eChapters

Introduction

Underutilized fruits provide nutrition and sustenance of life to the native communities and prevent widespread malnutrition, combat micronutrient deficiencies and other dietary deficiencies, as these are rich in vitamins, minerals, protein, carbohydrates and fats. Vitamins like A, E and minerals like calcium, magnesium and iron are abundantly available in these fruits, which help in building resistance against diseases. Many underutilized fruits contain more vitamin C and pro-vitamin A than the widely available commercial species. Consumption of these fruits by the rural people directly from the trees further maximizes vitamin intake.

A healthy diet depends on a diversity of foods rich in vitamins and minerals. Whether wild, semi-domesticated or fully cultivated, the underutilized and neglected species are important for the well being of local communities. These fruit trees provide the essential supplements that ensure a balanced nutritious diet. Diet diversity is an extremely important element of nutritional well-being, in part because more essential nutrients are consumed and also because it improves the taste of staple foods thus encouraging greater consumption. One of the most common causes for dietary deficiencies appears to be the decreasing diversity of traditional diets. Underutilized fruits are common snack foods that provide vitamins, minerals, proteins, etc. and play important role in diets.

Sugars and sweetners: Sugars are present in all the actively metabolising plant cells in the form of glucose and sucrose. The under-exploited fruits that yield sugar are black maple, sugar maple, sugar palm, wild date palm, honey palm or coquito palm (Jubaea chilensis), talipot palm, nipa palm, toddy palm, palmyra palm (Table 1).

1. Introduction

Medicinal plants are used to be the valuable sources of new drugs (Nalawade et al., 2003; Chen et al., 2010;Chacko et al., 2010; Hamilton 2004). In Europe, about 1300 plants were used as medicinal plant, of which 90% are collected from wild resources. In United States, about 118 out of 150 prescribed drugs made up of natural sources (Balunas and Kinghorn 2005)

Moreover in developing countries, about 80 % people are totally reliant on herbal drugs and over 25 % of prescribed medicines derivative from wild plant species (Hamilton 2004). With the increasing demand for herbal drugs, natural health products, and secondary metabolites of medicinal plants, the use of medicinal plants is growing rapidly throughout the world (Nalawade et al., 2003). Between 50,000 and 80,000 flowering plant species are using for medicinal purposes worldwide according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature and the World Wildlife Fund (Bentley 2010). However, 20 % of the wild resources have already been exhausted with the increasing human population (Ross, 2005). Worldwide loss of species and habitat destruction has increased the extinction rate of medicinal plants, especially in China (Nalawade et al., 2003; Heywood and Iriondo, 2003), India (Heywood and Iriondo, 2003; Hamilton, 2008), Nepal (Hamilton, 2008), Kenya (Hamilton, 2008), Uganda (Zerabruk and Yirga, 2012) and Tanzania (Zerabruk and Yirga, 2012). China and India used highest numbers of medicinal plants i.e. 11,146 and 7500 species respectively (Rafieian-Kopaei, 2013). So, it is now necessary to find out new medicinally important plants or to utilize the well known medicinal plant sustainably. There are many plants in India that contains different medicinal and nutritional components, which can be exploited much more efficiently to establish a new era of medical science.

Cashew Kernels

The role of balanced diet in contributing to a long and healthy life is undisputed. Diet related diseases are quite common even among the people of the affluent West. Unlike in developing countries, where many diseases are caused by deficiency in the quantity and / quality of diet. The diet related diseases among affluent populations result from excessive consumption of undesirable foods. Over consumption of foods of animal origin like meat and eggs are implicated in the causation of atherosclerotic heart diseases. Annual food consumption has also been suggested as possible aetiological factor in some cancers. After years of research, scientists are finding health benefits in a largely plant based diet emphasising foods low in saturated fats. On the basis of the awareness that excess animal food consumption is harmful, recent dietary guidelines all over the world recommend a reduction in the intake of meat and meat products and a liberal increase in consumption of fruits and nuts. Like meat and eggs, nuts are abundant in proteins, the body building material essential for growth and maintenance of tissues. Nuts are also a concentrated source of energy, since they contain liberal amounts of fat.

The word NUX VOMICA is derived from Latin word NUX meaning nut and VOMERE meaning vomiting because of the peculiar property of the nut.

Is the greatest of polychrests, because the bulk of its symptoms correspond in similarity with those of the commonest and most frequent of diseases. It is frequently the first remedy, indicated after much dosing, establishing a sort of equilibrium of forces and counteracting chronic effects.

Nux is pre-eminently the remedy for many of the conditions incident to modern life. The typical Nux patient is thin, spare, quick, active, nervous and irritable. He does a good deal of mental work; has mental strains and leads a sedentary life, found in prolonged office work, over study and close application to business with cares and anxieties. This indoor life and mental strain seeks stimulants, coffee, wine, possibly in excess; or again, he hopes to quiet his excitement, by indulging in the sedative effects of tobacco, if not really a victim, to the seductive drugs, like opium etc. Nux is preeminently a male remedy. These conditions produce an irritable, nervous system, hypersensitive and over impressionable, which Nux will do much to soothe and calm. Especially adapted to digestive disturbances, portal congestion and hypochondriacal states depending thereon. Nux patients are easily chilled, avoid open air. Nux always seems to be out of tune, inharmonious spasmodic action.

Nyctanthes, commonly known as Harsingar or Parijata, is an important flowering shrub valued for its fragrant white flowers with orange centres. The flowers have long-standing cultural and religious significance and are traditionally collected for worship and other uses. This chapter presents the botanical identity, origin, distribution, genetics and characteristics of Harsingar. It discusses suitable climate and soil conditions, propagation, planting, nutrient management, irrigation and cultural practices. The chapter also covers pests and diseases affecting the crop and provides information on flower harvesting, particularly the importance of morning collection. Postharvest management, yield and traditional and modern uses of Harsingar flowers are included to support commercial and practical understanding

It is very important to watch weight, not allowing oneself to become too thin or too fat, but trying to remain neat ideal. Most youngsters in their teens, if they are healthy and active, are fairly close to the ideal weight for their size and age. Changes often come in the late twenties, reducing a person's physical fitness. Sluggish habits begin to develop as the individual loses his skill in running, swimming or healthy activities.

When greater quantities of energy (in the form of food) enter the body than are expended, the body weight increases. Therefore, obesity is caused by excess energy input over energy output. In other words, extra weight is due to extra eating. For each 9.3 Calories of excess energy that enters the body, one gram of fat is stored.

Excess energy input occurs only during the development phase of obesity. Once a person has become obese, all that is required to remain obese so that the energy input equals the energy output. For a person to reduce in weight, the input must be less than the output. People with large bones and well-developed muscles may seem somewhat overweigh compared with those of lighter build. But actually the lighter person may carry around more fat. His muscles may be weak and underdeveloped.

Introduction

The immense use of chemicals and pharmacological entities has put the public health at brisk of potential health hazards. These substances in modern days are presented in the form of common constituents of food, medicines, beverages and junk foods etc. However, long term consumption of these substances might be responsible for chronic toxicity, but the accidental ingestion of large quantities of these substances may result into adverse acute toxic reactions. Hence an experimenter should have the acumen to develop and perform the acute toxic tests in order to find out the lethal dose 50 i.e. LD50 of the substances.

Acute Toxicity Studies

Acute toxicity studies helps to establish the dose dependent adverse effect including mortalities. The LD50 has been used as a major parameter in screening of pharmacological agents for acute toxic potential. Apart from mortality, other biological effects and the time of onset, duration and degree of recovery on survived animals, are also important in evaluation of acute toxicity. Hence, acute toxicity study solely gives information about LD50, therapeutic index and the degree of safety of a pharmacological agent.

Acute toxicity is defined as adverse effects occur following oral or dermal administration of a single dose of a substance, or multiple doses given within 24 hours, or an inhalation exposure of 4 hours. Oral administration is the most common form of acute systemic toxicity testing.

1. Introduction

Coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.) is a popular seed spice crop, used for dual purpose seed and leaves both. Since ancient times, coriander leaves have been used in the production of many popular Asian and East European foods. It improves the taste and flavor of vegetable, chicken, fish, and meat dishes when combined with other kitchen herbs and spices. Blending of green coriander leaves with other spice crops is used to make chatni (paste) which is a good appetizer, flavour enhancer and rich source of medicinal properties of coriander. The green leaves of coriander are a rich source of minerals like calcium, phosphorus and iron as well as vitamin A, C, riboflavin and folic acid. Coriander is one of the few plants which can be termed both as herb and spice, the seeds being used as spices (coriander) and leaves are widely used as herbs (cilantro). The green leaves of this herb contain 160 mg/100 g vitamin C, 12 mg/100 g vitamin A and 87.9% moisture, 3.3% protein, 0.6% fat, 6.5% carbohydrates and 1.7% mineral matter

1. Introduction

Heat transfer from a hot surface is a general method or technique of heating liquids and slurry type of food materials. In such cases the heat can be generated either directly by a heating element or indirectly from a hot medium like steam or hot water via a heat exchanger (e.g. shell and tube, plate). Therefore, for the heat transfer during heating by these techniques a temperature gradient will be required, which usually causes the fouling on the surface of the heating element or heat exchanger. Afterwards the fouling not only reduces the heat transfer rate but also results in quality deterioration within the product which is being processed. 

Botanical Name: Elaeis guineensis Jacq
Family: Arecaceae 
Chromosome No.: 2n= 2x=-32
Origin: Tropical Africa. 
Type of Fruit: Drupe
Type of Inflorescence: Spadix
Useable Part:-Fruit.

The oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) is recognised as the cheapest edible oil-yielding crop and has become one of the major oil crops in the world. The most productive oil-bearing crop, oil palm yields about three times the oil yield of coconut, seven times that of rapeseed, and ten times that of soybean. In terms of world production, palm oil maintains second place after soybean as a source of vegetable oil and has overtaken other crops such as rapeseed, sunflower, groundnut, and cottonseed. Under good agricultural management, a hectare of oil palm yields 5 to 7 tonnes of oil / year (Henson, 1991). The crop is unique in producing 2 distinct types of oil- palm oil and palm kernel oil- used for culinary and industrial purposes. Being rich in b-carotene, palm oil contributes substantially to nutritional and energy requirements of masses.

.1. Origin and distribution

• Originated from West Africa.

• Cultivated in Malaysia, Indonesia, USA, Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Togo, Angola and Congo.

• Commercial scale plantation in Malaysia was found in 1917.

9.2. Economic importance

• Produces edible palm oil as well as palm kernel oil.

• Maj or constituent of oil is mono unsaturated oleic acid; rich in carotenoids.

• Unrefined palm oil is a significant source of tocotrienol, part of vitamin E.

• Oil content is 17 to 27% for palm oil, and 4 to 10% for palm kernels.

Spindle bug: Carvalhoia arecae :Miridae

Nymphs and adult bugs suck the plant sap from spindle leaf and tender leaves.  Feeding marks are seen as necrotic lesions in the spindle and fully opened leaves.  The pest is seen in the nursery plants round the year but incidence is high during rainy season.

Plant oleoresins, often referred to as resins, are sticky plant secretions synthesized in large quantities by about 10 % of plant families. Resin is secreted when a plant is disturbed and the sticky substances produced contain many toxic compounds used to defend the plant from herbivores and pathogens. A major component of resin is the terpenoid compounds. Although terpenoid compounds can be quite complex, they are all composed of five-carbon units, with an isoprene unit as the base. The simplest of these terpenes are the monoterpenes that possess 10- carbon atoms derived from two fused isoprene units. Monoterpenes are an important component of the volatile portion of terpenes and often emit very strong odors.

Olive-scale: Metacernema japonica: Black scale: Saissetia oleae: Coccidae

Olive scales are tiny pale-greyish insects which settle on branches, leaves and fruits and are active during April-November. S. oleae are round greenish brown scales. Nymphs and adults of both the species suck the sap from the tender shoots, and leaf petioles. Sooty-mould appears on leaves and branches of infested plants as a consequence of honeydew secre-tion. Shoots get dried up and fruits remain undersized.

ABSTRACT

Vanilla (Vanilla planifolia Andrews) is a high value spice crop having immense potential for cultivation in India as a source for natural vanillin. Though the crop was introduced way back in 1835, its cultivation gained momentum only in the recent past due to various reasons. Lack of sufficient good quality planting materials is one of the constraints for expanding the area under the crop. Conventionally vanilla is propagated by vine cuttings, but this method is inadequate to have large number of planting materials in a short span of time. So, micropropagation was attempted and proved to be highly successful. In the present study, performance of vanilla plants raised from tissue culture plantlets and vegetative cuttings was assessed on large-scale in planters’ field covering a total area of 111 ha in Kerala(68ha), Karnataka(28ha) and Tamilnadu(15ha) with the financial assistance of the Department of Biotechnology, New Delhi under the project entitled “Tissue culture Vanilla : Product Plan“. Disease free elite accessions of vanilla identified by the Indian Cardamom Research Institute (Spices Board), Myladumpara from its germplasm repository were used as mother plant source for tissue culture multiplication and also for raising the nursery for producing vegetative cuttings. The field planting for the demonstration plots was carried out during 1996-1999 on a cluster approach basis having 400 plants in each unit or plot of 0.25 ha. Accordingly a total of 444 evaluation plots were laid out under the project covering the aforesaid three states. Out of the 400 plants in a plot, 80% were nursery hardened grown up tissue culture plants and the balance( 20% )vegetative cuttings of comparable length. Observations on growth and yield attributes such as vine length, number of leaves per vine, internodal length, number of beans per vine, bean size, yield etc. revealed that performance of tissue culture plants is on par with that of conventional plants raised from vegetative cuttings of comparable length. It is also observed that if good management practices are adopted, tissue culture plants perform better at the full bearing stage of the plant. This proves that tissue culture plants of vanilla can be popularized as a cost effective and faster source of planting materials compared to conventional vegetative cuttings. As the demonstration plots were distributed under varied agroclimatic situations, the influence of different weather parameters on yield was also ascertained. Further, the project could convince the farmers about the comparable performance of tissue culture plants and that is quite evident from the ever increasing request for tissue culture vanilla plants received by the Spices Board.

It is a very common disease found in all the onion and garlic growing areas. It mostly attacks the bulb as well as the seed crop. The infection or severity of the disease is more in Kharif crop causing 60% yield loss.

Thrips: Thrips tabaci: Thripidae

The nymphs and adults of the thrips desap from the narrow spaces between the inner leaf axils. Leaves are faded, with curled tips and shining silver streaks or brown spots.  Many minute yellow or white insects are seen moving, generally near the base or middle of leaves and they suck the sap from the plants.  Plants are faded and the yield is reduced.

13.1. Origin and distribution

• Native to Turkey Western Mediterranean region.

• Cultivation in India - Confined to states of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh

13.2. Economic importance

• Opium and codeine - important medicines used for analgesic and hypnotic effects.

• A semi-synthetic derivative of drug from morphine - Heroin.

• Seeds contain linoleic acid which lowers blood cholesterol.

• License from Government is mandate for cultivation

Cut worms: Agrotis suffusa: Noctuidae

Adult moth lays eggs in moist soil or on lower side of leaves.  Dark brown larvae cut young plants at ground level and shoot of grown up plants. Damage results in growth retardation of plants and reduced yield.