Tung Seed

Scientific Name(S): Aleurites moluccana (L.) Willd or A. cordata Steud. Family: Euphorbiaceae

Common Name(S): Tung, candlenut, candleberry, varnish tree, balucanat, otaheite walnut, China-wood oil

Botany

The tung is indigenous to China and Japan but now grows in many warm regions, including Florida.

Uses

Tung seed is commonly used as a wood finish and a component of paints and varnishes. No studies assess the human pharmacology of tung seed.

Side Effects

The tung seed is considered to be toxic, resulting in stomach pain, vomiting, diarrhea, slowed reflexes, and possibly death.

History

The seed is the source of an oil that has been widely used as a wood preservative. It dries faster than linseed oil, making it a near perfect drying oil. The oil is incorporated into paints and varnishes, soaps, rubber substitutes, linoleum, and insulation. The seed cake is used as a fertilizer, but the seeds can be poisonous. The roasted kernels, however, are said to be edible. An extract of the bark is used to treat tumors in Japanese traditional medicine. The oil is a purgative. Tung seed is used in Hawaiian traditional medicine for the treatment of asthma.

Chemistry

The seed is the source of an inedible, semi-drying oil. The pale yellow oil contains eleostearic acid, linolenic, linoleic, and oleic acids. It is high in protein. The presence of a toxalbumin and HCN have been suggested.

Summary

The tung plant is the source of commercially important tung oil, which is used as a wood finish and a component of paints and varnishes. The tung seed is generally considered to be toxic.