Marula fruit is rich in vitamin C and antioxidants, making it beneficial for the immune system and skin health. It is widely used in various products such as oils, jams, and liqueurs.
In a recent Health For Mzansi article, agronomist and PhD student Hamond Motsi from Stellenbosch University notes that marula trees are primarily located in game parks and rural areas across Limpopo, KwaZulu-Natal, the Eastern Cape, and Mpumalanga.
“The fruits contain a significant amount of vitamin C in their pulp, ranging from 62 – 400 mg/100 g, which is similar to that of oranges and mangoes and higher than that of other fruits,” Motsi says.
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The medicinal benefits of marula extend beyond its fruit. The tree’s leaves, bark, and roots are used traditionally for various treatments. The Zulu people, for example, use stem bark to treat dysentery, diarrhoea, and infections like gangrenous rectitis, while the Venda people use it to address fever, stomach ailments, and ulcers.
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Motsi explains, “Marula can also be beneficial in treating conditions such as diabetes mellitus, snakebite, pruritis, pharyngitis, splenomegaly, goitre, dysentery, proctitis, stomach ailments, ulcers, fever, malaria, arthritis, skin diseases, and sore eyes.”
Rendani Nemakanga, a crop scientist with the Limpopo department of agriculture and rural development, says marula trees thrive in hot areas and sandy clay soil and are typically wild-growing.
Marula does not require much. It grows well with organic fertilisers such as kraal manure or chicken manure, explains Nemakanga. She adds that marula trees begin to bear fruit after about four years, with yields becoming substantial by the sixth year.
READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE.
This article was first published on Health For Mzansi and written by Vateka Halile.
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