By Dr Renita D’Souza
Taro is a tuber crop and is a pure supply of power. It’s thought-about as a superb supply of carbohydrates and potassium. Historically the plant is used as treatment for common debility, constipation, baldness, stomatitis, piles, liver illnesses and so on. Taro roots and tender leaves are used as greens. Juice of leaf stalk is styptic in nature and utilized on minimize wounds to cease bleeding.
Learn – Manakanda Large taro (Alocasia) Makes use of, Analysis, Medicines, Aspect Results
Botanical Identify – Colocasia esculenta
Synonym – Colocasia antiquorum Schott
Household – Araceae
Table of Contents
Vernacular Names
English Identify – Taro, Eddoes, Dasheen, Wild taro, Eddo, Cocoyam, Kalo, Cocoyam
Hindi Identify – Arabi, Aruwi, Banda, Ghuyan, Arui, Arvi, Kachalu, Ashukachu
Bengali Identify – Kachu, Banakochu, Jongli kochu, Alti Kachu
Marathi Identify – Alvacha kanda, Aalu, Chempu, Ran Aalu, Aaloo
Gujarati Identify – Alavi
Kannada Identify – Kesave, Kesu, Savigadde, Keshavanagadde, Kesavedantu
Tamil Identify – Hempu, nir-c-cempu, Peculam, Shemelam
Telugu Identify – Chama, Chema, Chammadumpaa
Konkani Identify – Terem, Venti
Malayalam Identify – Chemp, Manam, Tal, Chembu, Kaattuchembu, Chempakizhanna, Madantha, Seppankizhangu ,Chempu
Tulu Identify – Ambuge, Chevu, Kesu, Thevu
Arabic Identify – Colcas
Assamese Identify – Bon kachu, Pani kachu, Kola Kochu, Kolia Kochu, Kola-kochu
Nepali Identify – Aruvee, Gaawaa, Karkalo, Kuchuro, Pindaalu
Odia Identify – Kachu, Pechu, Saru
Punjabi Identify – Gagli, Gawian, Kachalu
Urdu Identify – Aruwi, Ghuyan, Kachalu, Kachchu
Manipuri Identify – Pan
Oriya Identify – Jongal Saaru (a)
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Medicinal Qualities
Balakrth – promotes bodily energy
Snigdha – unctuous
Guru – heavy to digest
Hrithkaphanashini – reduces the buildup of kapha in chest area
Vishtambha – causes constipation
The one which is fried with oil is tasty and improves the urge for food
Cures
- Corm of taro is used to remedy physique ache.
- Juice extract of corm is used to deal with alopecia. It acts as an expectorant, stimulant, appetizer and astringent.
- When cooked as vegetable, the mucilage content material in vegetable acts as nervine tonic.
- Juice of corm is used to deal with baldness.
- Contaminated Sores – leaf paste is utilized as poultice.
- In insect sting, the petiole is minimize and rubbed over the affected space to forestall ache and swelling. (d,e)
- Cooked taro roots are used as treatment for liver enlargement (hepatomegaly) and piles.
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Taro Leaves
- Wealthy supply of fiber, protein, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, vitamin A, vitamin C and folate. (c)
- The leaf juice is utilized in to deal with scorpion sting, snake chew, meals poisoning from plant origin and so on
- As it’s a pure supply of antioxidants, it improves immunity, neutralizes free radicals that trigger most cancers and increase total well being by stopping the ailments.
- As a result of Vitamin A content material, it’s good for sustaining eye well being by stopping eye ailments.
- Its pure dietary fiber content material helps to keep up the blood ldl cholesterol stage and intestine well being. It slows down the absorption of glucose into the blood stream and thus assist to manage blood sugar stage additionally.
- Taro leaves are good in anemia resulting from its iron content material.
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Culinary Makes use of, Recipes
Taro is used as a staple meals, snack or as an ingredient in numerous facet dishes.
Taro Recipes
- Chips – Taro root are sliced skinny and fried to make chips.
- Spicy curry is made with prawns and taro.
- Badi – Taro leaves and stem are crushed and combined with de-husked black gram. Then, it’s made into small balls and dried.
- Gram flour batter is made and combined with purple chilies and carom seeds. Taro leaves are rolled with this batter after which fried to make dish known as Pakora. (learn extra)
Sanskrit Verses
Dietary Values
Colocasia esculenta is an effective supply of starch (70–80 g/100 g dry taro), fiber (0.8%), and ash (1.2%). It’s also wealthy in thiamine, riboflavin, iron, phosphorus, zinc, vitamin B6, vitamin C, niacin, potassium, copper and manganese.
The taro root is wealthy in fiber, manganese, Vitamin B6, Vitamin E, potassium, copper, Vitamin C, phosphorus, magnesium (f, g)
Toxicity
As a result of presence of calcium oxalate crystals in all elements of the taro plant, consuming uncooked or under-cooked taro leaves and bulb may be toxic. This substance is taken into account poisonous when contemporary or uncooked. Calcium oxalate is destroyed by heating. When eaten uncooked it causes pricking sensation in mouth, tongue and throat.(h)
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Pharmacological Exercise
Colocasia esculenta possesses antimicrobial, antihepatotoxic, anti-diabetic, anti-lipid peroxidative motion, anti-metastatic, anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory and so on properties.
Phytochemicals
Colocasia esculenta comprises beta-carotene, iron, folic acid alkaloids, alkyl-resorcinols, glycosides, phenolics, saponins, sterols, important oils, resins, quite a few sugars and natural acids.
Morphology, Distribution
Morphology
Colocasia esculenta is a tuberous bulb plant rising as much as the peak of three – 5 ft tall.The leaves are giant, coronary heart form resembles elephant ears, triangular ovate, higher floor is darkish inexperienced and lightweight inexperienced beneath.(b)
Distribution
Colocasia esculent Linn. is native to South-east Asia and India.
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Analysis
Antibacterial, Anti-fungal Exercise – The research achieved to guage antibacterial and anti-fungal exercise of Colocasia esculenta Linn leaves have proved that its ethanolic extract possess potent antibacterial and anti-fungal properties.
Controversy
Colocasia esculenta and Colocasia antiquorum, some botanists contemplate them each to be members of a single, very variable species. Typically Colocasia antiquorum is taken into account as synonym of Colocasia esculenta.(i,j)
Classification
Classical Classification
Bhavaprakasha Nighantu – Shaka varga
Scientific Classification
Area – Eukaryota
Kingdom – Plantae
Phylum – Spermatophyta
Subphylum – Angiospermae
Class – Monocotyledonae
Order – Arales
Household – Araceae
Genus – Colocasia
Species – Colocasia esculenta
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