Crataegus pinnatifida
Encyclopedia
Crataegus pinnatifida, also known as Chinese hawthorn or shānzhā ( literally means "mountain hawthorn"), refers to a small to a medium-sized tree as well as the fruit of the tree. The fruit is bright red, 1.5 inches in diameter.
, as well as candied fruit slices, jam, jelly and wine.
and traditional Chinese medicine
, primarily to strengthen cardiac output, and scientific evidence is accumulating of the potential pharmacological effects of chemical compounds isolated from plants in the genus Crataegus. The dried fruits of Crataegus pinnatifida (called shān zhā in Chinese) are used primarily as a digestive aid.
Recent research has shown that polyphenol
s derived from the fruit of the tree have anti-tumor activities on on skin, indicating a potential use in preventing skin cancer.
Culinary use
In northern Chinese cuisine, ripe Crataegus pinnatifida fruits are used in the dessert tanghulu. It is also used to make the traditional haw flakesHaw flakes
Haw flakes are Chinese sweets made from the fruit of the Chinese hawthorn. The dark pink candy is usually formed into discs one millimeter thick. Some Chinese people take the flakes with bitter Chinese herbal medicine.-History:...
, as well as candied fruit slices, jam, jelly and wine.
Medicinal use
Several species of hawthorn are used in naturopathic medicineNaturopathic medicine
Naturopathy, or Naturopathic Medicine, is a form of alternative medicine based on a belief in vitalism, which posits that a special energy called vital energy or vital force guides bodily processes such as metabolism, reproduction, growth, and adaptation...
and traditional Chinese medicine
Traditional Chinese medicine
Traditional Chinese Medicine refers to a broad range of medicine practices sharing common theoretical concepts which have been developed in China and are based on a tradition of more than 2,000 years, including various forms of herbal medicine, acupuncture, massage , exercise , and dietary therapy...
, primarily to strengthen cardiac output, and scientific evidence is accumulating of the potential pharmacological effects of chemical compounds isolated from plants in the genus Crataegus. The dried fruits of Crataegus pinnatifida (called shān zhā in Chinese) are used primarily as a digestive aid.
Recent research has shown that polyphenol
Polyphenol
Polyphenols are a structural class of natural, synthetic, and semisynthetic organic chemicals characterized by the presence of large multiples of phenol structural units...
s derived from the fruit of the tree have anti-tumor activities on on skin, indicating a potential use in preventing skin cancer.
See also
- List of culinary fruits
- PhytotherapyPhytotherapyPhytotherapy is the study of the use of extracts from natural origin as medicines or health-promoting agents.Traditional phytotherapy is often used as synonym for herbalism and regarded as "alternative medicine" by much of Western medicine, although effects of many substances found in plants have...
- Listing in Flora of China