Makrut Lime Leaf vs Cavity Bacteria in the Lab

Makrut Lime — มะกรูด (ma-krut) — Citrus hystrix.

Makrut lime — ma-krut. The edible part is the fruit. Lab tests used makrut lime leaf extract against cavity-causing bacteria. Tom Yum Goong is a spicy soup infused with bruised makrut lime leaves, served hot alongside steamed jasmine rice and a comforting Thai omelet. Rich and creamy Panang curry uses both grated makrut lime zest in its paste and hair-thin strips of the fresh leaf on top, paired with jasmine rice. Both the fragrant leaves and the bumpy peel go into Thai curries and soups. Thinning the inner branches keeps air moving through the canopy, which cuts down scale-insect buildup along the thorns.

Tom Yum Goong — ต้มยำกุ้ง (tom-yam-goong)
Panang Curry — พะแนง (pa-naeng)

Nutrition data: Klimek-Szczykutowicz et al. 2023, Molecules 28(6):2596, Table 6 (PMID 36985567; PMC10052365)

Research context

Makrut lime leaf extract curbed the main cavity-causing bacteria in lab tests — Nutrition, 2016 (in-vitro)

Sources

Source: Kooltheat N et al. (2016). Kaffir lime leaves extract inhibits biofilm formation by Streptococcus mutans. Nutrition 32(4):486-490. DOI:10.1016/j.nut.2015.10.010 (PMID 26743975)

Narration transcript

Opening

Makrut lime — มะกรูด, ma-groot. Its fruit is a knobbly, porcupine-skinned green ball with almost no juice, so cooks prize the peel and the leaf and set the juiceless fruit aside. They shred the glossy double leaf into curries and grate the fragrant zest into paste. A single leaf perfumes a whole pot of tom yum.

Tom Yum Goong (ต้มยำกุ้ง)

Tom yum goong is a spicy soup infused with bruised makrut lime leaves, served hot alongside steamed jasmine rice and a comforting Thai omelet.

Panang Curry (พะแนง)

Panang curry is a rich, creamy curry that uses both grated makrut lime zest in its paste and hair-thin strips of the fresh leaf on top, paired with jasmine rice.

Closing

The bumpy zest and the hourglass-shaped leaves are what carry that unmistakable makrut perfume into Thai soups and curries. Thin the inner branches so air moves through the canopy — it keeps scale insects from crusting along the thorns. Follow Longevity Biome, and LIKE this video for regular updates.

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