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Botanical illustration of Cheesewood
MedicinalSourced entry

Cheesewood

Pittosporum napaulense

A Himalayan evergreen tree whose bark paste is put on injuries and broken bones in Nepal. Its bark stopped drug-resistant bacteria in a lab study.

Safety at a glance

  • PregnancyNothing recorded
  • BreastfeedingNothing recorded
  • MedicinesNothing recorded
  • Who should avoid itNothing recorded
  • AllergiesNothing recorded
  • ToxicityNothing recorded

Tap a box to read the safety notes below. “Nothing recorded” means our sources don't cover it, not that it's safe.

What is Cheesewood?

Plant family
Pittosporaceae, the cheesewood family
Parts used
The bark
Where it grows
The Himalayas, India and Southeast Asia
Genus
Pittosporum
Species
napaulense

Regional names

Khorsnai, Pipalu

Older scientific names

Pittosporum floribundum

Traditionally used for

  • Injuries
  • Broken bones
  • Pain (traditional)

Traditionally described as

  • Bark contains saponins

Health topics

Where Cheesewood appears in symptom search, and why. Being listed doesn't mean it's a proven treatment.

  • Sprains and Bruises

    A bark paste is put on injuries and broken bones in Nepal. Not studied in people.

What does the research say?

Traditional use

These are traditional uses, not proven treatments.

  • In eastern Nepal, a paste of the bark is put on injuries, broken bones and painful areas.[1]Study

  • In the Himalayan hills of India, the evergreen tree is grown to feed livestock, and its bark is used as a medicine. The bark contains saponins and a compound called pittosporin.[2]Study

Laboratory & animal research

Lab and animal results show what might be worth studying in people. They don't show that the herb has these effects in humans.

  • In lab tests, a bark extract stopped the growth of drug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Shigella bacteria, and broke up the slimy films they form. It also neutralized free radicals.[3]Study

In short

No human or safety studies were found.

Sources

  1. [1] Ethnomedicinal plants in Champadevi rural municipality, Okhaldhunga district, Nepal · DOI: 10.1186/s13002-023-00627-yPeer-reviewed study
  2. [2] Seasonal variations in the nutritive value of fifteen multipurpose fodder tree species: A case study of north-western Himalayan mid-hills · DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0276689Peer-reviewed study
  3. [3] Antioxidant, antibacterial and antibiofilm activities of Pittosporum napaulense (DC.) against drug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Shigella sp. · DOI: 10.1080/14786419.2024.2410422Peer-reviewed study

This information is educational and traditional in nature, and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Unfamiliar word? See what these words mean.