Bombax ceiba, the promising Cotton tree

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Bombax ceiba (Cotton tree) is a tree from the Malvaceae family that grows in Malay, Indonesia, China, Hong Kong and Taiwan [28]. It is covered with thorns and it's known by Tibetans as "salmari" [27], but most commonly known in Europe and America as cotton tree or tree cotton [28]. Its red flowers have five petals and were commonly used as herbal tea in China. The name Cotton tree derives from the cotton-like fiber that covers the Cotton tree seeds and that were also used in the past as a cotton substitute.

Bombax ceiba has risen the interest of scientists and researchers since some of the active constituents and phytochemicals found on this plant are known to exert many beneficial effects. Some of them, as for example apigenin, a well-known anti-cancer agent, or Luteol, a triterpene with many health benefits among which we can mention its anti-inflammatory, anti-arthritic, anti-mutagenic, anti-malarial [20] and anti-plasmodial [22,23,24,25] properties. 

But this plant is also known to contain other active constituents that deserve special attention for their properties and health benefits, let's have a look at some of them.

BOMBAX CEIBA

Family: Malvaceae
Genus: Bombax
Common name: Cotton tree, tree cotton, Bombax malabaricum, Salmalia malabarica.