Butternut tree and Nepal

Butternut tree is known as chiuri or mauwa in Nepal and India including south-east. It belongs to family Sapotaceae. Since different types are reported across the different parts of Asia its scientific name is quite conflicting. However, most of the chiuri plants reported in Nepal belongs to the genus Diploknema and species butyraceae. Also, Madhuca longifolia is reported from some lower terrains of Nepal.

There's an interesting fact regarding this tree. It is given as dowry to daughters by the chepang community of Nepal. chepang are the ethnic community living in Chitwan district. Also, the local community of baitadi believes that a tree of butter is equal to 10 air-conditioners and acts as a coolant. Farmers and travelers take rest in the canopy of chiuri.

The height of chiuri ranges from 3m to 14m with a good canopy cover of around 10-100m². Flowering is observed in clusters and has a good fruiting quality. The fruit of chiuri is believed to be a secondary fruit in hills and mid-hills where litchi is lacking. As the season of availability and somehow it tastes like litchi.

Source of cooking oil

Chiuri is one of the potential plant used to extract oil where its domain is dense. Mainly baitadi, darchula, surkhet, dadeldhura, and dang people are involved in their collection and extraction of oil. The oil is extracted from its seed and its detail is shown in fig. [1] The so extracted oil is used as a source of cooking oil in exchange with mustard or sunflower oil.

Ethnobotany of chiuri in Nepal

Ethnobotanical studies focusing on chiuri is lacking in Nepal. however, a recently published research paper highlighting the use of medicinal plants includes the use of chiuri in the treatment of ailments like ulcer, diarrhea [2]. However several works of literature focusing on the antimicrobial, antibacterial and antifungal activity of chiuri plant extract have been published. The details of this will be discussed in its use as a medicinal plant.

Medicinal importance of chiuri

Chiuri is thought to be the potential of curing diarrhea to cancer. Several kinds of literature reported several activities of chiuri [1], [3]. Some of them are:

Seeds: seeds of chiuri mainly after extraction, oil is used for massage, body pain, teeth pain,

Leaves and barks: fungal infection, stomach disorder, ulcer, cancer, bacterial infection, diarrhea, dysentery, teeth pain.

Flowers: flowers are used as anti-coagulants.

Multipurpose use of chiuri

Though nutritionally and medicinally important chiuri is not been given much importance but recently published material focused on multipurpose use of chiuri in Nepal along with its potentiality. Multi-purpose use includes uses of chiuri as a source of fruit, like jams and jelly, cakes, pastry, biscuits, candies, condiments. Also, the quality of, quality extracted purified oil has superior quality than that of diesel [1].

Agricultural importance of chiuri

Though we are not familiar with the agricultural importance of chiuri these are the potential plant in the field of agriculture. In the preparation of organic poison for killing fishes, we refer to chiuri leaves and barks. The use of chiuri leaves as fodder has its great fodder value in livestock farms during dry periods. Also, the oilseed cake after extraction of oil is used as a fertilizer in the field. Is not only corresponds to yield but also suppresses the insect pest incidence in the field and fungal contamination. Some of the researches are also thought to have its use decreases the nematode population in the soil [1].

Thus chiuri is serving people from table to field and from kitchen to hospitals. So there should be awareness among peoples for the use of it and further exploring its research so that all must be aware of knowing about it. Still, the ethnobotanist's view on this plant is not much high in the Nepalese context. Chiuri, an evergreen plant has a potential role in providing aid in climate change adaption by increasing carbon sequestration and purifying the surrounding air.

Thank you for reading this.

Sandesh Thapa

Figures in the parenthesis are cited in the references

References

[1]        sandesh. thapa, “(PDF) CHIURI: A REVIEW ON ITS MULTIPURPOSE USE IN NEPAL,” Int. J. Agric. Environ. Res., vol. 5, no. 4, pp. 527–538, 2019.

[2]        Sandesh Thapa, Sara Rawal , Anuska Prasai , Janak Adhikari , Sarika Bist and Anup Ghimire, “A case study of medicinal plants and their usage by the local community of Dilasaini Gaunpalika , Baitadi district , Nepal Archives o,” no. March, 2020.

[3]        “(PDF) Madhuca Lonigfolia (Sapotaceae): A review of its traditional uses and nutritional proporties.” [Online]. Available: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/257536534_Madhuca_Lonigfolia_Sapotaceae_A_review_of_its_traditional_uses_and_nutritional_proporties. [Accessed: 04-Apr-2020].