catechu

1. 1. A spiny Asian tree (Acacia catechu) having bipinnately compound leaves, spikes of yellow flowers, and dark heartwood.
   2. A raw material obtained from the heartwood of this plant, used in the preparation of tannins and brown dyes. Also called cutch.
2. See betel palm.

[Probably from Malay kachu, probably from Dravidian karaiyal, karaiccal, that which is dissolved, from karai, to melt.]

A powerful astringent formerly used internally for the treatment of diarrhea. Contains 25 to 35% catechutannic acid. Prepared from the heartwood of the leguminous tree Acacia catechu.

The noun has 2 meanings:

Meaning #1: extract of the heartwood of Acacia catechu used for dying and tanning and preserving fishnets and sails; formerly used medicinally
  Synonym: black catechu

Meaning #2: East Indian spiny tree having twice-pinnate leaves and yellow flowers followed by flat pods; source of black catechu
  Synonyms: Jerusalem thorn, Acacia catechu

Catechu (pronounced /ˈkætɨʃuː/ or /ˈkætɨtʃuː/;^[1] also known as cachou, cutch, cashoo, or Japan earth) is an extract of any of several species of Acacia—but especially Acacia catechu—produced by boiling the wood in water and evaporating the resulting brew.

Catechu (called katha in Hindi, kachu in Malay, hence Latin ^[2]Acacia catechu as the type species which provides the extract) is an astringent and has been used since ancient times in Ayurvedic medicine as well as in breath-freshening spice mixtures.

The mixture is high in natural vegetable tannins (which accounts for its astringent effect), and may be used for the tanning of animal hides. Early research by Sir Humphry Davy in the early 19th century first demonstrated the use of catechu in tanning over more expensive and traditional oak extracts.

Black Catechu has recently also been utilized by Blavod Drinks Ltd. to dye their vodka black. [1]

Also called cutch, it is a brown dye used for tanning and dyeing and for preserving fishing nets and sails.

White cutch, also known as gambier, gambeer, or gambir, has the same uses.

See also

• Areca catechu, the Catechu palm

References

1. ^ "catechu". Oxford English Dictionary. Oxford University Press. 2nd ed. 1989.
2. ^ http://www.yourdictionary.com/catechu Derivation of word from Malay

External links

• An OCR'd version of the US Dispensatory by Remington and Wood, 1918.

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