CHAYA: CHARACTERISTICS, PROPERTIES, CULTIVATION, CARE, RECIPE - BIOLOGY - 2025

La Chaya (Cnidoscolus aconitifolius) is a vigorous shrub of medium and large sized palmate leaves belonging to the Euphorbiaceae family. Known as spinach tree, candelero, chicasquil, chichicaste, chayamansa, mala mujer or quelite, it is an endemic plant of the Yucatan peninsula in Mexico.

It is a shrub with a thick, lustrous, semi-woody stem, with fragile branches and dense dark green foliage. The long, petiolate leaves are composed of lobes that emanate a whitish latex. In turn, the small white flowers are grouped into umbelliferous inflorescences.

Chaya. Source: Frank Vincentz

It is a highly nutritious plant that has been consumed since ancient times by the aboriginal people of Central America. It contains proteins, vitamins A and C, niacin, riboflavin, thiamine, mineral elements such as calcium, iron and phosphorus, enzymes and trace elements that provide great benefits to the body.

Within herbalism, medicinal and therapeutic properties of anti-inflammatory, anti-rheumatic, digestive, diuretic and blood purifying action are attributed. The latex exuding from its leaves is used to remove warts and compresses made from macerated leaves are used to ripen abscesses.

In some regions it is used as an ornamental plant due to its abundant foliage that provides a wide and closed shade. In traditional Mayan cuisine its leaves are used like any other vegetable, but never fresh, they must always be cooked to eliminate the toxic elements it contains.

General characteristics

Appearance

Shrub with a semi-woody, thick and smooth stem that reaches 2-6 m in height, thin and brittle branches, an open crown and dense foliage. It grows in well-lit environments, on humid, but well-drained soils, its root system is fasciculate and superficial.

Leaves

The palmate leaves are 30-35 cm long by 25-30 cm wide, dark green in color and alternately arranged on a long fleshy petiole. Each leaflet has 3-5 deep lobes, slightly serrated margins, which at the slightest cut emanate a thick, white and densely sticky sap.

The leaves contain various secondary metabolites, including certain plant toxins derived from amino acids such as cyanogenic glucoside. However, when the leaves are cooked, the toxins are released in the form of gas, leaving the edible part free of any toxic element.

flowers

The chaya is a monoecious species, the female and male flowers are located on the same foot, each one with non-functional organs of the other sex. In both cases they are small white flowers grouped in racemose inflorescences.

Fruit

The fruit is a pod with carunculated ovoid seeds. The few seeds that develop show a low percentage of germination.

Chaya flowers. Source: Aris riyanto

Chemical composition

The phytochemical analysis of the leaves of Cnidoscolus aconitifolius reports the presence of alkaloids, anthraquinones, phenols, flobatanins, cardiac glycosides, saponins and tannins. As well as stearic, myristic, oleic and palmitic fatty acids, β-sitosterol sterols, kaempferol-3-O-glucoside and quercetin-3-O-glucoside flavonoids, taraxasterone terpene and β and α-amyrin triterpenes.

Similarly, the presence of significant amounts of mineral elements such as calcium, copper, phosphorus, iron, magnesium, manganese, potassium, sodium and zinc is common. In addition, niacin, riboflavin, thiamine, vitamin A and C, flavonoid amentoflavone or diapigenin, dihydromirecetin, kaempferol-3-O-glucoside, kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside and cyanogenic glucosides.

Nutritional composition

Nutritional composition per 100 g of fresh weight

- Water: 85.3%

- Proteins: 5.7%

- Fat: 0.4%

- Crude fiber: 1.9%

- Total carbohydrates: 4.2%

- Ashes: 2.2%

- Calcium: 199.4 mg

- Phosphorus: 39 mg

- Iron: 11.4 mg

- Potassium: 217.2 mg

- Ascorbic acid: 164.7 mg

- Carotenoids: 0.085 mg

- Average Nutritive Value: 14.94 kcal

Chaya leaves. Source: Tortie tude

Taxonomy

- Kingdom: Plantae

- Division: Magnoliophyta

- Class: Magnoliopsida

- Order: Malpighiales

- Family: Euphorbiaceae

- Subfamily: Crotonoideae

- Tribe: Manihoteae

- Genus: Cnidoscolus

- Species: Cnidoscolus aconitifolius (Mill.) IM Johnst.

Infraspecific taxon

- Cnidoscolus aconitifolius subsp. aconitifolius

- Cnidoscolus aconitifolius subsp. polyanthus (Pax & K. Hoffm.) Breckon

Synonyms

- Cnidoscolus chaya Lundell

- Cnidoscolus chayamansa McVaugh

- C. napifolius (Desr.) Pohl

- C. palmatus (Willd.) Pohl

- Jatropha aconitifolia Mill.

- Jatropha aconitifolia var. genuine Müll. Arg.

- J. napifolia Desr.

- J. palmata Willd.

- Jatropha papaya Medik.

- Jatropha quinquelobata Mill

Synonymy

- Cnidoscolus: the name of the genus comes from the ancient Greek «knide» and «skolos», which mean «nettle» and «thorn or tickling».

- Aconitifolius: the specific adjective derives from the Greek «akoniton», which means «poisonous plant».

Chaya fruits. Source: Aris riyanto

Habitat and distribution

The species Cnidoscolus aconitifolius is native to southern Mexico, specifically the Yucatan peninsula, being known and cultivated throughout Mesoamerica. Its geographical distribution is located in the Yucatan peninsula and Tabasco in Mexico, Belize, Honduras and Guatemala, Brazil, southern United States and Nigeria in Africa.

It grows wild in regions with a tropical climate on a great diversity of soils and rainy climates at less than 1,500 meters above sea level. However, it is a fast growing plant that prefers hot climates, grows in full sun or partial shade, and tolerates drought.

It grows on dark clay soils with a high content of oxides, as well as laterites, typical soils of warm regions with a high mineral content. It naturally grows in thickets, thorn bushes or green forests, around rocky streams, coastal dunes, or is used as living fences.

Properties

Food

The leaves have been used by the Mayans since pre-Columbian times as a highly nutritious food, being mixed with corn to make various traditional dishes. Its great nutritional value is based on its chemical and nutritional composition, since it contains vitamins, minerals and proteins.

Indeed, it contains vitamins A and C, high-quality protein, crude fiber, and the minerals iron, calcium, and potassium. In addition, it has various carotenoids and traces of copper, magnesium, sodium and zinc, essential for the development and growth of the body.

In traditional cuisine, the fresh leaves, after cooking, are used as a complement to salads, soups, roasts, stews, even infusions, soft drinks and drinks. In the food industry, the leaves are used to make cheese and as a softener for meats, due to their high content of proteolytic enzymes.

Chaya in its natural habitat. Source: Forest & Kim Starr

Medicinal

Chaya leaves are used in traditional medicine to treat obesity, hemorrhoids, kidney stones, acne, or vision problems. The tender shoots and leaves act as an antiparasitic, digestive, diuretic, laxative, lactogen, liver protector, circulatory stimulant and to strengthen nails and hair.

The infusions of its leaves are used as an energizer, to increase memory, cure viral infections such as the flu and reduce inflammatory processes. It is effective in eliminating fat from the body, regulating blood sugar and cholesterol levels and controlling alcoholism problems.

In the same way it is used to relieve gastrointestinal disorders, stomach inflammation, poor digestion, dysentery, heartburn, constipation or flatulence. It is also used to heal ulcers or sores in the mouth, to heal wounds caused by burns and for vaginal washing after childbirth.

The latex extracted from its leaves is used topically to cure vision problems such as eye spots, conjunctivitis or irritation. The sap from the branches is applied directly to the skin to heal insect bites, rashes or acne problems.

Contraindications

The plant has developed a defense mechanism against its natural predators, this consists of a latex that contains certain secondary metabolites. These substances are precursors of hydrocyanic acid or hydrogen cyanide that are highly toxic and are released when the plant presents physical damage.

Cyanide is considered a toxic element in high concentrations, so it is recommended to cook the leaves for 15-20 minutes to eliminate any toxic trace. In fact, it is not advisable to consume a serving of more than five leaves a day, nor to keep cooked chaya in aluminum containers, as it can generate a toxic reaction.

Culture

Chaya is a robust shrub that is very easy to grow, thrives in cool or warm climates and is resistant to attack by pests and diseases. Because seed production is rare and often unviable, the best way to propagate is vegetatively.

The establishment of the culture is carried out with semi-woody cuttings of 15-20 cm or woody stems of 80-100 cm long. Sowing is done in the nursery or directly on the ground, trying to keep the substrate moist without getting waterlogged.

The rooting and initial growth process of the plant is slow, in fact the first harvest is carried out the second year after planting the crop. The harvesting of the leaves can be carried out continuously, trying to maintain 50% of the foliage to guarantee the health of the plant.

Care

- It is advisable to plant in full sun exposure or in shady areas, but well lit.

- Although it adapts to any type of soil, it develops in better conditions on a loamy-clay soil, fertile and well drained.

- During the dry season it is advisable to water 2-3 times a week, and less frequently the rest of the year, depending on the rainy periods.

- At the time of establishing it is convenient to make an amendment with organic fertilizers. Once established in the field, fertilize at the beginning of the rains.

- Chaya is a crop that is tolerant of heavy rains and drought, although it does not tolerate cold climates or occasional frosts.

Tamales. Source: Dtarazona

Recipes: tamales with chaya

Used as a food supplement, chaya leaves are used to make various traditional dishes, including scrambled eggs, tamales, empanadas or tortillas. The recipe for tamales with chaya would be:

Ingredients

- One kilo of nixtamalized corn dough.

- A cup of cooked and chopped chaya.

- A cup of grated hard cheese.

- Half a cup of liquid milk.

- A pinch of salt.

- Four boiled and chopped eggs.

- 5 boiled and chopped eggs.

- Oil for frying or water for cooking.

- Garlic, onion, tomato and pumpkin seed dressing.

- Fresh grated cheese to serve.

Preparation

Knead the cornmeal, the chaya, the grated cheese with the milk and the pinch of salt. With the resulting mass, make a kind of omelette and fill with the chopped egg. Form the tamales and fry them in the oil or cook them in the boiling water.

In addition, a sauce is prepared with the garlic, onion, tomato and pumpkin seeds. The tamales are served with the sauce accompanied by grated fresh cheese.

References

1. Berkelaar, Dawn (2006) Chaya. ECHOCommunity. Recovered at: echocommunity.org
2. Chaya: uses and benefits (2019) Science and Development. CONACYT. Recovered at: cyd.conacyt.gob.mx
3. Cifuentes, R. & Porres, V. (2014) La Chaya: a very nutritious plant. UVG-USDA-FFPr10 project. Center for Agricultural and Food Studies, CEAA. University of the Valley of Guatemala. Guatemala.
4. Cnidoscolus aconitifolius (Mill.) IM Johnst. (2017) Catalog of Life: 2019 Annual Checklist. Recovered at: catalogueoflife.org
5. Cnidoscolus aconitifolius. (2020). Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Recovered at: es.wikipedia.org
6. Toxic Ingredients: Chaya (2019) Larousse Kitchen. Recovered in: laroussecocina.mx
7. Jiménez-Arellanes, MA, García-Martínez, I., & Rojas-Tomé, S. (2014). Biological potential of medicinal species of the genus Cnidoscolus (Euphorbiacea). Mexican Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 45 (4), 1-6.
8. Mena Linares, Y., González Mosquera, DM, Valido Díaz, A., Pizarro Espín, A., Castillo Alfonso, O., & Escobar Román, R. (2016). Phytochemical study of leaf extracts of Cnidoscolus chayamansa Mc Vaugh (Chaya). Cuban Journal of Medicinal Plants, 21 (4), 1-13.
9. Orozco Andrade, A. (2013). Pharmaco-botanical characterization of three populations of the genus Cnidoscolus (chaya) for cultivation and commercialization purposes (Doctoral Thesis). University of San Carlos of Guatemala. Faculty of Chemical Sciences and Pharmacy. Guatemala.
10. Pérez-González, MZ, Gutiérrez-Rebolledo, GA, & Jiménez-Arellanes, MA (2016). Nutritional, pharmacological and chemical importance of chaya (Cnidoscolus chayamansa). Bibliographic review. Science and Technology Topics, 20 (60), 43-56.