Liver sausage tree

The liverwurst tree is a small to medium-sized tree that is native to West Africa but is now widespread throughout Africa. The appearance of the fruit is reminiscent of a liver sausage, which gave the species its name. Kigelia africana has brown-red flowers that open at night. The fruits are sausage-like, up to 45 cm long and 12 cm wide and hang on stalks up to 20 cm long.

No phytotherapeutic use recommended.

Commission E: not processed

ESCOP: not processed

HMPC: not processed

In the cosmetics industry: Kigelia africana extract (INCI)

Naturopathy: Use not recommended.

Cosmetics industry: Kigelia africana extract, an extract from the fruit of the tree, is used in cosmetic formulations.

In the fruits, roots and bark: quinone lapachol, sterols stigmasterol and β-sitosterol, dihydroisocoumarins 6-methoxymellein, kigelin, desmethylkigelin. Furthermore, terpenoid aldehydes, iridoids and naphthoquinones as well as the cinnamic acid derivatives ferulic acid and caffeic acid

1. Hagers Enzyklopädie der Arzneistoffe und Drogen; Springer Medizin Verlag, Heidelberg, 2008.
2. https://www.awl.ch/heilpflanzen/kigelia_africana/leberwurstbaum.htm