Nutritional and Health Enhancing Potential of Cordia Dichotoma

Cordia dichotoma L. (Boraginaceae) is widely distributed in tropical and sub tropical regions, commonly known as Lasora or Gunda. Traditionally, the fruit of Cordia dichotoma are used by native people as a prime source of food and consumed in form of vegetables and pickles. Fruits and other plant parts have great nutritional value, contain nutritional qualities like protein, sugar, carbohydrate, fat and various phytoconstituents like alkaloids, glycosides, tannins, flavonoids, saponins. Different parts of this plant such as leaves, fruit, seed, bark and root possess antidiabetic, antiulcer, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial

 

Classification:

Kingdom: Plantae; Division: Magnoliophyta; Class: Dicotyledons; Subclass: Asteridae; Order: Lamiales; Family: Boraginaceae; Genus: Cordia L. – cordial; Species: Cordia dichotoma G. Forst.; Fragrant: Manjack.

 

Local Names:

Bengali: buhal, bahubara; English: sebesten, clammy cherry,Indian cherry; Gujarati: vadgundo, gunda; Hindi: lasura, bhokar,borla; Javanese: kendal; Lao: Sino-Tibetan, 'man,'man khôk; Malay: petekat, sekendai, Tamil : vidi, naruvili, kalvirusu; Nepali: kalo bohori, bohori; Thai: mandong, manma, phakmong Sanskrit: bahuvarka, Shleshmatak, Shelu.

                                                

C. dichotoma fruits

CONCLUSION

Various pharmacological and clinical data of Cordia dichotoma are available to support its traditional and folklore uses. This may provide benefit to common man and tribal people by the use of easily available cheaper plant as a medicine and food.

Guar gum

Guar Gum: A Valuable Plant Product from Cyamposis tetragonoloba (Guar) Shilpi Singh  Guar gum is obtained from the seeds of plant Cyamposis tetragonoloba (guar). An annual leguminous plant originating from India and Pakistan, also cultivated in the United States. It is an arid and semi arid plant, tolerates arid conditions valiantly. Its product, the guar gum, is extracted from the guar seed after a multistage industrial process. It is a gel-forming carbohydrate which is not absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract of mammals including human beings. It is largely used in the form of guar gum powder as an additive in foods, in pharmaceuticals, paper, textiles, explosives, oil well drilling and cosmetics industry. It is also beneficial in the management of many health problems like diabetes, bowel movements, heart disease, colon cancer and its potential in weight loss program.