Elaeis guineensis originally grew in West Africa. The southern coast of Nigeria was originally called the Palm oil coast by the first Europeans who arrived there and traded in the commodity. This area was later renamed the Bight of Biafra. In traditional African medicine different parts of the plant are used as laxative and diuretic, as a poison antidote, as a cure for gonorrhea, menorrhagia, and bronchitis, to treat headaches and rheumatism, to promote healing of fresh wounds and treat skin infections. In Malaysia, the first plantations were mostly established and operated by British plantation owners, such as Sime Darby and Boustead,
Ebro Foods which engages in the research and development of new functional food products. It has a biofuel production joint venture with Abengoa. The company's shares are listed on the Bolsa de Madrid. Ebro Foods Ebro Foods, S.A. (; ), formerly Ebro Puleva, is the leading company in the Spanish food processing sector. Ebro Foods is the world's largest traders/miller of rice and the second biggest producer of pasta (its Panzani brand is a market leader in France). The company's head office is in Madrid. In 2005, Ebro Foods sold Catesa Foods for $37.9m. Catesa Foods specializes in tropical fruits, flowers, and