Sausage Tree or Kigelia Africana is seen extensively across tropical Africa and seen in various game parks in Kenya. The fruit is fibrous and pulpy, and contains numerous seeds. It is eaten by several species of mammals, including baboons, bushpigs, elephants, giraffes, hippos, monkeys, and porcupines.
This a very popular tree for various tribes across East Africa. There are many anecdotal uses of the sausage tree. The powdered mature fruit is applied as a dressing in the treatment of wounds, abscesses, and ulcers. The green fruit is used as a poultice for syphilis and rheumatism, and a poultice made from leaves is used as a treatment for backache.
Kigelia africana is also used to treat infectious diseases including leprosy, impetigo, and worm infestations in the blood. Dermal complaints and infections, such as whitlows, cysts, acne and boils, are treated with traditional medicines containing the fruits, and less frequently, the bark.
This fruit also Reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles: It helps ward off signs of aging, including the development of fine lines, wrinkles, uneven skin tone, and laxity, and actually triggers cell regeneration, leading to a renewed complexion with continued use.
Kigelia africana is used to manage inflammation among as the extracts contain phytoconstituents with good antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities.
Lastly the Masai and Kikuyu tribes make their traditional beer from the sausage fruit and actually it’s a very different kind of brew which is quite tasty.
But, if you consume the tree’s fruits raw, they’re highly poisonous.
