SOLÉA HERBAL — Plants, their properties, your balance.

Identity & origin

BOTANICAL IDENTITY

The right name is the first step.

Borassus aethiopum is documented in Kew’s SEPASAL inventory. This notice identifies the taxon and a selection of attributed historical uses. It does not recommend medicinal use.

Part used: roots · inflorescences
Origin & distribution: See the linked taxonomic record for distribution; the origin of the documented practice is not inferred from the plant’s range.

Also known as: Borassus aethiopum Mart., Borassus deleb Becc.

The accepted name is reconciled with GBIF; historical source names remain visible as synonyms. Other species and plant parts are not interchangeable. A photograph cannot confirm an identification for consumption.

An illustration is not enough to identify a plant for consumption. Do not forage for a species based solely on this profile.

Uses & evidence

UNDERSTANDING THE USES

Properties & uses.

Reported historical use

Historical record: other digestive system disorders/effects

SEPASAL records an earlier use involving roots under “other digestive system disorders/effects” (use group 34404). This is a documentary report, not a demonstrated action in humans. The entry does not establish an effective dose, safety or a suitable home preparation. The original publications are cited by Kew; they have not all been consulted directly.

Use reported in a survey or inventory. This establishes neither benefit nor safety.

Read the source

Reported historical use

Historical record: syphilis

SEPASAL records an earlier use involving roots under “syphilis” (use group 34407). This is a documentary report, not a demonstrated action in humans. The entry does not establish an effective dose, safety or a suitable home preparation. The original publications are cited by Kew; they have not all been consulted directly.

Use reported in a survey or inventory. This establishes neither benefit nor safety.

Read the source

Reported historical use

Historical record: other infection/infestation disorders/effects

SEPASAL records an earlier use involving inflorescences under “other infection/infestation disorders/effects” (use group 34408). This is a documentary report, not a demonstrated action in humans. The entry does not establish an effective dose, safety or a suitable home preparation. The original publications are cited by Kew; they have not all been consulted directly.

Use reported in a survey or inventory. This establishes neither benefit nor safety.

Read the source

The traditional uses described are not clinical proof of effectiveness. Evidence for one preparation cannot automatically be applied to another.

Precautions before use

BEFORE ANY USE

Precautions & contraindications.

This guidance does not cover every individual situation. Missing information is not a guarantee of safety.

The following warnings do not constitute a complete review of interactions or contraindications. An unstudied combination cannot be considered compatible.

Contraindications & precautions

Historical record only. Do not prepare or consume this plant based on this notice.
A complete clinical contraindication assessment is not available in the references used here. Missing information is not evidence of safety.

Medicine interactions

Interactions have not been systematically assessed in this historical inventory. Compatibility with medicines cannot be established.

“Reported” does not prove causality; “possible” may reflect indirect evidence. “None reported” means none in the cited source, not that all combinations have been studied. Do not stop a prescribed treatment based on this profile.

Adverse effects

The historical inventory does not provide a complete adverse-event assessment.

Pregnancy & breastfeeding

Safety during pregnancy and breastfeeding is not established here. No medicinal use is recommended.

Children & adolescents

No paediatric preparation or dose is validated by this notice. Do not extrapolate historical adult uses to children.

If symptoms persist, worsen or are unusual, consult a healthcare professional. In an emergency, contact the emergency services.

SEPASAL, use group 34408 — Sambou, B., Lawesson, J.E., Barfod, A.S. — 1992 — Borassus aethiopum, a threatened multiple purpose palm in Senegal GBIF — Borassus aethiopum Mart.

Sources & last review

CHECKING REFERENCES

Sources for this profile.

SEPASAL, use group 34408 — Sambou, B., Lawesson, J.E., Barfod, A.S. — 1992 — Borassus aethiopum, a threatened multiple purpose palm in SenegalAccessed on 09/10/2026
GBIF — Borassus aethiopum Mart.Accessed on 09/10/2026

Image: Jon Paul Rodríguez · CC BY 4.0. View the original image and its licence. Image resized and converted to WebP.