Pineapple

Ananas comosus

COMMON NAMES

• Pineapple

Pineapple - a perennial, the pineapple plant grows about two to four feet tall. The reddish yellow fruit has a scale like surface surmounted by a crown of stiff, spiky leaves. Pineapple is the only cultivated fruit whose stem runs completely through it.

When you think of pineapples, you think of Hawaii. So close has the association become that most people assume that the plant is native to the islands. In fact, pineapples originated in South America and probably did not reach Hawaii until early in the 19th century-the first record of their existence there is dated January 21, 1813-after having been spread by Europeans across much of the world.

Columbus came across them in 1493 on the island of Guadeloupe. The natives who cultivated them called them ananas and believed that they had been brought from the Amazon many generations earlier by the fierce, warlike Caribs. This bit of oral history may well be correct, for pre-Incan burial sites in Brazil have yielded pineapple-shaped jars. Columbus called the strange fruit la piňa de las Indians (the pine of the Indies") because, as he later told Ferdinand and Isabella, they resembled "green pine cones, very sweet and delicious." The odd name stuck, and pineapples are still called piňas in most Spanish-speaking countries. In fact, the word pineapple originally meant "pine cone" in England.

The new fruit was enthusiastically received in Europe and was eventually carried to India, Africa, China, and the East Indies-warm places where the tender plants could reach maturity. It takes up to 15 frost-free months for the juicy fruit to form and ripen upon the 2-to 4-foot stem that rises from a rosette of stiff, spine-edged leaves. The "fruit" is actually a complex flower head that forms around the stem; the pineapple is the only cultivated fruit whose main stem runs completely through it. Each of the familiar "eyes" on the fruit's surface is the dried base of a small purple flower. The crown of leaves on top contains a bud, and when this bud matures, the fruit is ready to be cut. Pineapples bear no viable seeds; they are grown from the crowns.

The development of greenhouses about 1700 made it possible for wealthy Europeans to grow their own pineapple plants despite the climate. Fresh pineapples became status symbols of the first rank. Ornate bedposts, desk finials, and other furniture pieces were decorated with pineapple-shaped carvings, as were doorways, gateposts, and gables of mansions in Europe and the New World.

Throughout all this history, the pineapple was valued strictly as a table delicacy. All but forgotten were the early explorers' intriguing observations that Indians had used pineapple poultices to reduce inflammation in wounds and other skin injuries. But in 1891 an enzyme called bromelain was isolated from the flesh of the pineapple and was discovered to be proteolytic - that is, it breaks down protein. Hence it is a natural meat tenderizer (the pineapple rings atop a baked ham are not there just for the flavor) and a digestive aid. It can also break down blood clots-proteins are what hold blood platelets together to form clots-and clean away the dead tissue left by burns, abscesses, ulcers, and various kinds of surgery .

How pineapples finally reached Hawaii is not known. The local name, hala kahiki, means "plant of Tahiti"-but in the language of the islands, all foreign lands were "Tahiti." It is known that Spanish sailors carried the fruit as the English carried limes, to avert scurvy, and that they left the leafy crowns to take root on many Pacific islands. But the Spaniards never reached Hawaii. However the introduction occurred, the pineapple is now one of Hawaii's major crops, as well as the best-known symbol of the islands.

PARTS USED

Fruit, leaf.

USES

In Brazil tribal peoples have always regarded pineapple highly and have used it as a staple food and as an ingredient in some wines. When early explorers brought the pineapple back to Europe, its sweetness and unusual appearance made the fruit a symbol of royal privilege. In the American colonies, the pineapple symbolized friendship and hospitality. And hosts who could provide such a rare and exotic fruit made a statement about their high social standing. Pineapples were so popular in colonial America that  confectioners rented them to households by the day. An enzyme found in pineapple is now used as a meat tenderizer. It is said that the fingerprints of pineapple cutters can be obliterated by excessive exposure to this enzyme. The leaf of some varieties is a source of piňa fiber for embroidery thread.

Pineapples have been used in traditional tropical medicine for ailments ranging from constipation to jaundice. Without fresh fruit on board, sailors who came across pineapple in the early days of European exploration escaped scurvy by eating it, a rich source of vitamin C. Pineapple contains bromelain, a protein-splitting enzyme that has been shown to increase bleeding time and reduce the aggregation of platelets. Bromelain also has proved effective in killing parasites such as worms.

The sour, unripe fruit improves digestion, increases appetite, and relieves dyspepsia: In Indian herbal medicine, pineapple is thought to act as a uterine tonic. The ripe fruit cools and soothes, and is used to settle gas and reduce excessive , gastric acid. Its significant fiber content makes it useful in constipation. The juice of the ripe fruit is both a digestive tonic and a diuretic. The leaves are considered to be useful in encouraging the onset of menstrual periods and easing painful ones.
Other medical uses - Toxic shock syndrome.

HABITAT AND CULTIVATION

The pineapple is native to South America but is now grown in North America, Cuba, South Africa, Australia, and the Philippines.

CONSTITUENTS

Pineapple fruit contains bromelain, a protein-splitting enzyme that aids digestion. Pineapple has significant levels of vitamins A and C.

COMMENTS