Desmodium gangeticum (Shalparni)

   

 Shalparni is bitter as well as sweet in taste. 

Shalaparni (Desmodium gangeticum DC.) is mentioned in Ayurveda belongs to Fabaceae family and is one of the most frequently used herb in Ayurveda. 

 Root system of Shalaparni consists of poorly developed tap root. T.S. of mature root shows cork, 3-7 layers of thin-walled, tangentially elongated cells, having a few prismatic crystals of calcium oxalate; cork cambium single layered. Phytochemical screening showed the presence of carbohydrate, protein, saponin, alkaloid, glycosoid and reducing sugar. 

Moisture content in root of Shalaparni was found to be 6.17%. Total Ash value was 5.16% and Acid insoluble value was 0.8%. Extractive value was 2.00% and 6.04% of alcoholic and aqueous extract respectively.

The root of this plant is one of the constituents of the famous Ayurvedic preparation called Dasmoola (Dasmoolarista is a tonic ) 

Shalparnia helps to manage fever due to its antipyretic property. 

It is also useful for respiratory problems like bronchitis as it helps to relax the respiratory passages and decreases inflammation due to its bronchodilator and anti-inflammatory properties. This allows free flow of air to respiratory passages and eases breathing.

According to Ayurveda, Shalparni is beneficial for male sexual health as it helps to manage problems like premature ejaculation and erectile dysfunction due to its Vrishya (aphrodisiac) property.

Taking Shalparni powder along with water regularly helps in improving male sexual health.

Shalparni helps to manage piles by reducing inflammation at the anal site due to its astringent and anti-inflammatory properties.

 Taking Shalparni powder along with water manages piles due to its Pitta balancing and Shothhar (anti-inflammatory) properties.

Shalparni is also beneficial in wound healing as it prevents infections and reduces inflammation due to its antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties. 

Applying Shalparni leaf paste on the scalp reduces dandruff as well as hairfall due to its antifungal properties. 

As per Ayurveda, applying Shalparni leaf powder along with rose water on the forehead is a remedy for managing headache.

Chimpanzees in Nigeria have also been known to swallow leaves of the plant Desmodium gangeticum (called ‘shalaparni’ in India) to get rid of parasites that bother the animal’s skin

Shalaparni, through its active compound Gangetin, demonstrated potential as a dual-acting therapeutic agent for RA and depression by targeting shared inflammatory pathways. .

Medicinal Plants :

 

Medicinal Plants:- 

 Mulethi, 

Shatavari 

Kalihari, 

Shwet Musali, 

Guggulu, 

Manjishtha, 

Kutki, '

Atees, 

Jatamansi, 

Ashwagandha, 

Brahmi, 

Tulsi, 

Vidarikand,

 Pippali, 

Chirata, 

Pushkarmool

Pandanus / Kevda / Screw tree

 

Kevda plant well known for the fragrant kewra essence, used in sweets, traditional medicine and also in temples has survived in the Indian subcontinent for at least 24 million years and is a living survivor from India's ancient tropical forests.

Pandanus is mainly restricted to tropical and subtropical regions. However, fossil evidence from Europe and North America, dating back 85–66 million years, indicates that its ancestors once had a much wider distribution across the Northern Hemisphere. As global climates cooled after about 34 million years ago, these plants gradually disappeared from many regions and became restricted to the tropics.

Kevda or Ketaki is used to make perfumes and its flowers are famous in India for its fragrance. It was considered to be one of the finest scents India offered by the Moghul emperors.

A perfumed oil and fragrant attar are both extracted from the flower and used as medicines as well as scents. Its oil is used to treat headaches, earaches and rheumatic pains.

Kewra water is an extract that is distilled from pandanus flowers. It is a transparent liquid, almost similar to rose water. Although pandanus trees grow almost everywhere in tropical Asia, kewra water is still mainly a Northern Indian flavouring that is not used anywhere else. 

In Western cooking, kewra water makes a fine alternative to the flower essences like rose or orange essence. It can be substituted with kewra essence, which is more concentrated.

Guggul (Commiphora wightii)

 

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Guggul (Commiphora wightii)

Guggul (Commiphora wightii) is an important plant due to its renowned medicinal properties

The plant's resin, known as gum guggul, is rich in bioactive compounds like guggulsterones, which are recognized for their antiinflammatory, hypolipidemic, and antioxidant effects.

Research has shown that guggul possesses cholesterol-reducing properties due to compounds like guggulsterone. This bioactive compound aids in cholesterol metabolism by regulating bile acid synthesis and transport

The resin's chemical composition includes minerals, gum, terpenes, sterols, essential oils, and other bioactive compounds

Leguminous crops: Chickpea, Groundnut, Soya bean and lentils such as pigeon pea (tur)

 

Leguminous crops, including chickpea (chana), groundnut, soya bean and lentils such as pigeon pea (tur), have a unique biological capacity to fix atmospheric nitrogen in the soil, reducing the need for nitrogen fertiliser and, in turn, N2O emissions. 

A meta-analysis published  in 2023 shows that legumes fix about 70 kg of nitrogen per ha, equivalent to 152 kg of urea. 

This natural fertilisation supports sustainable plant growth and soil fertility, while improving the availability of other macronutrients. 

The study says soils under legume crops show more than 11 per cent higher NPK (nitrogen, phophorous and potassium) availability and 16-17 per cent greater carbon seque stration than cereal monocultures. 

Legumes also require 25 per cent less irrigation water than non-legume crops. 

Sal or Shorea robusta

 

Shorea robusta is an evergreen tree with an elongated crown when young, becoming more rounded as the tree ages. It can grow up to 50 metres tall in fertile soils, but is more likely to be 20 - 25 metres tall in poorer soils. The straight, cylindrical bole can be unbranched for up to 25 metres and up to 200cm in diameter

Sal is a very important multi-purpose tree. It is one of the main commercial timbers of India, being harvested from the wild for local use and export. It also yields a resin that is traded and an oil that is used locally as well as being exported in large quantities. It addition, it supplies tannins, an edible seed and medicines for local use. The leaves are used commercially for making plates and containers

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The sal tree is often the dominant species in the forests of the sub-Himalayan tract, but overutilization of it for fuel, timber, fodder etc is becoming a cause for conservation concern in some areas

The seeds are a source of 'sal butter', an oil that is used in cooking like ghee and as a substitute for cocoa butter in making chocolate

The resin is valued for its use in the treatment of dysentery, gonorrhoea, boils and toothaches

The leaf juice is used in the treatment of dysentery

 The leaves are warmed and used as a poultice on areas of the body that are swollen

 They have a quick effect[. They are also applied to the stomach of children with dysentery

The oil from the seed is used to treat skin diseases

When tapped, the tree exudes large quantities of a whitish, aromatic, transparent resin known as 'lal dhuna'. It is used to caulk boats and ships and as incense. In some places in the Upper Tista forests of the Darjeeling District, large
pieces, often 450 - 600 cubic centimetres in size, are found in the ground at the foot of the trees[

The leaves are widely used for making plates, cups and for wrapping

An oil obtained from the seed is used for illumination

The bark is a source of tannins

The heartwood is a dark, reddish brown; the thin band of sapwood whitish. The grain is strongly spiralled and rather coarsely structured. The wood is hard, heavy, very durable and highly resistant to termite attack. Seasoning can present problems. The wood is easy to saw, but because of its high resin content, it is difficult to plane and turn; it has a tendency to split when nails are driven into it. This important Indian hardwood is especially well suited for constructing structures subject to heavy stress in houses etc, it is also used in hydraulic engineering, ships and railway cars, poles, railway ties and posts, simple interior finishing such as window frames and floors, and many other applications[

. For making household or agricultural implements, the coppice shoots are used

The wood is an important local source of fue

Litchi fruit

 

  Litchi fruit is having excellent quality

  It is a rich source of Vitamin C along with B complex vitamin. About 100 g of fresh lychee (roughly a small handful) provides around 70 mg of vitamin C, supporting immune function and collagen formation

 Minerals and plant compounds: It contains potassium and polyphenols (antioxidants such as epicatechin).

The Geographical Indication (GI) status has strengthened the identity and market recognition of Tezpur Litchi, enhancing its appeal among international buyers and creating new opportunities for premium agricultural exports from Assam.

As a traditional Chinese medicine, litchi has been used for centuries to treat stomach ulcers, diabetes, cough, diarrhea, and dyspepsia, as well as to kill intestinal worms.

Both in vitro and in vivo studies have indicated that whole litchi fruits exhibit antioxidant, hypoglycemic, hepatoprotective, hypolipidemic, and antiobesity activities and show anticancer, antiatherosclerotic, hypotensive, neuroprotective, and immunomodulatory activities.

 The health benefits of litchi have been attributed to its wide range of nutritional components, among which polysaccharides and polyphenols have been proven to possess various beneficial properties. 

The diversity and composition of litchi polysaccharides and polyphenols have vital influences on their biological activities

Caution:

Unripe lychee contains the chemicals Hypoglycin A, which causes severe vomiting, and methylene cyclopropyl-glycine (MCPG) which causes a sharp drop in sugar levels in blood

Hypoglycin A is an amino acid that is naturally found in the unripened lychee, while methylene cyclopropyl-glycine MCPG is a poisonous compound present in the seeds of lychee.