Monday, June 22, 2009

QUINCE

Quince flowers

For your information, I had always thought that Quince was a character in a television series. Then I thought again, that character was Quincy and not quince. But now I know better that quince is a type of fruit after I saw an advert featuring this fruit in the newspaper.
Information about the Quince
The Quince (pronounced /kwɪns/), or Cydonia oblonga, is the sole member of the genus Cydonia and native to warm-temperate southwest Asia in the Caucasus region. It is a small deciduous tree, growing 5-8 m tall and 4-6 m wide, related to apples and pears, and like them has a pome fruit, which is bright golden yellow when mature, pear-shaped, 7-12 cm long and 6-9 cm broad.
Reported Uses
Quince has many uses, such as, pies, jellies, jams, marmalades, flavorings, ice creams, and cakes.Traditionally, quince fruit syrup has been commonly added to beverages to treat diarrhea, dysentery, and sore throat. The decoction from the seeds is taken internally in the treatment of dysentery, gonorrhea, and thrush; it is also used as an adjunct in boric acid eye lotions and in skin lotions and creams. Anecdotal data exist for these uses; no clinical human data are available. The mucilage of quince seeds has been used as a suspending agent in such pharmaceutical and toilet preparations as mouthwashes for canker sores, gum problems, and sore throats. Although the quince seeds are thought to be useful in treating cancer probably because of amygdalin’s cyanogenetic action-no studies have confirmed this effect.
References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quince
http://www.health-care-tips.org/blog/herbal-medicines/quince
http://www.webgardenguide.com/History_Of_Quince_9833_582_2.html

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