Pistacia lentiscus classification
Mastic tree (Pistacia lentiscus L) belongs to family Anacardiaceae. This family is commonly known as sumac or cashew. Pistacia lentiscus L is mostly found in the Mediterranean region. Family Anacardiaceae belongs to order Sapindales.
Plant Description
Mastic tree (Pistacia lentiscus) produces a resin which is known as mastic resin or tears of Chios. The naming tears come from that the resin is produced as tears or droplets. While the naming Chios is attributed to that the tree is grown on the island Chios in Greece. Mastic tree is evergreen tree. Its height is ranging from 1 to 5 m. It has a very strong smell of resin. It is grow in dry and rocky areas in Mediterranean region and Europe. In appropriate areas, when allowed to grow freely and age, it often becomes a tree of up to 7 m.
The
leaves of Mastic tree are alternate and leathery. The leaf is compound
paripinnate. It is consisted of five or six pairs of deep-green leaflets. The male flower is very small with five stamens. The
female flower has a 3-part style. The fruit is a
drupe, first red and then black when ripe. The fruit, although not commonly
consumed, is edible and has a tart raisin-like flavour.
Plant
culinary use
In the Eastern
part of the Mediterranean region, peoples use Chios mastic as a spice for baking and cooking. Chios
mastic adds its aroma to brioches, ice cream and other desserts [3].
It is used in Greek, Cypriot, Syrian, and Lebanese cuisine, and recently in Japanese
cuisine. Early, it was used as chewing gum; hence, the name. In Lebanon, Mastic
is used in sauces, ice cream, and condiment. In
Egypt, mastic is used in vegetable preserves, and in jams that have a gummy
consistency. It is also used in soups and in savory dishes, such as Egyptian
chicken, duck, rabbit and fish recipes. It is usually paired with cardamom. In
Morocco, it is used in the preparation of smoked foods. In Syria, it is added
to booza (Syrian ice cream). In Turkey, Mastic is commonly used in soft
drinks and in puddings such as sütlaç, salep, tavuk göğsü, mamelika. It is also
used in desserts such as dondurma and Turkish
delight. On the Aegean coast, Turkish coffee is
mixed with mastic syrup. In the Maghreb countries, mastic is used mainly in
cakes, sweets, and pastries and as a stabilizer in meringue and nougat. In
Greece, mastic is used in a spoon sweet known as a "submarine", in
beverages, chewing gum, sweets, desserts, breads and cheese. It is also used to
stabilize loukoumi and ice cream. In Jordan, Mastic, Chewing Gum Company use mastic as one of
the main ingredients (in addition to glucose) in their mastic-flavored gums.
Plant medicinal uses
It was found that mastic is effective for indigestion, stomach, and intestinal ulcers. Symptoms of indigestion are improved by taking mastic gum for 3 weeks [4]. These Symptoms include upper heartburn, stomach pain, and abdominal pain. The symptoms of the healing in people with intestinal ulcers improve by taking mastic powder for 2 weeks. In addition, early research suggested that taking mastic powder by mouth for 4 weeks improves stomach ulcers.
It was suggested that taking mastic by mouth for 4 weeks improves symptoms and reduces test markers for swelling in people with Cohn’s disease. It was also found that taking mastic gum for 2 weeks helps eliminate Helicobacter pylori infections in some, but not all, people 5 weeks after finishing treatment. However, it seems that using mastic gum to eliminate Helicobacter pylori infections is less effective in comparing to take a combination of pantoprazole, clarithromycin, and. Amoxicillin. In addition, it was recommended that brushing with toothpaste containing essential oil of mastic for 12 weeks reduces gum diseases better than using toothpaste alone. Gum diseases include plaque buildup, redness, swelling, and bleeding of the gums. More evidence is needed to rate the effectiveness of mastic for using to treating Cohn’s disease caused by Helicobacter pylori. More evidence is also needed to assured the effectiveness of mastic in treating gum disease, breathing problems, muscle aches, bacterial and fungal infections, repelling insects, improving blood circulation and cuts.
Reference
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pistacia_lentiscus
تعليقات