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Yeheb
(Cordeauxia edulis Hemsl.) and Animal Production
in Somalia
Dr. Asha
Yahya
Department
of Crop Production Ecology,
Swedish
University of Agricultural Sciences - SLU
Uppsala, Sweden
Somalia has the highest number of endemic plants in the Horn of Africa
including Ethiopia, Eritrea and Djibouti (Friis et al., 2005). This unique and rich flora
has given the Somali pastoralists the possibility to conscientiously choose the grazing
areas for their animals. Therefore, Somalis developed, through the centuries, livestock
production system that is closely adapted to the extended and dynamic biophysical
environment of their territory. Depending on the season and pattern of rainfall the Somali
pastors move to the areas where they can find the most suitable feed of the season for
their animals.
Yeheb (Cordeauxia edulis
Hemsley), a densely branched shrub, is endemic to the Central Zone of Somalia (Thulin,
1983), which is well known for its high quality meat production. C. edulis belongs to the plant family Fabaceae (Caesalpinioideae) and is the only species within
the genus Cordeauxia. It is a hardy shrub that
survives, and produces nutritious and tasty seed (usually referred to as nut) where
rainfall is irregular and as low as 150-200 mm year-1. It is an evergreen shrub
growing in a rangeland dominated by deciduous plant species mainly thorn-bushes of Acacia
and Commiphora and is therefore of vital importance for livestock production as a dry
season feed (Kucher 1987; Ali, 1988). The main
characteristics of the soil where C. edulis is
found are deep red loamy sand with poor fertility and usually slightly alkaline pH 6.7 -
8.4 (Bally, 1966; Drechsel and Zech, 1988; FAO, 1988).
Studies carried out on C. edulis
stands in Central Somalia showed an average forage yield of 322-453 kg ha-1 and
seed production of up to 1527 kg ha-1 year-1 (Ali, 1988; Yahya and
Durand, 1993). Considering the dry conditions at which C. edulis grows its yield in forage and
particularly in seeds may be considered high. It has been shown that the fodder is rich in
energy when compared to standard energy content of good quality fodder available in
tropical areas (Drechsel and Zech, 1988).
The seeds with a thin easily cracked testa and a chestnut-like flavour, eaten
fresh, or boiled for sweet liquor, occasionally roasted, make an unusually nourishing and
balanced food. The seeds are rich in energy containing 37% starch, 24% sugars, 13% protein
rich in lysine 11% fats and various minerals (FAO, 1988; Miège and Miège; 1978, El-Zeany and Gutale,
1982). The main characteristics of the seeds are their high sugar and fat content compared
to other Fabaceae seeds (Greenway and Raymond, 1947; NAS, 1979). The energy value, 4460
kcal per kg, is twice that of the carob, Ceratonia
siliqua, and as much as that of soya, Glycine
max (NAS, 1979). According to Miège and Miège (1978) the seeds are free of the toxic
phytohemagglutinins, lectins, alkaloids and glycosides. The seeds are sometimes sold in
towns where they are promptly bought and often preferred to the usual diet of dates and
rice (NAS, 1979).
Some of the livestock coming from the Central Zone of Somalia, appreciated
especially for the taste of their meat by domestic and foreign consumers, have a
characteristic pink colour on their bones. To most Somali consumers this is a mark of the
quality meat from animals that have browsed C.
edulis. Most probably the pigment found in glands in the leaves of C. edulis, Cordeauxiaquinone or its metabolites
bring about this phenomenon as only animals that feed on C. edulis get this pink colour on their skeleton.
This natural pigment Cordeauxiaquinone, with a brilliant pink colour, is not known
elsewhere in the plant kingdom (Lister et al., 1955; Harborn et al., 1971). Its chemical
structure has been thoroughly studied by Lister et al., (1955). These authors wrote that
this pigment is easily extracted from the leaves and easily crystallised: from 380 g dry
matter of leaves they obtained about 2.7 g Cordeauxiaquinone in crystal form. The
crystallised pigment can be dissolved in Chloroform, Benzol, Ethanol, but little in Ether or water. Cordeauxiaquinone dose not contain
nitrogen, sulphur or halogens and its molecular formula
was elucidated as C14H12O7.
Medicinal properties have been ascribed to Cordeauxiaquinone (Gutale and
Ahmed, 1984). From Veterinary inspections, before export to foreign countries or to the
slaughterhouses, animals coming from Central Zone of Somalia does not show any noticeable
anomalies in their appearance and when examined for the most common diseases. The
fertility of the animals from Central Zone of Somalia is normal. As a matter of fact this
area is one of the most important livestock producing areas of Somalia. The goats, those
who escape slaughtering, reach old age of up to 2-3 years. Thus, animals’ physical
vigour, the healthy posture and motion points to no harmful damages to the structure and
stability of the bone tissue.
References
Ali, MH. 1988. Cordeauxia edulis:
Production and Forage Quality in Central Somalia. MSc. Thesis. Faculty
of Agriculture, Somali National University. Somalia.
Bally, P. R. O., 1966. Miscellaneous
Notes on the Flora of Tropical East Africa, 29. Enquiry into
occurrence of the Yeheb nut (Cordeauxia edulis Hemsl.) in the Horn of Africa. Condollea 21(1): 3–11.
Drechsel, P. and W. Zech, 1988: Site
Conditions and Nutrient Status of Cordeauxia edulis (Caesalpinaceae)
in its Natural Habitat in Central Somalia. Economic Botany, 42 (2),
242-249.
El-Zeany, B. A. and Gutale, S. F.,
1982. The Nutritional Value of the Yeheb nut (Cordeauxia edulis Hemsley). Die
Nahrung, 26 (9): 797-802.
FAO. 1988. Non-timber uses of
selected arid zone trees and shrubs in Africa. FAO, Rome
Greenway, P. J., and W. D. Raymond.
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Gutale, S. F. and M. A. Ahmed, 1984:
Cordeauxia edulis pigment, cordeauxiaquinone, is deposited on bones and may stimulate
hemopoiesis in rats. Rivista Tossicol. Sperim. Clin.
14 (1-2): 57-62.
Friis, I., Thulin, M., Andersen, H. &
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Harborn, J. B., D. Boulter and B. L.
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Lister, J. H., C. H. Eugster and P.
Karrer, 1955. Cordeauxiaquinone: a Leaf Pigment from Cordeauxia edulis. Helvetica Chimica Acta., 38, 215-222.
Miège, J. and M-N. Miège, 1978:
Cordeauxia edulis - A Caesalpinaceae of Arid
Zones of East
Africa. Caryologic, blastogenic and biochemical features. Potential aspects for nutrition.
Economic Botany, 32: 336-345.
NAS (National Academy of Science), 1979:
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- 107. Nat Acad. Sci. Washington DC.
Thulin, M., 1983. Leguminosae of Ethiopia. Opera Bot.
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Yahya, A. and B. Durand, 1993: Le
Yeheb: Un Arbuste Aux Multiple Usage en Forte Régression. In: Physiologie des Arbre et
Arbustes en Zone Arides et Semi-Arides. Riedacker, A., E. Dreyer and C. Pafadnam (Eds.). Montrouge: John Libbey Eurotext. p. 457-463.
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