Re: Re: Source of Vit C Portulaca afra/Elephant Bush & Purslane

[Guest guest]

Just how much vitamin C is in 2 leaves of jade plant?

Alobar, I have no clue, and can't find a ref on line. It could be an old

wive's tale.

One thing though - although the plant I mean is called Jade here in Western

Australia, that might be incorrect. When I looked more closely at the

photos, the crassula ovata is not the plant I am referring to, but another

that I own. The plant that looks more like the one I mean seems to be

called Elephant's Food, Portulacaria afra. Also Elephant Bush. Spekboom.

Baby Jade.

http://www.users.qwest.net/~rjbphx/Portulacaria.html seems to refer to the

plant I mean, but although it is quite a long article doesn't seem to know

about any medicinal aspect and says it is unanalysed.

Further search took me to

http://www.e2121.com/herb_db/viewherb.php3?%20viewid=161 which might be of

interest to Purslane users. I didn't know its name when it was bring

discussed before, but have known it all the time I have been in Australia.

A friend said that during WWII when the Dutch were interned in Indonesia (I

think it was) they used to eat this plant. I have some growing here, but

have never got around to eating it, though I did eat it when we first came

to Australia after she told me about it.

The website page says about Purslane: The herb contains large amounts of

L-noradrenaline and dopamine and a small amount of dopa as well as vitamins

B1, B2, and C, carrotene, potassium salts, glucose, cellulose, calcium,

phosphorus, iron, etc.

Every 10O g of the edible part contains 2.3 g of protein, 0.5 g of fat, 3 g

of sugar, 85 mg of calcium, 56 mg of phosphorus, 1.5 mg of iron, 2.23 mg of

carotene, 0.03 mg of thiamine, 0.11 mg of ovoflavin, 0.7 mg of nicotinic

acid, and 23 mg of vitamin C. In in vitro experiments showed a

concentration of 1:4 solution revealing bactericidal action on dysentery,

bacilli and Eschericher coli. Clinically, it has been reported that fresh

purslane porridge yields preventive action on epidemic dysentery in several

thousand cases observed. In a comparative study, it was shown that wild

fresh purslane yields anti-dysentery action similar to that of sulfonamides

and synthomycin. The decoction of the purslane can also inhibit typhoid

bacillus, Staphylococcus aureus, and some pathogenic fungi.

The article says The purslane tree (Portulacaria afra), native to South

Africa, is a fleshy-leaved, soft-wooded tree up to 4 m high. I don't know

whether this would have similar properties, but it would therefore seem to

be related to Purslane.

Well, I am fed up searching now, and have not found any reference to what

I'm looking for. So Alobar, I still can't direct you to anybody except my

friends in Perth, who state with calm certainty that the leaves of this bush

etc. so eat two leaves a day!

Rowena

which I would if my plant had done any good here. It survived without

prospering, but in recent garden activities was uprooted and died!

http://www.greenstranger.com/catalog2004.html says PORTULACARIA AFRA

ELEPHANT WEED: Pleasantly sour tasting small (½ " ) succulent leaves on

soft-wooded branches and trunk (a tree to 12' in Africa, a shrub here). Good

as a pot plant. Likes dryness and warmth. Elephants love it.

The Society for Economic Botany apparently said the West Indian Cherry was

the Richest Known Source of Natural Vitamin and called ... Portulacaria

afra Jacq. - A Potential Browse Plant.

www.econbot.org/index/chronological_index.html