Guandúl Health Dictionary

Pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan).

Plant Part Used: Leaf, root, seed (bean).

Dominican Medicinal Uses: Seeds: cooked as a legume for nutrition. Leaf: poultice, applied externally for arthritis and joint pain. Root: strong decoction, to induce abortion.

Safety: Seeds widely consumed and generally considered safe; plant extracts have shown toxic effects in animal studies; more information needed to determine safety of plant in humans.

Laboratory & Preclinical Data: In vitro: antibacterial, antimicrobial, antigonorrheal (leaf extracts); antimalarial (root constituents); antisickling (seed extract).

* See entry for Guandúl in “Part 3: Dominican Medicinal Plant Profiles” of this book for more information, including references.