Synsepalum Dulcificum is an exotic crop with a thousand virtues. We have made a list of ten things you should know about the plant (with a little bonus at the end).
⮚ Synsepalum dulcificum (or Richadella dulcifica), known as Sisrè or Sislèè in the Fon language and Sinssi in the Adja language, is a fruit tree native to West Africa and from the botanical family Sapotaceae.
⮚ It is a slow-growing centenarian tree that can reach a height of about 7.5m when mature.
⮚ All organs of the plant have useful therapeutic applications, making it the most important species in the botanical genus Synsepalum, and one of the three most promising Sapotaceae in the tropics.
⮚ Sislè is implicated in the traditional treatment of over 70 diseases in West Africa. Enuresis is one of the diseases treated by the plant.
⮚ The species also has serious magical-spiritual applications
⮚ The fruit (Sisrè) is used in modern medicine in the treatment of diabetes and cancer.
⮚ The fruit can also be eaten raw or incorporated as a sweetener in the preparation of local fruit juices.
⮚ Per kilo, pure Sisrè powder currently costs between $2,000 and $3,000 (US market).
⮚ The production of Sisrè is nowadays very easy and the first fruits can be obtained already from two years
⮚ Everyone, even those renting, can have their own Sisrè plant: production in pots being an option.
GBioS laboratory (Genetics, Biotechnology and Seed Science) of the Faculty of Agronomic Sciences is ready to provide you with advice and support for any project related to the Sisrè in Benin and the West African region. Contact us at +229 62 42 64 64 or by email at: infos.gbios@gmail.com
For more information, please read the following publications:
- Tchokponhoué, D. A., Achigan-Dako, E. G., Sognigbé, N., Nyadanu, D., Hale, I., Odindo, A. O., & Sibiya, J. (2023). Genome-wide diversity analysis suggests divergence among Upper Guinea and the Dahomey Gap populations of the Sisrè berry (Syn: miracle fruit) plant (Synsepalum dulcificum [Schumach. & Thonn.] Daniell) in West Africa. The Plant Genome, 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1002/tpg2.20299
- Tchokponhoué D.A., E. G. Achigan-Dako, S. N’Danikou, R. Kahane, A.O. Odindo and J. Sibiya. 2021. Comparative analyses of management practices and end-users desired breeding traits in the miracle plant (Synsepalum dulcificum) in West Africa. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine, 17(1): 41.
- Tchokponhoué, D.A., Achigan-Dako E.G., N’Danikou S., Nyadanu D., Kahane R., Houéto J., Fassinou Hotegni N.V., Odindo A.O. and Sibiya J. 2020. Phenotypic variation, functional traits repeatability and core collection inference in Synsepalum dulcificum (Schumach & Thonn.) Daniell reveals the Dahomey Gap as a centre of diversity. Scientific Reports 10: 1-17
- Tchokponhoué D.A., N’Danikou S. and Achigan-Dako E.G. 2019. A combination of approaches evidenced seed storage behaviour in the miracle berry Synsepalum dulcificum (Schumach. et Thonn.) Daniell. BMC Plant Biology 19:117
