''Pimenta racemosa'' is a species of plant in the myrtle family (

Myrtaceae Myrtaceae (), the myrtle family, is a family of dicotyledonous plants placed within the order Myrtales. Myrtle, pōhutukawa, bay rum tree, clove, guava, acca (feijoa), allspice, and eucalyptus are some notable members of this group. All ...

) that is native to the

Caribbean The Caribbean ( , ; ; ; ) is a region in the middle of the Americas centered around the Caribbean Sea in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, mostly overlapping with the West Indies. Bordered by North America to the north, Central America ...

region. Common names include West Indian bay tree, bay rum tree, and ciliment.

Uses

It is used in cooking and an essential oil is distilled to produce a fragrant

cologne Cologne ( ; ; ) is the largest city of the States of Germany, German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with nearly 1.1 million inhabitants in the city pr ...

called

bay rum Bay rum is a type of cologne and aftershave lotion. Other uses include as under-arm deodorant and as a fragrance for shaving soap, as well as a general astringent. Origins It is a distillate that was originally made in Saint Thomas "and proba ...

; although the name is similar to names of flavored alcoholic beverages, the concentrated essential oil from the fruit is toxic and renders the product undrinkable. The leaves are also used for herbal teas.

Anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive properties

Extracts from multiple varieties of ''Pimenta racemosa'' display

anti-inflammatory Anti-inflammatory is the property of a substance or treatment that reduces inflammation, fever or swelling. Anti-inflammatory drugs, also called anti-inflammatories, make up about half of analgesics. These drugs reduce pain by inhibiting mechan ...

properties. These properties are mediated in part by

terpenes Terpenes () are a class of natural products consisting of compounds with the formula (C5H8)n for n ≥ 2. Terpenes are major biosynthetic building blocks. Comprising more than 30,000 compounds, these unsaturated hydrocarbons are produced predomi ...

such as

abietic acid Abietic acid (also known as ''abietinic acid'' or ''sylvic acid'') is a diterpenoid found in coniferous trees. It is supposed to exist to defend the host plant from insect attack or various wounds. Chemically, it is a complicated molecule featurin ...

and

lupeol Lupeol is a pharmacologically active pentacyclic triterpenoid. It has several potential medicinal properties, like anticancer and anti-inflammatory activity. Natural occurrences Lupeol is found in a variety of plants, including mango, '' Acaci ...

, which alter

neutrophil Neutrophils are a type of phagocytic white blood cell and part of innate immunity. More specifically, they form the most abundant type of granulocytes and make up 40% to 70% of all white blood cells in humans. Their functions vary in differe ...

migration into inflamed regions. ''Pimenta racemosa'' also demonstrates

antinociceptive In physiology, nociception , also nocioception; ) is the sensory nervous system's process of encoding noxious stimuli. It deals with a series of events and processes required for an organism to receive a painful stimulus, convert it to a molecular ...

properties and has historically been used as an

analgesic An analgesic drug, also called simply an analgesic, antalgic, pain reliever, or painkiller, is any member of the group of drugs used for pain management. Analgesics are conceptually distinct from anesthetics, which temporarily reduce, and in s ...

in the Caribbean.

Description

The tree is 4–12 m tall and the white flowers, about 10 mm wide, become black, oval fruits measuring 7–12 mm.Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER)
Myrtaceae: ''Pimenta racemosa''
(by J.W.Moore) The ideal conditions for ''P. racemosa'' are regular irrigation and bright sunshine.

Ecology

''Pimenta racemosa'' is widely introduced and can become an invasive weed. The plants are now grown widely in other tropical areas, including

Oceania Oceania ( , ) is a region, geographical region including Australasia, Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. Outside of the English-speaking world, Oceania is generally considered a continent, while Mainland Australia is regarded as its co ...

References

External links

racemosa Plants described in 1933 Trees of the Caribbean Flora without expected TNC conservation status {{Myrtaceae-stub