Akee

At a glance

Origin / distribution: Upper Volta, Mozambique, Ivory Coast, West Indies, Ghana, Nigeria, Haiti, Guatemala

Cultural traditions: not documented

Recorded uses: Ache(Rib), Anodyne, Antiemetic, Epilepsy

Science studied: TRANS-ALPHA-AMINO-2-CARBOXYCYCLOPROPANE-ACETIC-ACID, ASH, CARBOHYDRATES, BETA-CAROTENE

Research volume: 0 indexed records · volume only · methodology ↗

Legal status: Varies by jurisdiction; not assessed in this record.

Names and identity

Family: Sapindaceae

Scientific name: Blighia sapida

Common names: Akee, Seso Vegetal, Ackee Apple, Akibaum, Akipflaume (DE), Akée, Arbre à fricasser, Castanha-da-jamaica, Cervelle végétale, Huevo de gato, Vegetable Brain (EN), ackee, akee, akee-apple

POWO: 782152-1 · WCVP June 2026 / POWO backbone

History

The source record documents this plant in Upper Volta, Mozambique, Ivory Coast, West Indies, Ghana, Nigeria, Haiti, Elsewhere and 2 additional places.

It records these historical or traditional applications:

• Ache(Rib)
• Anodyne
• Antiemetic
• Epilepsy
• Fatality
• Massage
• Migraine
• Ophthalmia

This summary is limited to the cited source record.

Origins and distribution

• Upper Volta
• Mozambique
• Ivory Coast
• West Indies
• Ghana
• Nigeria
• Haiti
• Elsewhere
• Guatemala
• Sierra Leone

Documented cultural uses

• Ache(Rib)
• Anodyne
• Antiemetic
• Epilepsy
• Fatality
• Massage
• Migraine
• Ophthalmia
• Orchitis
• Piscicide
• Poison
• Stimulant

Cultural record detail

These entries are transcribed from the cited ethnobotanical source; they do not represent current advice or a claim of efficacy.

• Ache(Rib) · Upper Volta · "
• Anodyne · Upper Volta · "
• Antiemetic · Mozambique · "
• Epilepsy · Ivory Coast · "
• Epilepsy · Mozambique · "
• Epilepsy · Upper Volta · "
• Fatality · West Indies · "
• Massage · Ghana · "
• Migraine · Upper Volta · "
• Ophthalmia · Upper Volta · "
• Orchitis · Upper Volta · "
• Piscicide · Ghana · "
• Piscicide · Nigeria · "
• Poison · Haiti · "
• Poison · Elsewhere · "
• Poison · Guatemala · "
• Poison · Ivory Coast · "
• Stimulant · Ghana · "
• Yaws · Upper Volta · "
• Yellow Fever · Ivory Coast · "
• Edema · Upper Volta · "
• Antidote · Upper Volta · "
• Antiemetic · Ivory Coast · "
• Conjunctivitis · Upper Volta · "

6 additional documented entries remain in the source record.

Contemporary uses

Contemporary practice is not documented separately in this record.

Scientific research

Indexed records indicate research activity; they do not establish efficacy or safety.

Indexed research records

• Subacute Toxicity of Aqueous Leaf Extract of Blighia sapida (K.D. Koenig) on Key Biochemical indices of Male Wistar Rats · 2026 source ↗
• In-silico study of the bioactive compounds of Blighia sapida koenig revealed a novel Plasmodium falciparum dihydroorotate dehydrogenase inhibitor for malaria. · 2026 source ↗
• Antimalarial, Antioxidant and Hepatoprotective Activities of Ethanol Extract of Blighia sapida K.D. Koenig (Sapindaceae) in Plasmodium berghei-infected Mice. · 2025 source ↗

Scientific compounds

Chemical presence is not evidence of clinical efficacy.

• TRANS-ALPHA-AMINO-2-CARBOXYCYCLOPROPANE-ACETIC-ACID
• ASH
• CARBOHYDRATES
• BETA-CAROTENE
• FIBER
• GLYCYLGLYCYLGLYCINE
• Y-L-GLUTAMYL-ALPHA-AMINO-B-(2-METHYLENE-CYCLOPROPYL)-PROPIONIC-ACID
• HYPOGLYCIN
• KILOCALORIES
• NIACIN
• PHOSPHORUS
• PROTEIN
• RIBOFLAVIN
• THIAMIN
• WATER
• ASCORBIC-ACID

Legality

No exact international trade listing was returned by the CITES checklist for this accepted name. Country-specific law is not assessed here.

Consult the CITES species checklist for current international and national requirements.

Reference images

Sources

Plants of the World Online (POWO) · Kew data terms; cite POWO/WCVP

World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP) · CC BY 3.0

CC0 · Dr. Duke raw CSV archive

Contributions and revisions

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