Scientific Names: Prunus armeniaca
Common names: Armenian Plum, Americana Vulgrus
Ayurvedic names: Urumana
Chinese names: ku xing ren
Bangladesh names: Khubani fal
Arabic names: المشمش (almishmish)
Rain Forest names:
Family: Rosaceae
Approximate Number of Species Known:
Common Parts Used: Kernels, oil
Collection:
Annual/Perennial:
Height: 8-12 metres
Actions:
Known Constituents: Beta-carotene, fibre, vitamin C, citric acid, tartaric acid, 6.3% sugar, 0.7% protein, 2.5% ash and 2.5% pectin
Constituents Explained:
Description:
One of the ancient fruits of history, the Apricot was first cultivated in India in 3000 BC and to many represent the first signs of summer.
Relatives of the peach, apricots are small golden-orange fruits with velvety skin and flesh. They are generally smooth and sweet, but not too juicy. Their flavor is described as almost musky, with a faint tartness that lies somewhere between a peach and a plum.
Dried and canned apricots are available year-round, while fresh apricots are in season in North America from May through August.
Any fresh fruit you see during the winter months will most probably have been imported from either South America or New Zealand.
Traditional Use:
Apricots are considered a good food to take after a main meal for overall health and are said to be a good antiseptic with anti-inflammatory properties.
Fruit is used in different countries to combat digestive and respiratory diseases.
Apricot flowers are considered a useful tonic for fecundity in women.
Bark of the apricot tree is a good astringent.
The seed is analgesic and anti-asthmatic. The seed has a substance known as Laetral, which is considered good in the treatment of cancer.
Clinical Studies:
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia and is characterized by the progressive accumulation of amyloid β protein (Aβ) in areas of the brain. There has been an increased interest in screening for food-grade anti-amyloidogenic compounds in foodstuffs.
A study was conducted to screen and identify bioactive compounds with anti-amyloidogenicity in apricot fruits using synthetic Aβ(1-42). The anti-amyloidogenicity was investigated using thioflavin T fluorescence assay, electron microscopy, and dot blotting analysis.
The carotenoid fraction from apricot showed strong inhibitory effects against oligomer and fibril formation of Aβ and fibril-destabilizing effects. Lutein showed the strongest inhibitory effect on Aβ fibril formation. The inhibitory effect was dependent on the number and portion of hydroxyl groups on both sides of carotenoids. These findings suggest that lutein in fruits may be useful as a preventive agent for amyloid-associated diseases.
Ansu apricots growing wild in north Xinjiang, China are recognised as being one of the major wild-plant resources in China. In order to improve the level of comprehensive utilisation and the number of cultivated apricot varieties, the chemical composition of ansu apricot oil was analysed. The antioxidant activities were also evaluated.
Seven components of ansu apricots oil were identified, and the total unsaturated fatty acid (FA) (TUFA) and total essential FA (TEFA) contents of the ansu apricot oil were found to be 90.35 g/100 g and 48.93 g/100 g, respectively. The scavenging capacity of the ansu apricots oil in the superoxide anion radical system and the hydroxyl radical system performed better.
The results obtained in this study clearly suggest that ansu apricot oil is a natural source of antioxidants and could serve as a functional food ingredient with potential application in food products and thus provide related health benefits.
References:
Katayama S, Ogawa H, Nakamura S. “Apricot Carotenoids Possess Potent Anti-Amyloidogenic Activity In Vitro.” 2011 December. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22043804
Tian HL, Zhan P. “Chemical Composition And Antioxidant Activities Of Ansu Apricot Oil Growing Wild In North Xinjiang, China.” 2011 July http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21711172
source material:
Herb Name: Apricot
Other Names: Armenian plum, Americana vulgrus
Latin Name: Prunus Americana
Family: Rosaceae
Common parts Used: Fruit, seed, flower ( medicinal)
Apricot is considered to be cultivated in India 3000BC, it is considered of Ancient fruit in history. Apricot grows on tree of 8 to 12 meter length. It belongs to the family Rosaceae. The flowers of Apricot are hermaphrodite. The pollination occurs through insects.
Apricot is considered as fruit. It can be eaten cooked as well as raw. The fruit can be dried and used later. An Apricot contains 6.3% sugar, 0.7% protein, 2.5% ash and 2.5% pectin. Seed can be eaten raw or cooked. Edible gum can also be obtained from the trunk of apricot.
Apricot is considered to be rich in Citric and Tartaric acid. They are good when taken after food for overall health. Salty fruit is a good antiseptic and anti-inflammatory. The fruit is also used in different countries for digestive and respiratory diseases. The flowers of Apricot are considered as tonic for fecundity in women. The bark of the tree is a good astringent. The seed is analgesic, antiasthmatic. The seed has a substance known as Laetral, which are considered good for treatment of cancer .