Salvadora persica | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Rosids |
Order: | Brassicales |
Family: | Salvadoraceae |
Genus: | Salvadora |
Species: | S. persica |
Binomial name | |
Salvadora persica | |
Salvadora persica or the toothbrush tree is a small evergreen tree native to the Middle East, Africa and India. [1] Its sticks are traditionally used as a natural toothbrush called miswak and are mentioned by the World Health Organization for oral hygiene use. [1] [2]
Other names include arak, jhak, pīlu, and mustard tree. [1]
The genus was named by the French botanist Laurent Garcin in 1749 after a Spanish apothecary, Juan Salvador y Bosca. The type specimen was collected in Persia, hence the species name persica. [1]
Salvadora persica is a small tree or shrub with a crooked trunk, [3] [ need quotation to verify ] typically 6–7 metres (20–23 ft) in height. [1] Its bark is scabrous and cracked, whitish with pendulous extremities. The root bark of the tree is similar in colour to sand, and the inner surfaces are an even lighter shade of brown. It has a pleasant fragrance, of cress or mustard, as well as a warm and pungent taste. The leaves break with a fine crisp crackle when trodden on. The tree produces small red edible fruits, juicy but pungent, in clusters.
The plant is native to the Middle East and Africa, [4] and is found on desert floodplains, riverbanks, and grassy savannahs. [1] It has high tolerance for salty soils and can tolerate as little as 200 millimetres (8 inches) or less of mean annual rainfall, but it prefers ready access to groundwater. [1]
Salvadora persica stick, known as miswak, is popular for teeth cleaning throughout the Arabian Peninsula, Iranian Plateau, as well as the wider Muslim world. [1] [5]
Toothbrushes made from roots and small branches of about 3–5 mm diameter have been used for over 1000 years, especially by Islamic populations in India, Arabia and Africa. Several agents occurring in the bark and wood have been suggested as aids in prevention of dental caries [cavities], such as antimicrobial agents that suppress bacterial growth and the formation of plaque. [1]
The fresh leaves can be eaten as part of a salad and are used in traditional medicine. [3] The flowers are small and fragrant and are used as a stimulant and are mildly purgative. [3] The berries are small and barely noticeable; they are eaten both fresh and dried. [3] The wood of the Salvadora persica can be used for charcoal and firewood. [6] In Namibia, the mustard bush is used as drought-resistant fodder for cattle. The seeds can be used to extract a detergent oil. [4]
As of 2009, Botanic Gardens Conservation International has a total of eight Salvadora persica plants in conservation. [7]
The Brassicales are an order of flowering plants, belonging to the eurosids II group of dicotyledons under the APG II system. One character common to many members of the order is the production of glucosinolate compounds. Most systems of classification have included this order, although sometimes under the name Capparales.
A toothbrush is a special type of brush used to clean the teeth, gums, and tongue. It consists of a head of tightly clustered bristles, atop of which toothpaste can be applied, mounted on a handle which facilitates the cleaning of hard-to-reach areas of the mouth. They should be used in conjunction with something to clean between the teeth where the bristles of the toothbrush cannot reach - for example floss, tape or interdental brushes.
Sassafras is a genus of three extant and one extinct species of deciduous trees in the family Lauraceae, native to eastern North America and eastern Asia. The genus is distinguished by its aromatic properties, which have made the tree useful to humans.
Mustard may refer to:
Sclerocarya birrea, commonly known as the marula, is a medium-sized deciduous fruit-bearing tree, indigenous to the miombo woodlands of Southern Africa, the Sudano-Sahelian range of West Africa, the savanna woodlands of East Africa and Madagascar.
Pandanus tectorius is a species of Pandanus (screwpine) that is native to Malesia, Papuasia, eastern Australia, and the Pacific Islands. It grows in the coastal lowlands typically near the edge of the ocean. Common names in English include thatch screwpine, Tahitian screwpine, hala tree and pandanus. The fruit is edible and sometimes known as hala fruit.
The miswak is a teeth-cleaning twig made from the Salvadora persica tree. The miswak's properties have been described thus: "Apart from their antibacterial activity which may help control the formation and activity of dental plaque, they can be used effectively as a natural toothbrush for teeth cleaning. Such sticks are effective, inexpensive, common, available, and contain many medical properties".
Searsia lancea commonly known as karee, is an evergreen, frost hardy, drought resistant tree, which can reach up to 8 metres in height with a 5-metre spread. It is one of the most common trees on the Highveld and in the Bushveld in South Africa, but not found in the Lowveld. In North America, where it is naturalised, it is known as African sumac and willow rhus.
Salvadora oleoides is a small bushy evergreen tree found in India and Pakistan and southern Iran.
Streblus asper is a tree known by several common names, including Siamese rough bush, khoi, serut, and toothbrush tree. It is a medium-sized tree native to dry regions in Indonesia, Cambodia, Thailand, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, and Vietnam.
Dalbergia sissoo, known commonly as North Indian rosewood or shisham, is a fast-growing, hardy, deciduous rosewood tree native to the Indian subcontinent and southern Iran. D. sissoo is a large, crooked tree with long, leathery leaves and whitish or pink flowers.
Salvadoraceae is a family in the plant order Brassicales, consisting of three genera with a total of 11 known species. They occur in Africa, Southeast Asia, and on Java, suggesting they are probably found in much of Malesia. They are often found in hot, dry areas.
Sarakan is the brand name for a range of oral health products owned by G.R Lane Health Products Ltd.
A teeth-cleaning twig is an oral hygiene tool made from a twig from a tree. It can help to prevent tooth decay and gum disease.
Holistic dentistry, also called biological dentistry, biologic dentistry, alternative dentistry, unconventional dentistry, or biocompatible dentistry, is the equivalent of complementary and alternative medicine for dentistry. Although the holistic dental community is diverse in its practices and approaches, common threads include strong opposition to the use of amalgam in dental fillings, nonsurgical approaches to gum disease, and the belief that root canal treatments may endanger systemic health of the patient through the spread of trapped dental bacteria to the body. Many dentists who use these terms also regard water fluoridation unfavorably.
Meswak is a fluoride-free toothpaste brand that was launched in India by Balsara Hygiene in 1998. The toothpaste is marketed as a herbal toothpaste as it is made from extracts of the Salvadora persica plant. The teeth cleaning twig of the plant is reputed to have been used over 7,000 years ago.
Cassia sieberiana, the drumstick tree, is a tree in the family Fabaceae native to Africa. It ranges from 10 to 20 metres in height and has very bright yellow flowers. It is used for multiple medical purposes in Africa and is found in the secondary jungle of a forest.
Commiphora africana, commonly called African myrrh, is a small deciduous tree belonging to the Burseraceae, a family akin to the Anacardiaceae, occurring widely over sub-Saharan Africa in Angola, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Chad, Eswatini, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Senegal, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. On sandy soils this species sometimes forms pure stands, deserving consideration as a plant community or association.
Pilu oil is an extract from seeds of the Pilu tree, also known as the toothbrush tree. It is used for soaps, detergents, and resist dyeing.
Phyllogeiton discolor, known as bird plum or brown ivory in English, is a tree native to southern and eastern Africa including Madagascar. It is a broadleaf tree growing to 18 m (60 ft).