Trees of Mexico Sea grape Medicinal Usesfor Glucose Lowering, Ulcers, Asthma

By Liliana Usvat    
Blog 327-365

Names: Sea grape (English), Uva de Mar (Spanish), Sak tabka'an (Maya), Coccoloba uvifera,  Polygonaceae 
Family. Native to America coasts.  Coastal Sea-grape shrubs have stout branches, seldom a distinct trunk.  Inland it can grow up to 4 meters high lovely tree; enjoys full sun with sandy or limestone soil, resists draught well. Sea-grape's fragrant white flowers spikes give bees and ants a feast.  Fruits clusters are filled  fleshy wild grapes, great food for birds, bats, and mammals.

Duration: Perennial, Evergreen

Edible parts of Sea Grape:

Fruit - raw. A sweet but rather insipid flavour. The fruit is about 6mm in diameter.
 
Uses

Coccoloba uvifera is most often used in landscaping, as well as a dune stabilizer and coastal windbreak. Tall sea grape plants are used to make a light barrier between coastlines to protect sea turtles
The reddish fruits of the sea grape may be eaten raw, cooked into jellies and jams, or fermented into sea grape wine^. 
Sea grape wine may also be fermented into sea grape vinegar, which is also useful in cooking.
The sap of the sea grape is used  for dyeing and tanning of leather.
It is sometimes used as a subject for bonsai.

 History
 
The first botanical names of the plant were assigned in 1696 by Hans Sloane, who called it Prunus maritima racemosa, "maritime grape-cluster Prunus", and Leonard Plukenet, who named it Uvifera littorea, "grape-bearer of the shore", both of which names reflect the European concept of "sea-grape", expressed in a number of languages by the explorers of the times. The natives viewed it as a large mulberry.

Reforestation and Beach Stabilization

It is moderately tolerant of shade, but will grow towards the sun. It’s very tolerant of salt so it is often planted to stabilize beaches.
 
Plants can be used for ground cover, spaced about 60cm apart each way.

Propagation of Sea Grape:

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in the autumn in a greenhouse. It can also be sown in spring in a greenhouse in a sandy compost. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots as soon as they are large enough to handle and grow them on for at least their first winter in a greenhouse. Plant out in the spring or early summer after the last expected frosts and give some protection in their first winter. Division in spring or autumn. Layering. 

Medicinal Uses
 
- Astringent, antidiarrheal, antidysentery.
- Studies suggest antibacterial, antifungal, photoprotective and glucose lowering properties. 
juice and decoction of wood, bark and roots are used to treat dysentery, hemorrhages, venereal disease.
- Applied externally for rashes and skin afflictions.
- Decoction of leaves used to treat asthma, hoarseness and to wash wounds.
- Astringent roots and bark used in traditional medicine of Puerto Rico and the Caribbean.
- In the Dominican Republic, decoction of leaves used for menopausal symptoms, diarrhea, tumors, anemia, skin irritations, asthma. 
-The plant also has antiviral effects, particularly against influenza. The stems are a pungent, bitter, warm herb that dilates the bronchial vessels whilst stimulating the heart and central nervous system. The stems are also antitussive, diuretic, diaphoretic, febrifuge, hypertensive, nervine, tonic and vasoconstrictor. 
 - In the Yucatan, alcohol added to tea made from bark of sea grape is taken for ulcers.
- In French Guiana, astringent juice from whole plant, known as "Jamaica kino", used to treat diarrhea and dysentery. Decoction of stem used for intestinal disorders.
- Study of fruit of Coccoloba uvifera for in vitro antioxidant capacity showed free radical scavenging and antioxidant properties which may be due to the presence of phytochemicals in the fruit such as anthocyanins, ascorbic acid, phenolic compounds, and flavonoids.
- Glucose Lowering: Case studies have shown glucose lowering effect with daily ingestion of tea brewed from Coccoloba uvifera leaves. There is concern for lowering the blood sugar too much, especially with concurrent use of pharmaceutical hypoglycemics

Preparation of Leaf Extract: 
 
  Preparation of leaf extract is done by immersing coccoloba uvifera leaves in water, heating the water to boiling for about 4 hours. This brewing time must be just enough to dissolve the compound from the leaves. The active compounds are resistant to the low gastric pH and high temperatures.

Links

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coccoloba_uvifera 
http://www.stuartxchange.com/SeaGrape
http://www.naturalmedicinalherbs.net/herbs/e/ephedra-distachya=sea-grape.php