Cullen plicatum

Among the Mapuche of southern Chile, Bennett et al., 2021 note that infusions or decoctions of the seeds of Cullen plicatum were used as washes for inflammatory skin lesions and as mild teas to “cool” fevers, but the same monograph also records the plant as largely unfamiliar and rarely prepared locally. By contrast, in India’s Ayurvedic tradition as described in the Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India, the seeds are boiled in water to make a decoction for chronic ulcers, skin disorders, and as a blood‑purifying tonic, and the powdered seed is made into a poultice with ghee for eruptive diseases. In Sudan, Ahmed & Abdel Rahman, 2009 describe that seed pastes and decoctions are applied to wounds and that the seeds are chewed as part of routine dental care, while several sections of the Egyptian Journal of Traditional and Complementary Medicine have reported topical seed pastes and washes for scabies and other dermatoses. Regional surveys around Lake Victoria (Okello et al., 2013) note that the seeds are ground and simmered to make a bitter tea taken in small doses for diarrhea and that seeds are also used to brush the teeth for strength and freshness.

One practical recipe from a community source (Seifu, 2004; Ethiopian Famine Food Compendium) is a mild seed infusion: measure 1–2 teaspoons (about 2–4 g) of dried, cleaned Cullen plicatum seeds, add them to a cup (about 200–250 ml) of just‑boiled water, cover, and steep 10–15 minutes before straining. This preparation has been reported for occasional use as a gastro‑intestinal tea and as a topical wash; do not exceed one cup per day and discontinue if irritation occurs. As a cautionary note, psoralens in the seeds are phototoxic and can cause severe burns if the treated skin is exposed to strong sunlight or UV light, so avoid sun exposure for several hours after any skin application and never use during pregnancy or in nursing children.

The principal active constituents are well established for the species: psoralen and its methyl ether, isopsoralen (angelicin), together with bakuchiol and several isoflavonoids such as corylifolinin and psoralidin (Stirtz et al., 1990; Tokuyama et al., 2000). These compounds plausibly explain the traditional activities—antimicrobial and anti‑inflammatory effects for topical skin uses, astringent and antidiarrheal actions for oral preparations, and psoralen’s photosensitizing properties behind historic photochemotherapy for vitiligo.

Today, the plant remains present in ethnomedical practice across East and North‑East Africa and continues to be used in small quantities as a dental stick and topical wash in rural communities, while modern research explores psoralen‑based photochemotherapies and bakuchiol’s cosmetic potential.

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