2]), and more recently as Flor de Canela.[5]
Use as a flavouring
The taste of Ecuadorian cinnamon is thought to come from the presence of methyl cinnamate and trans-cinnamaldehyde which are also found in the essential oils which come from the flower calices of the plant. While some reports show it has been used as a flavouring since Incaic times, modern equidorians still use this spice during general cooking and the production of food for rituals. Offerings to family ancestors for example, sometimes include food such as mazamorra morada and beverages such as the alcoholic drink alajua, both of which require the use of ishpingo as a key ingredient.[6]
Medicinal uses
The oils have previously been used in the traditional medicine of some Amazonian tribes for their anti-inflammatory properties and some peer-reviewed data also support this theory. Investigation of trans-cinnamaldehyde showed that it significantly reduced the production of NO by macrophages (cells of the immune system), which is something that normally occurs during inflammation. The same study of methyl cinnamate did not show this effect.[7] It has also been shown that this oil can reduce the chance of blood clot formation by preventing platelet aggregation in the blood.[8]
References
- ^ a b steve starnes. "Hawaiian Tropical Plant Nursery: Spice & Beverage Plants". Hawaiiantropicalplants.com. Retrieved 2012-08-05.
- ^ a b "Ocotea Essential Oil - A Gift from the Amazon Basin of Ecuador". Experience-essential-oils.com. Retrieved 2012-08-05.
- ^ http://digitalcommons.trinity.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1080&context=tipiti
- ^ "Ecuador culinary tradition: Colada Morada con Guaguas de Pan « Galapagos Islands and Ecuador Travel Blog". Sangay.wordpress.com. Retrieved 2012-08-05.
- ^ "Food Chemistry - Chemical composition and biological activities of Ishpingo essential oil, a traditional Ecuadorian spice from Ocotea quixos (Lam.) Kosterm. (Lauraceae) flower calices". ScienceDirect.com. Retrieved 2012-08-05.
- ^ "Journal of Ethnopharmacology - Ocotea quixos, American cinnamon". ScienceDirect.com. Retrieved 2012-08-05.
- ^ http://www.compassionateconsulting.net/uploads/Ocotea_quixos_PDF_article_in_Fitoterapia_try_2.pdf
- ^ "Pharmacological Research - Antiplatelet and antithrombotic activities of essential oil from wild Ocotea quixos (Lam.) Kosterm. (Lauraceae) calices from Amazonian Ecuador". ScienceDirect.com. Retrieved 2012-08-05.