JANHIT A Handbook on ... FOUNDATION JANHIT FOUNDATION D-80 Shastri Nagar, Meerut-250002, Uttar Pradesh Phone +91-121-2763418, 4004123 e-mail: [email protected] Website: www.janhitfoundation.in Lemongrass Neem Citronella A Handbook on ... LEGEND • According to Indian mythology, the origin of the Neem tree is related to the story of palazimadanam ( the churning of the Palazi, the Ocean of Milk). During the course of the event, Lord Dhanvanthari appeared from The Ocean, with a pot, full of nectar in the end, Lord Indra, the king of Devas tactfully snatched the pot from the Asuras and left for Deva loka. On the way, a few drops of nectar fell down on to the earth and legend has it that the Neem tree originated form the nectar. • The Neem tree is considered as One of the ten trees, in the Nandanavana of the Ramayana It is mentioned in the "Mantra maharnavam", Brihat Samhitha","Kdambari", and "Padma Purana", It also finds a place in the "Charaka Samhita"(2000 BC), and is one of the most Important plants mentioned in Kautilya's “Arthasastra” (4BC). • The Neem is used in the worship of goddess Mariyamma in Tamil Nadu Lemongrass Neem Citronella and Karnataka. Buchanan's Travelogues report five leaf branches of Neem being used in the Mariyamma pooja in Mysore, • In Ayurveda, Unani and Sidha Systems of medicine the Neem tree is used as a single drug and also as an ingredient in many herbal formulations. In Abhidhanamanjari", there is reference to three types of Neem or Veppu (in Malayalam) Azadiracta indica (Aryaveppu) Azdirach JANHIT (Malaveppu) and Murraya Koenigii (Kariveppu). FOUNDATION 28 1 Contents A Word A Word............................................................................................................................................................ 3 Between the 1940s and 1960s India needed Revolution which was once a boon has now a boost in agricultural output. Green become a curse. Yields have gone down, Revolution which started in 1943 led to input costs have increased, returns are low Introduction.................................................................................................................................................. 4 significant increases in agricultural the farmer is left with no choice but to quit production. This was possible because of farming or borrow money and lay his own Citronella ....................................................................................................................................................... 6 increased output through genetically death trap. modified seeds, chemicals aiding in growth and pesticides increasing produce per Time has come to start the process of Lemongrass .................................................................................................................................................. 13 hectare. reversal and go back to the golden days of bountiful! Lush green fields, clean flowing Neem............................................................................................................................................................... 20 The benefits were reaped till the time rivers and pure air to breathe. Chemical continuous use saw the reversal of effects. based farming and Monoculture are creating This started the practice of monoculture an imbalance, the only way to conserve bio- chiefly of cash crops. As a consequence, soil diversity and our natural resources is to started losing its fertility, crops became practice organic farming and grow resistant to pesticides, water consumption medicinal plants, aromatic plants, vegetables increased leading to groundwater depletion, and even flowers. Pulses, paddy and health of farmers suffered because of aromatic plants are gradually becoming lost exposure to insecticides and the consumers words. Some of the good alternates that can too suffered eating the produce leached be viably grown are Aromatic plants like with pesticides. Lemongrass, Citronella and medicinal plants like Neem. These will conserve bio diversity We now stand on the threshold from where and also enhance the income of farmers. our future looks very bleak. The three Details of the three plants are enumerated natural resources and the basic requirement in this booklet to aid the farmer in their for sustenance water, air and food all face cultivation. the threat of pollution and depletion. Green 2 3 medicinal preparations. Despite their which the fragrant constituents are likely to demands today, they are not grown in a be decomposed or destroyed, the essential Introduction controlled manner. Rather tribes use them as oils are mostly obtained by distilling the their livelihood in some belts where they are produce; in fact, steam distillation is the grown in the wild. Unlike India, in China, the oldest method of separation of essential oils. AROMATIC PLANTS HERBAL MEDICINE spurt in demand for traditional medicines The perfumery material is filled in a large- has led the government to allow growth of galvanized iron still over a perforated metal Aromatic plants possess odoriferous and Four billion people or about 80% of the these plants for further research and grid. Water is filled in the still below the volatile substances which occur as essential world's population use herbal medicine development. About 100 units have nearly level of the grid so that it generates a low- oils, gum exudates, balsam and oleo-resin in today as part of health care. Different 600 plant types, grown for their medicinal pressure steam on heating to pass through one or more parts, viz. root, wood, bark, cultures use herbs located in their value. Herbal medicines are used in the material. The water vapours carry with it foliage, flower and fruit. The chemical nature geographical locations for curing common Ayurveda, Naturopathy, and Homeopathy, the essential oil of the perfumery material. of these aromatic substances may be due to illnesses. They have been successful to a traditional and Native American medicines. These vapours are passed through a a variety of complex chemical compounds. certain extent and over many centuries, About 74 plant types are used in modern condenser and collected in a vessel where Many of these aromatics are powerful some of the herbal cures have proved to be medicines. They are bought from rainforests. the oil is decanted with a separating-funnel. germicides and have anti-bacterial properties, far more useful than allopathic drugs. What but the bulk of the produce finds use in exactly is herbal medicine? One can loosely With due importance, healthcare is being A simple field distillation unit could be perfumery and the food-flavouring industries. describe it is a natural form of healing or given worldwide, it is strange that herbal fabricated by a skilled blacksmith. For more Amongst the two, the perfumery and allied alternative therapy where herbs and plants medicines are being used quietly without efficient and quick distillation of the industries consume much larger amounts of are used in the form of extracts, pills, syrup the consultations of a practitioner. They are produce; “steam distillation" units are the natural fragrant material. According to the or powder to cure ailments or diseases of bought over the counter or from unqualified employed. These units are built on the same UN Word Statistics (1972), the annual world human beings and in some cases of animals people who make them. As they hardly principle except that live steam at 40-100 1b trade (excluding countries in Eastern Europe) too. The administration of herbal medicines have, any side effects patent medicines are pressure per inch is injected into the filling- in essential oils and perfumery aromatics for has been on a profile until now. But failure few in circulation, especially in India and still through perforated coils and the 1969 was of the order of Rs 2250 million; also, of some allopathic drugs and its side effects China. If general physicians and doctors distillation is completed in a shorter period. a large quantity of the aromatic material of have prompted some patients to go back to combine them with allopathic drugs for It has the advantages of handling a larger plant origin is utilized in cosmetics, toiletries ancient healing methods which use herbal patients with chronic problems, it could be a quantity of the material, besides improving and allied industries. Our current volume of medicines to give relief. positive step towards healthcare. As they are upon the recovery of the essential oil. foreign trade in the perfumery material, cost effective, they fall within the budget of essential oils and aromatic compounds is Herbal medicines are also called as patients needing long-term care. around Rs 65 million and this amount herbalism. Ancient Chinese, Indians and accounts for 1.6 per cent of the world trade. Europeans discovered origins of medicinal PROCESSING PROCEDURE Some sixty-two types of essential oils come herbs. They have been using them for to the international market with a large and curative purposes successfully. The records The methods employed to obtain aromatic consistent demand. However, our treatment of are available in ancient texts. In India itself, substances from plants are classified into the aromatic plants is confined to a few more there are more than 1100 medicinal plants distillation, effleurage, maceration, expression important essential-oil crops grown in the grown all over the wild forests. Of these, and solvent extraction. Expect in the case of 4 country some