My Experience With Pepper Fruit
When I first saw pepper fruit I was told they were called monkey peppers, after what seemed so long of surfing the internet, it didn't pop up rather I got pictures of Monkey pepper soup (pepper soup made with monkey meat). I was frustrated so I kind of gave up. When I saw it again, this time I decided to use google lens by searching with a picture, yeah, that didn't work out. Then it occurred to me to just ask the seller, don't know why I thought she wouldn't know but even after she told me it was pepper fruit I still doubted her because it sounded so obvious and like something coined till I googled it again and there it was plastered across my screen: Pepper Fruit!.
I've lived in Lagos state for over 16 years and so when I moved to Uyo I was introduced to fruits that I haven't seen before or even heard of and I was curious. I never said no to anything till I tasted them myself. My experience with pepper fruit was the same, it was new and I was curious, firstly they had this bean pod shape, then they were of different colours: pink/red, orange, and green. But I lost interest in them immediately after I ate them, it had a tangy taste with a mild peppery aftertaste.
Nutritional and Medicinal Benefits
Dennettia tripetala commonly known as Pepperfruit is a medicinal plant found in West Africa. It is dominant in the southern region of Nigeria. The fruits when found in the market are a mixture of green, pink/red and orange, this is because the fruits are green when developing and turn red when ripening. The fruits and seeds are edible and a delicacy because of their spicy nature. Extracts from the fruit have been shown to have anti-fungal, insecticidal and appetite-enhancing properties. It also contains the following nutrients:
62% Carbohydrates, 9.84% Protein, 3.47% Lipids, 8% Moisture, Mineral contents include Calcium (1.8%), Phosphorus (0.33%), Potassium (2.5%), Magnesium (2.42%), and vitamins contents include water-soluble Vitamins Thiamine, Niacin and Riboflavin, Presence of essential oils and phenolic acids, alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, glycoside. The essential oil and phenolic acid extracts have been proven to slow down the growth of food microorganisms.
Traditionally in combination with other plants, pepper fruit is used to treat ailments such as fever, cough, sore throat, infantile convulsion, worm infestation, toothache, stomach upset and even masking mouth odors. The seeds when consumed during pregnancy or added to pregnant women's diet, helps to aid uterine contraction.
Although it has many nutritional and medicinal benefits, the presence of evidence confirms the plant/fruit can be addictive to consumers who eat it often.
References
- Iseghohi S. O. (2015). A Review of the Uses and Medicinal Properties of Dennettia tripetala (Pepperfruit). Medical sciences (Basel, Switzerland), 3(4), 104–111. https://doi.org/10.3390/medsci3040104
- Daniyan, M. O., Adeyipo, T. F., Oyemitan, I. A., Okwuese, P. B., Ekundina, V. O., & Akanmu, M. A. (2021). In vivo and in silico studies of Dennettia tripetala essential oil reveal the potential harmful effects of habitual consumption of the plant seed. Toxicology reports, 8, 1488–1497. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.toxrep.2021.07.019
- Nwosu, R. A., Suleiman, M. M., Makun, H. J., Ameh, M. P., Shetshak, M. A., & Akefe, I. O. (2022). In vitro anthelmintic activity of Dennettia tripetala G. Baker (Annonaceae) Fruits against Haemonchus contortus. Journal of parasitic diseases : official organ of the Indian Society for Parasitology, 46(1), 220–229.https://doi.org/10.1007/s12639-021-01438-2
- Okwu, D.E., & Morah, F.N. (2004). Mineral and nutritive value of Dennettia tripetala fruits. Fruits, 59: 437-442