Cacao

At a glance

Origin / distribution: Panama(Cuna), Dominican Republic, Latin America, Ghana, Haiti, Philippines, Venezuela, Mexico

Cultural traditions: not documented

Recorded uses: Antiseptic, Burn, Coffee, Cough

Science studied: ACETIC-ACID, ALKALOIDS, AMYL-ACETATE, AMYL-BUTYRATE

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

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

Names and identity

Family: Sterculiaceae

Scientific name: Theobroma cacao

Common names: Cacao, Bikinka, Buah Coklat

POWO: 320783-2 · WCVP June 2026 / POWO backbone

History

The source record documents this plant in Elsewhere, Panama(Cuna), Dominican Republic, Latin America, Ghana, Haiti, Philippines, Venezuela and 3 additional places.

It records these historical or traditional applications:

• Antiseptic
• Burn
• Coffee
• Cough
• Dentifrice
• Dry-Lip
• Emmenagogue
• Eye

This summary is limited to the cited source record.

Origins and distribution

• Elsewhere
• Panama(Cuna)
• Dominican Republic
• Latin America
• Ghana
• Haiti
• Philippines
• Venezuela
• Mexico
• Japan*
• South America

Documented cultural uses

• Antiseptic
• Burn
• Coffee
• Cough
• Dentifrice
• Dry-Lip
• Emmenagogue
• Eye
• Kidney
• Listlessness
• Parasiticide
• Parturition

Cultural record detail

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

• Antiseptic · Elsewhere · "
• Antiseptic · Panama(Cuna) · "
• Burn · Dominican Republic · "
• Burn · Elsewhere · "
• Coffee · Latin America · "
• Cough · Ghana · "
• Dentifrice · Ghana · "
• Dry-Lip · Haiti · "
• Emmenagogue · Philippines · "
• Eye · Elsewhere · "
• Eye · Panama(Cuna) · "
• Kidney · Dominican Republic · "
• Listlessness · Panama(Cuna) · "
• Parasiticide · Panama(Cuna) · "
• Parturition · Elsewhere · "
• Pilatory · Venezuela · "
• Rheumatism · Haiti · "
• Wound · Mexico · "
• Bite(Snake) · Mexico · "
• Diuretic · Dominican Republic · "
• Liqueur · Latin America · "
• Pregnancy · Panama(Cuna) · "
• Suppository-Base · Japan* · "
• Wound · Elsewhere · "

3 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

• Role of theobromine and caffeine in resistance to Phytophthora spp. in Theobroma cacao. · 2026 source ↗
• Developmental progression toward embryogenic competence in Theobroma cacao L.: an integrated cytohistological and molecular analysis · 2026 source ↗
• Contrasting Embryogenic Trajectories Reveal Spatial Control as a Key Determinant of Embryogenic Competence in Theobroma cacao L. · 2026 source ↗

Scientific compounds

Chemical presence is not evidence of clinical efficacy.

• ACETIC-ACID
• ALKALOIDS
• AMYL-ACETATE
• AMYL-BUTYRATE
• AMYLASE
• APIGENIN-7-O-GLUCOSIDE
• 3-ALPHA-L-ARABINOSIDYL-CYANIDIN
• P-ANISIC-ACID
• ARACHIDIC-ACID
• ARGININE
• BIOTIN
• N-BUTYLACETATE
• CAFFEINE
• CALCIUM
• CAMPESTEROL
• CATALASE

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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