PREPARATION AND MEDICINAL USE OF THE RHIZOME POWDER OF CURCUMA ANGUSTIFOLIA ROXB. (ZINGIBERACEAE) IN RURAL ODISHA, INDIA

Odisha has a history of using underground parts of plants in various ways. These parts have immense medicinal value that can be evident from old Indian Scriptures. Curcuma angustifolia Roxb. (locally known as Paluo), a monocotyledonous plant, grows abundantly throughout India. It is a plant that has long been used medicinally and whose rhizome contains starch. The present study focused on the investigation and documentation of the tribal people and forest dwellers' long-standing habit of extracting starch from C. angustifolia rhizomes. The extraction of starch from the rhizomes of the plant requires several unit processes, which are discussed and demonstrated in this study. Efforts have been made to properly document the practical consequences of ethnic peoples' traditional knowledge about the manufacture of Paluo starch. Additionally, the traditional knowledge of Paluo based on usage, mode of preparation, health benefits, and dosage was recorded from different districts of Odisha through informal personal open or semi structured interviews. The present study recorded the parts used, collection pattern, methods of propagation, cultivation practices, step-wise starch extraction methodology with justification, practical implications, market values, and various modes of consumption of Paluo starch. This study also described the detailed methodology of cultivation of Paluo, which can be followed by the farmers for better production. We have also tried to record and preserve forest inhabitants' indigenous knowledge before it vanishes from the world. This information will further help researchers in bioprospecting and adding value for sustainable production and utilization of C. angustifolia in Odisha.