Citrus aurantifolia is the key lime, which is a citrus species that first grew in the Middle East and was introduced to the Caribbean on the way then spread from there to North America. Limes are naturally smaller, have a higher acidity, and stronger smell than lemons.
The key lime’s medicinal use in Haiti are the following: fever, Conjunctivitis, earache, cough, flu, cold, diarrhea, and headache. It is usually taken orally with 1-5 drops of lime juice for fever, 1-2 drops for Conjunctivitis, 7-10 drops for cold, cough, flu, diarrhea; and 1-3 for a headache.
The chemical breakdown of the plant is based on the leaf, flower, and rind as it contains flavonoids, citric and malic acids. The following nutrients are found in the key lime: proteins: 0.5%; fat: 2.4%, carbohydrates: 5.9%, fiber 0.3%, ash: 0.2%, calcium: 13 mg, phosphorus: 11 mg, Iron: 0 mg, Sodium: 2 mg, potassium: 82 mg; carotene: 10 mg, Thiamine: 0.03 mg, Riboflavin: 0.02 mg, niacin: 0.1 mg, ascorbic acid: 45 mg.
As the Tramil studies indicate Vitamin C is abundant in the key lime, and it has shown significant antibacterial and antifungal activity against the following viruses that cause fever, cough, and cold: Escherichia coli,Pseudomonas aerguinosa,and Staphylocccus aureus.
The key lime is one plant that is now produced more widely in the Caribbean than the United States, which is mainly because of North American Free Trade Agreement. The indigenous knowledge that Macandal has is through his own research but it is also inherited from Maman Loi, “Macandal showed Maman Loi the leaves, the plants, the fungi, the herbs he carried in his pouch. She examined them carefully, crushing, and smelling some of them, throwing others away” (19).
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