Volume 59, Issue 326, February 2023

Relish of Beng saga (Centella asiatica (L.) Urb.): A nutraceutical food of the Bhuian tribe

Sradha Swarupa Nayak¹, Sanath Kumar N², Sanjeet Kumar^3♦

¹Department of Lifesciences, Rama Devi Women's University, Odisha, India
²Office of the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), Bonaigarh, Odisha, India
³Ambika Prasad Research Foundation, Odisha, India

^♦Corresponding author
Ambika Prasad Research Foundation, Odisha, India

ABSTRACT

The number of diseases and disorders is increasing day-by-day. Therefore, proper nutrition and medicines have become a major necessity for mankind. Synthetic medicines have side effects. So now a day, people are shifting their needs from manmade to classical wild therapeutic agents. There are some plants having both nutritional and medicinal properties known as nutraceuticals. One of the best examples of a nutraceutical plant is Beng saga (Centella asiatica). Beng saga is commonly found in moist areas usually nearby rivers, wetlands and streams. Keeping the importance of Beng saga, information was gathered about the food and medicinal values from the Bhuian tribe of the Bonai Forest Division (BFD), Sundargarh, Odisha. It was noticed that the elder members of the Bhuian tribe have good knowledge about the collection of the beng saga, its cooking process and its various health benefits. It was observed that the tribal people consume leaves of beng saga to cure fever and bloating. Normally, it can be served as an appetizer along with delicious pakhala bhata (fermented water rice). Apart from this, it has numerous health benefits which call for its documentation and value addition. In the present study, the authors have discussed the traditional tribal cooking process of the beng saga, its food, medicinal and market value. The communication brings attention to the importance of wild food.

Discovery, 2023, 59, e14d1014

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Published: February 2023