Gambier

Description

Tree native to Malaysia, cultivated in tropical countries. A yellow catechu is derived from the leaves of a Malaysian woody vine (yellow or pale catechu) by boiling or infusing them in water. It is used for chewing with betel nuts and is exported for tanning and dyeing. The parts used are the leaves and young branches.
The derivative is a coloring substance. Extracted from leaves and young branches, it consists of small (10 to 15 g) fragments that are externally reddish-brown and internally yellowish. The main constituents include tannic acid, quercetin, and coloring matter.

Chemical properties

Gambir is a tree native to Malaysia, cultivated in tropical countries A yellow catechu is derived from the leaves of a Malaysian woody vine (yellow or pale catechu) by boiling or infusing them in water It is used for chewing with betel nuts and is exported for tanning and dyeing The parts used are the leaves and young branches The main constituents include tannic acid, quer- cetin and coloring matter.

Definition

Extractives and their physically modified derivatives. It is a product which may contain resin acids and their esters, terpenes, and oxidation or polymerization products of these terpenes. (Uncaria gambier or Ourouparia gambier, Rubiaceae.)

Essential oil composition

It contains catechic, epicatechic group along with anthocyanidol, which gives the characteristic reddishbrown shade of gambir. The alkaloids gambirdine and isogambirdine have been isolated from gambir.