''Artocarpus lacucha'', also known as monkey jack or

monkey fruit Monkey fruit is a common name for several plants and can refer to some species in the following genera: *''Artocarpus'', particularly ''Artocarpus lacucha'' and '' Artocarpus rigidus'' *''Garcinia ''Garcinia'' is a genus of flowering plants in t ...

, is a tropical evergreen tree species of the family

Moraceae The Moraceae — often called the mulberry family or fig family — are a family of flowering plants comprising about 38 genera and over 1100 species. Most are widespread in tropical and subtropical regions, less so in temperate climates; however ...

. It is distributed throughout the

Indian Subcontinent The Indian subcontinent is a list of the physiographic regions of the world, physiographical region in United Nations geoscheme for Asia#Southern Asia, Southern Asia. It is situated on the Indian Plate, projecting southwards into the Indian O ...

and

Southeast Asia Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, south-eastern region of Asia, consistin ...

. The tree is valued for its wood; its fruit is edible and is believed to have medicinal value. In

Northeastern Thailand Northeast Thailand or Isan (Isan/ th, อีสาน, ; lo, ອີສານ; also written as Isaan, Isarn, Issarn, Issan, Esan, or Esarn; from Pali ''īsānna'' or Sanskrit ईशान्य ''īśānya'' "northeast") consists of 20 provin ...

, the wood is used to make

pong lang The pong lang ( th, โปงลาง, , ) is a xylophone from the Isan region of northeast Thailand. The instrument may be played as a standalone instrument, in pairs with one player playing melody and the other harmonizing, or as part of an o ...

, a local traditional instrument. The stilbenoid

oxyresveratrol Oxyresveratrol is a stilbenoid. It is found in the heartwood of ''Artocarpus lakoocha'' and in the traditional drug 'Puag-Haad' made from it. It is also the aglycone of mulberroside A, a compound found in ''Morus alba ''Morus alba'', known as w ...

can be isolated from the heartwood of ''Artocarpus lacucha'' as well as in ''Puag Haad'', the light brown powder obtained from the aqueous extract of the wood chips of ''A. lakoocha'' by boiling, then slow evaporation, followed by cooling. This traditional drug is effective against the intestinal fluke ''

Haplorchis taichui ''Haplorchis taichui'' is a species of intestinal fluke in the family Heterophyidae. It is a human parasite. Distribution This species occurs in: Taiwan, the Philippines, Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Palestine, Iraq, Egypt, Malaysia, Thailan ...

'' or against

taeniasis Taeniasis is an infection within the intestines by adult tapeworms belonging to the genus '' Taenia''. There are generally no or only mild symptoms. Symptoms may occasionally include weight loss or abdominal pain. Segments of tapeworm may be see ...

. This tree is mentioned in the

Arthashastra The ''Arthashastra'' ( sa, अर्थशास्त्रम्, ) is an Ancient Indian Sanskrit treatise on statecraft, political science, economic policy and military strategy. Kautilya, also identified as Vishnugupta and Chanakya, is ...

. Arthashastra/Book XIII

References

External links

* *
Antioxidant and toxicity activities of ''Artocarpus lakoocha'' Roxb. heartwood extractFruit with foliageCrops for the Future: Barhal (''Artocarpus lakoocha'')
{{Taxonbar, from=Q759430 lacucha Flora of the Indian subcontinent Flora of Indo-China

See also

References

External links