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Mondia whitei
From South Africa
Ezekiel 47:12 "And by the river upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, shall grow all trees for meat, whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed: it shall bring forth new fruit according to his months, because their waters they issued out of the sanctuary: and the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine."
Nicknames: It's called 'gondolosi' in Chichewa, and in Kenya it is known as 'mukombero'[2] Other nicknames for Mondia whitei include: Whites ginger;[4]
Ethnobotany: What is Ethnobotany? "The American botanist John W. Harsh-berger coined the term "ethnobotany" in 1895 to describe studies of "plants used by primitive and aboriginal people". His 1896 publication, the Purposes Of Ethnobotany, is generally accepted as a starting point for this field as an academic discipline."[1] Having said that, let's get into the cultural applications of Mondia whitei of south Africa. It's used in its homeland to treat erectile dysfunction(difficulting getting or keeping erections) [as an aphrodisiac for men], to help with sleep, for stress(as an adaptogen), depression, menstrual pain, and generally appetite and libido.[3][4][5][6] In all of the African countries documented using this ethnobotanical, and across all of the tribes that used it, Mondia was also used as an aphrodisiac.[4] In Cameroon, the fresh root bark has been traditionally known to increase the libido, and in Ghana it is believed to increase sperm production.[4]
Cultivation Tips: It's said to be very easily grown, and can easily be vegetatively propagated. It grows well in almost any soil, and any environmental conditions.[4]
Plant Family: Apocynaceae;[2] Genus: Mondia;[2] Species: M. whitei;[2]
Natural Habitat: It's indigenous to Tropical Africa from Guinea, to Cameroon, to East Africa.[4]
Mixes well with: The properties of this plant would mix very well with Sutherlandia frutescens(the Cancer Bush), as well as Pau'darco and Echinacea.
OG Observations: There's just not a whole lot of people out there publishing quality content that breaks down the pharmaocology and science behind these herbal remedies like I'm doing. I feel important doing this and am thrilled to be a part of it. I also enjoy taking these scientific discoveries, and then using them to back up the concept of intelligent design, and God basically. I want people to see that the science says herbal remedies work, and that pharmaceutical crap is a diabolical ploy to deprive the masses of the best medicine on earth, while feeding them tainted versions that cause more harm than they do good, for money, control, and to keep people unhealthy for profit. Death is a business.
Phytochemicals:
These are complex pharmacological components of the Mondia whitei species. Phytochemist have isolated: flavonoids, terpenoids, cardiac glycosides, steroids, phlobatannins and phytosterols. The source I cite for those chemicals states that seventeen (17) compounds have been found, with major components being n-hexadecanoic acid (23.80%). It goes on to confirm that their research concludes that "The exhibited antibacterial activities justify the ethnomedicinal uses of M. whitei root."[12] So in other words, the product works.What is Phytochemistry? What are Phytochemicals?
Phytochemistry is an important branch of science that ties in with ethnobotany. Ethnobotany research helps phytochemist know which plants to study in the lab, so they can prove that the indigenous cultures who used them were not hallucinating, but really were experiencing what they claimed to be, miraculous health benfits from the use of these plants. Phytochemist study the pharmacology of plants in the lab. Plants produce something called phytochemicals, which give them their medicinal properties.[11]Pharmacological / Medicinal Properties:
The dried roots are chewed and the sap is swallowed for appetite stimulation, stomach pain, indigestion and body pain, gastrointestinal disorders, gonorrhea, post-partum bleeding, pediatric asthma, and to stop vomiting.[4] One of the many academic sources that I cite states: "chronic administration of M. whitei root bark extract, showed androgenic properties in male rats"[4] If you're wondering what "androgenic" means, here is your answer.. "A type of hormone that promotes the development and maintenance of male sex characteristics."[10] So obviously this plant works with the bodies natural systems that tie into hormones, libido, peptides, and the development of male sex characteristics. It's interesting that it's specifically mentioned time and time again for being a MALE aphrodisiac, and this seems source to confirm that.A really good scholarly source explains in detail how the mechanisms behind Mondia whitei and its properties are able to effect libido in the human body. "Chemical studies of mondia from root extracts show both an unknown alkaloid and 2-hydroxy-4-methoxybenzaldehyde (Kubo and Kinst-Hori 1999) reported to exhibit tyrosinase activity (tyrosinase activity is involved in the melanin synthesis) (Nihei et al. 2004). A chlorinated coumarinolignan (5-chlopropacin) has been found in the roots of M. whitei (Patnam et al. 2005)."[4] If you're wondering what melanin synthesis is, so was I. I looked it up, and a solid source says that it is: "The process of melanin synthesis and distribution is called melanogenesis, a process that is based on melanocytes present among the basal cells of the epidermis"[7] If you're still thinking "I don't know wtf that means".. , neither do I.. I looked into it further and found that it plays a role in boosting libido. It seems that scientist have figured out that: "Melanocortinergic agents are also powerful inducers of sexual arousal that are being investigated for a possible therapeutic role in erectile dysfunction."[8] To answer the next question you have in mind, "The melanocortin system refers to a set of hormonal and neuropeptidergic pathways"[9] We all know hormones affect libido, so we can see where this is going. Bottom line, natural remedies are miracles and they work precisely with our biology, as God intended. Sense the melanocortin system has to do with hormones and peptides, hints the neuropeptidergic pathways, scientist are able to precisely hone in on how these herbal remedies work, and that they DO in fact work.
Related Ethnobotanicals:
Buy Mondia Whitei
Academic citations:
[3] Oketch-Rabah, Hellen A. "Mondia whitei, a medicinal plant from Africa with aphrodisiac and antidepressant properties: a review." Journal of dietary supplements 9.4 (2012): 272-284.
[4] SANGUINOLENTA, CRYPTOLEPIS. "Medicinal Crops of Africa."
[5] Jain, Nayan. "Study of herbal drugs for the treatment of sexual dysfunction." PharmaTutor 7.1 (2019): 11-24.
[6] Githinji, Charles Githua. A bioguided preclinical evaluation of Antinociceptive effects of Mondia Whytei plant extracts. Diss. University of Nairobi, Kenya, 2010.
[7] Maranduca, Minela Aida, et al. "Synthesis and physiological implications of melanic pigments." Oncology Letters 17.5 (2019): 4183-4187.
[8] Faulkner, Latrice D., et al. "Reduced melanocortin production causes sexual dysfunction in male mice with POMC neuronal insulin and leptin insensitivity." Endocrinology 156.4 (2015): 1372-1385.
[9] Yeo, G. S. H., et al. "The melanocortin pathway and energy homeostasis: from discovery to obesity therapy. Mol Metab 48: 101206." 2021,
[11] Johnson, Ian T. "Phytochemicals and cancer." Proceedings of the Nutrition Society 66.2 (2007): 207-215.
[12] Shehu, Abdullahi, et al. "Phytochemical and Antibacterial Evaluations of Chloroform Extract of Mondia whitei (Hook F) Skeels." Tanzania Journal of Science 48.4 (2022): 741-746.
Government Sources:
[10] National Cancer Institute [Cancer.gov] https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms/def/androgen
[1] Balick, Michael J., and Paul Alan Cox. Plants, people, and culture: the science of ethnobotany. Garland Science, 2020.
Encyclopedia Sources:
[2] Wikipedia contributors. (2023, December 20). Mondia whitei. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 21:28, December 5, 2024, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mondia_whitei&oldid=1190813101
Other resources:
M.A.P.S. Ethnobotanical Studies By Scholars
PubChem - pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov