Haldi for being Healthy

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Haldi(Turmeric) for being Healthy Dr M.Uma Devi, Asst Prof, Dept of Biotechnology, ASTRA, Bandlaguda, Hyderabad Introduction The use of plants as medicine is as old as human civilization. Recently there has been resurgence in the interest of medicinal plants through the world. India is one among the 12 mega diversity rich countries in the world. Out of 15,000 plant species of flowering plants, so far about 8000 plants are recognized as medicinal plants and are being used by various traditional systems of medicine. Plant profile Turmeric (English) Haridra (Sanskrit) Haldi, halada (Hindi, Bengali, Gujurati, Marathi) Manjal (Tamil) Pasapu (Telugu) Arishina (Kannada). Turmeric (Curcuma longa) is a rhizomatous herbaceous perennial plant of the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. It is native to tropical South Asia and needs temperatures between 20° C and 30° C, and a considerable amount of annual rainfall to thrive. Plants are gathered annually for their rhizomes, and re-seeded from some of those rhizomes in the following season. The plants grow as an upright herb to about 1 m tall. Rhizome - this is a sort of underground stem. It is thick and fleshy, ringed with the bases of old leaves. This is the part which is boiled, dried and ground to make the distinctive bright yellow spice, turmeric. Turmeric only reproduces via its rhizomes.Leaves are large, oblong, up to 1 m long. Flowers - these appear on a spike-like stalk. The flowers are yellow-white. They are sterile and do not produce viable seed. The rhizomes are boiled for several hours and then dried in hot ovens, after which they are ground into a deep orange-yellow powder commonly used as a spice in curries and other South Asian and Middle Eastern cuisine, for dyeing, and to impart color to mustard condiments. Its active ingredient is curcumin and it has an earthy, bitter, peppery flavor and a

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