Journal of Spices and Aromatic Crops

Curcuma caesia Roxb. - Update of phytochemicals and pharmacological properties

N K Leela, P K Adheeba — Thu, 12 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +0530

Curcuma caesia Roxb. commonly known as ‘black turmeric’ is an erect rhizomatous herb characterized by bluish‑black rhizomes and leaves with a deep red-violet midrib. It is a native of northeast and central India and also found in Java and Myanmar. The plant is used in traditional medicine for the treatment of several metabolic disorders, leukoderma, leprosy, rheumatic complaints, bronchial disorders, menstrual disorders, gastrointestinal problems, neurological disorders, cancer and diabetes. The rhizomes contain 1.3-7.14% anthocyanins which determine its bluish black hue. 1,8-cineole, camphor, ar-turmerone, linalool, ocimene, ar-curcumene, zingiberol, curzerenone and tropolone were reported as the major components of rhizome oil from different geographical locations. The leaf oil is dominated by 1,8-cineole, camphor and borneol. Furanodienone and curzerenone were identified as the marker compounds for determining the quality of rhizomes. The present review is an update of its phytochemical constituents and pharmacological properties.

Studies on quality of turmeric powder influenced by pre–treatments of fresh sliced rhizomes

S S Tule, J H Kadam, G D Shirke, S D Pujari — Thu, 12 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +0530

The curcumin is an active component of turmeric which is highly valued and ingredient of many traditional herbal medicines. The objective of the present experiment was to retain the curcumin in turmeric powder and to improve the quality of turmeric powder. The experiment was laid out in Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with ten different treatments. An attempt was made to to address the concerns about reduction in curcumin content due to the traditional curing and processing methods and to prepare high quality turmeric powder by assessing the effect of various pre–treatments on the chemical and physical parameters. The results indicated that blanching of turmeric rhizomes at 90ºC ±2ºC for 5 minutes significantly impacts the physical, chemical, and sensory properties of the turmeric powder. The beneficial compounds like curcumin, polyphenols, flavonoids, alkaloids, tannins, oleoresins and essential oil in blanched rhizomes was retained in turmeric powder which helps in optimizing the nutritional and medicinal value of turmeric.

Effect of irrigation levels, crop geometry and mulching on yield, economics and water use efficiency of fennel (Foeniculum vulgare Mill.) grown under drip system in Western Rajasthan, India

Rupesh Kumar Meena, S R Bhunia, R S Meena, Shri Rakesh, Atma Ram Meena — Thu, 12 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +0530

A study was carried out at Swami Keshwanand Rajasthan Agricultural University, Bikaner, Rajasthan, during the rabi seasons of 2015–16 and 2016–17 to investigate the effects of irrigation levels, crop geometry, and mulch on yield parameters, yield, economics, and water use efficiency of fennel (Foeniculum vulgare Mill.). Findings showed that the irrigation level of 0.8 ETc considerably increased the yield parameters of fennel, including seed (1684 kg ha^-1) and stover yield (3110 kg ha^-1), net return (103149 ha^-1) and benefit: cost ratio (2.58). At 0.6 ETc, a maximum water use efficiency of 5.48 kg ha^-1 mm^-1 was observed. 40 cm x 60 cm paired row planting produced significantly superior yield parameters, seed yield, and water use efficiency. Results further revealed that the application of plastic mulch considerably improved yield parameters, yield, net return, and benefit: cost ratio as compared to no mulch treatment. However, test weight and harvest index were not influenced by plastic mulch. Thus, in arid and semi-arid parts of Rajasthan, integrated use of drip irrigation at 0.8 ETc and plastic mulch under paired row sowing of 40 cm x 60 cm proved more viable for ensuring higher productivity of rabi fennel.

Effect of nano urea on growth and yield of scented geranium (Pelargonium graveolens L. Herit)

A Koppad, J S Hiremath, S Kulkarni, Vijaymahantesh, S T Nandimath, A Prashant — Thu, 12 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +0530

Nanotechnology holds promise for optimizing nutrient delivery in agriculture. This study examines the impact of nano urea, a nanoscale urea formulation, on scented geranium (Pelargonium graveolens) growth and yield. A randomized controlled trial compared nano urea with traditional urea on various growth and yield parameters. Nano urea treatment, T₇-15 kg N neem coated urea + 0.5 ml l^-1 nano urea improved the growth and yield of scented geranium. Plants sprayed with nano urea had maximum growth (plant height, number of leaves per plant, number of branches per plant, plant spread), yield (fresh herbage yield (1.53 and 1.26 kg per plant, 28.76 and 25.56 kg per net plot and 14.27 and 12.68 t per hectare) and essential oil yield per hectare (14.70 and 13.11 kg) in both the main as well as ratoon crops respectively.

Documentation of spices and condiments as medicines by Reang community of Tripura

Joysree Debbarma, Chaman Lal Sharma, Madhubala Sharma — Thu, 12 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +0530

A total of 36 species of spices and condiments belonging to 30 genera and 19 families were reported to be used for medicinal purposes by the Reang community. Leaves were the most commonly used part followed by whole plant, rhizomes, fruits, young shoots, barks, flowers and stems. Zingiberaceae was the most dominant family followed by Apiaceae, Fabaceae and Araceae. There were 24 herbs, 7 trees, 5 shrubs, and 1 climber species. The Informant Consensus Factor was maximum (0.75) for medicinal uses of spices for treating gastric problems and ulcer and minimum (0) for liver disease. The highest fidelity levels were observed in Curcuma longa L. (100%) to treat wounds and gynecological problems and lowest in Amaranthus spinosus L. (28%) for snake bite. The present study reveals that Reang community uses the plants not only as spices and condiments but also as herbal medicines for treatment of various ailments.

Influence of diurnal harvesting times on essential oil yield and chemical composition of lemongrass, palmarosa and tulsi

Thu, 12 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +0530

Essential oil yield and chemical composition of most of the aromatic crops are affected by environmental, agrochemical and genetic factors. One of such factors are Harvesting Time (HT’s), optimizing which may result in higher essential oil production with better quality. The present study was carried out to determine the effect of HT’s on three different aromatic crops [lemongrass, palmarosa and Ocimum sanctum (CIM-Ayu)] at different diurnal times (9.00 A.M 12.00 P.M and 3.00 P.M) in a day and the same was repeated thrice on alternate days from in the same fields. The results indicated that HT at 3.00 PM had higher essential oil content in all the three aromatic crops. But, the influence of HT on the quality of essential oil was specific to the different crops studied in this report. The quality of essential oil obtained from lemongrass harvested at 12.00 PM was found to be better as it showed more percentage of citral whereas the essential oils obtained from palmarosa and O. sanctum harvested at 3.00 PM were better as they showed more percentage of geraniol and eugenol respectively. This research not only refines essential oil production strategies but also underscores the crop-specific impact of harvesting times. The meticulous temporal analysis, coupled with statistical validation, contributes novel insights, providing practical benefits for industries reliant on these aromatic crops.

Isolation and characterization of lycopene β cyclase from Capsicum frutescens

Meetali Chinnkar, Pratima Jadhav — Thu, 12 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +0530

Lycopene β cyclase (LCY-B) catalyzes the conversion of linear lycopene to cyclic β carotene, a crucial component of the photosynthetic machinery and a source of vitamin A for humans and animals. The gene was amplified in fragments using primers designed from conserved sequences of available nucleotide sequences from NCBI and a sequence of 1494 bp was observed upon amplification of the complete gene. The deduced amino acid sequence had a significant overall similarity with sequences of other Capsicum plants. It was observed that C. frutescens occurred in the same cluster as C. annuum and C. baccatum, while LCYB from all the other plants of the Solanaceae family were placed in one cluster signifying the conserved nature of the protein. The tertiary structure obtained from the protein was validated using the Ramachandran plot and ERRANT scores were determined. The protein function analysis gives insight into important parameters of the protein such as the number of cysteine residues, glycosylation sites, phosphorylation sites, etc.

Unveiling black pepper diversity: A morphological characterization of genotypes in Sylhet, Bangladesh

M D Moudud Ahmod, Masuma Ahmed, Sharifunnessa Moonmoon, M D Masudur Rahman — Thu, 12 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +0530

Black pepper (Piper nigrum L.) is a valuable spice and despite having suitable climatic conditions, Bangladesh relies on imports to meet the demand. There is some homestead production of black pepper, but information available on the genotypes grown in Bangladesh is scanty. Here, we characterized black pepper genotypes in the Sylhet region for potential domestic production. Healthy, disease-free cuttings of eleven genotypes (G-1 to G-11) were collected and grown in a nursery condition for characterization. Diverse traits were observed for lamina shape (ovate, ovate-lanceolate, ovate-elliptic, and cordate), leaf tip (acute, accuminate, and caudate), leaf base (cordate and rounded), shoot tip color (green, light green, yellowish-green, purple, and dark purple), and leaf margin (wavy and even). Quantitative parameters revealed substantial variation in leaf length (6.8 to 11.24 cm), leaf width (3.66 to 6.24 cm), leaf area (26.8 to 66.6 cm²), petiole length (2.3 to 5.0 cm), internode length (1.93 to 6.2 cm), and leaf dry matter content (19.6 to 30.4%). Notably, G-8 exhibited superior values for leaf dimensions, area, petiole and internode lengths, along with relatively higher leaf dry matter content (23.9%). This study provides a baseline for selecting and breeding high-yielding black pepper varieties in Bangladesh, potentially boosting domestic production.

Evaluation of antioxidant potential of clove extracts

Sneha Shende — Thu, 12 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +0530

The antioxidant activity of steam distilled clove extract and clove oleoresin was assessed using β-carotene–linoleic acid model system, and was found to be 85.51±0.19% and 77.88±0.15%, respectively. DPPH free radical-scavenging activity of steam distilled extract and oleoresin of clove were 88.93±0.23% and 80.84±0.36%, respectively. Eugenol content in steam distilled extract of clove (0.518±0.005mg/ml) was significantly higher than that of clove oleoresin (0.433±0.007mg/ml). Eugenol content was also affected by time period of refluxing. Highest recovery of steam distilled clove extract was obtained by refluxing with 90 % ethanol for 4 hr (0.763±0.007). The steam distilled clove extract was found to possess higher antioxidant activity than the oleoresin.