Plant Profile

Salvadora persica (Toothbrush tree)

The toothbrush tree is a small tree or shrub that can go up to 3 meters, widely distributed from Africa through Arabia to China. It was found native in a few places in  UAE found but widely cultivated in farms and along streets as wind barriers. The root bark of the tree is light brown and the inner surfaces are white, the odor is like cress and its taste is warm and pungent. The fibrous branches have been used as toothbrushes by many Islamic communities. The leaves and the flowers are small. The fruits are small, fleshy, red berries.

Young stems are used as toothbrushes, leaves are used as a mouthwash and for tooth and gum problems, the trunk an antibiotic which suppress growth of bacteria and the formation of plaque in the mouth. The roots are used for general body pain, gonorrhoea, back pains, chest diseases, and stomach aches. Latex from the bark is used for treating sores. Seeds are used as a tonic and seed oil is used on the skin for rheumatism.

 

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  • By Mehdi.sq (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)], via Wikimedia Commons
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  • By J.M.Garg (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC BY-SA 4.0-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
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By Mehdi.sq (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)], via Wikimedia Commons

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  • By Mehdi.sq (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)], via Wikimedia Commons
  • By J.M.Garg (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC BY-SA 4.0-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
  • By J.M.Garg (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC BY-SA 4.0-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
  • By William Roxburgh (1751-1815), Joseph Banks (1774-1820) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
By Mehdi.sq (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)], via Wikimedia Commons

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  • By Mehdi.sq (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)], via Wikimedia Commons
  • By J.M.Garg (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC BY-SA 4.0-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
  • By J.M.Garg (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC BY-SA 4.0-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
  • By William Roxburgh (1751-1815), Joseph Banks (1774-1820) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
By Mehdi.sq (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)], via Wikimedia Commons

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