Medicinal plants 4

PERUK (Indian Pennywort) botanically known as Centella asiatica of Apiaceae family is a slender creeping plant. It is little bitter in taste when boiled/steamed. Whole plant when boiled is used in popular cuisine known as ‘peruk kangsu’. The leaves are taken raw for its amazing medical properties. Since ancient times the plant is traditional used for various pathological disorders and in particular for the healing of wounds. It is also recommended in chronic diseases. Leaves have found application in clinical practice for dermatological disorders and in particular for improving the healing process of wounds, burns, skin and vein ulcers. Juice of aerial parts is used as a brain tonic; powder of aerial portion is taken to control high blood pressure; whole plant is used as diuretic; plant paste is applied as a poultice in case of bone fracture. Today preparations of C. asiatica leaves constitute the active principle of pharmaceutical and cosmetic products for the treatment of venous and skin disorders.

Centella asiatica

HAWAI MUBI (broad bean/fava bean) botanically known as Vicia faba (Fabaceae) is used as a vegetable. It grows in a long pod and is one of the important winter crops for human consumption in Manipur. The popular dishes of faba bean in Manipur include hawai mubi ‘kangsoi’ (stewed beans) and serves as an ideal culinary ingredient in ‘yongchak aloo eromba’. In literature, it is reported that feeding value of faba bean is high, and is considered in some areas to be superior to other legumes. The seedpods are diuretic, expectorant, or tonic. Studies reveal that fava beans are linked to Parkinson’s disease for it contains levodopa. Levodopa (L-Dopa) is the major ingredient for drugs used for treating Parkinson’s disease. It includes Sinemet, Madopar, Dopar and Larodopa. It is not just the beans itself that contains L-Dopa. As a matter of fact, the entire plant contains levodopa. It can be found in its stems, leaves, pod and even immature beans.

Vicia faba

IKAITHABI commonly known as Water mimosa (Neptunia oleracea) belonging to Mimisaceae) is a long-lived aquatic plant which is cultivated as a vegetable. It has mimosa-like leaves that close up when touched. It grows in shallow water and has thick taproot that becomes woody with age and produces stems up to 1.5 m long which may become detached. The older floating stems develop a thick spongy covering which aids with flotation and they also produce roots at their joints. The young stems are eaten raw as vegetable salad ‘singsu’ and shoots (after removing the spongy covering) are cooked for ‘eronba’. Fresh leaf juice is taken as refrigerant and astringent. Stem juice is poured into ear to get relief from earache. Eaten raw in dysentery and intestinal infections. Whole plant is used in syphilis, dipsia, burning sensation, diarrhoea, strangury and helminthiasis.

Neptunia oleracea