Dr.S.Revathi's Blog

Merremia Emarginata is a creeping plant that has roots at its nodes. The leaves are dark green in colour and resemble the shape of the ears of rat that earns it a name called Elikaadhu ilai (literally, rat's ears) in tamil. These leaves have curvy edges and are slightly bitter in taste. This plant bears very little yellow flowers and ovoid shaped tiny fruits containing 2-4 seeds. Other vernacular names of this plant are as follows: Kidney leaf morning glory in English, Musakani in Hindi, Elikajeemudu in Telugu, Elikaadhu ilai, Elikaadhu keerai in Tamil and Elichevi in Malayalam. This plant is native to India and is widely found in China, Indonesia and South East Asia, Madagascar and other African countries. This plant is abundant and is present throughout rainy season. Nutrients present: Alkaloids, flavanoids, glycosides, amino acids, tannin, caffeic acid, ferulic acid, etc. Properties: Anti-cancer, anti-oxidant, anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory, diuretic, vermifuge, analgesic, ...

Moringa seeds are obtained from the pods of moringa olifera which is commonly known by the name of drumstick. The fresh seeds are quite tender, but when dried these bomes hard like small beans. These seeds are grayish white in color. They can be steamed, boiled, roasted, popped like popcorn, cooked like peas and also can be consumed with other food items. These seeds have been used to purify river or stream water from earlier times. A handful of these seeds provides enough nutrient supplement required to for a single day. The nutrients present in these seeds are Vitamins C, E, A, B complex, iron, essential amino-acids, oleic acid, omega-3 fatty acids, linoleic acid, linolineic acid, pterygospermin, calcium and other essential macro and micro-nutrients. The phytochemicals present in these seeds are tannin, saponin, phenolic compounds, phylate, flavanoids, terpenoids, lectins, etc. This is regarded as the powerhouse of antioxidants as it contains 30 antioxidants which boosts the immunit...