Monday 26 November 2012

WEEDS GENERATING MONEY

Water hyacinth;one of the most problem causing weeds in the world may no longer be considered as man has learned to exploit it.It arose from Amazon Rain forests and was propagated to other parts of world as an ornamental plant.It is known to choke and kill aquatic life,hinders transport and promotes mosquito breeding.                                                  
But now its is being used to produce bio-gas,composts. No wonder you can find jackets,stylish jewellery,bags etc. Matured plant have stems 17-25 inches;which are cut-dried and made into value added products.These plants grow freely in water bodies and easily retains its growth after stem cut.


But recent innovations have made its exploitation more profitable,easy and economic.No wonder you can find jackets,stylish jewellery,bags etc.With the increased pressure on bamboo and cane,this has emerged as a alternative for cottage industry.Recently in the North-Eastern region of India;the innovation of making handicraft from Water hyacinth won the "NAWARD award for rural innovation 2012".The North Eastern Council and NAWARD has given financial assistance to the crafts men to train artisans.Commercialization of the products from this weed on global scale is yet another step needed to taken......

Thursday 8 November 2012

Posters on social and environmental issues

VIT University organised a mega poster show on 6 nov. at Foodys VIT University.

Posters were made on several social and environmental issues.....
Here are some posters on anti -smoking,honour killing,child labour,drug abuse,gender equality,global warming,defforestation,suicide,Blood-Donation.......
In the name of honour killing

life is precious
water is life






















Tuesday 6 November 2012

Stevia rebaudiana : Madhu Patra

A sweetener for diabetic people

Stevia rebaudiana is a herbal plant native to South America( Brazil,Colombia and Paraguay).
It is a short day plant growing up to 0.6 m.

Scientific Classification :-

Domain:Eukaryota
Kingdom:Plantae
(unranked):Angiosperms
(unranked):Eudicots
(unranked):Asterids
Order:Asterales
Family:Asteraceae
Tribe:Eupatorieae
Genus:Stevia

It prefers fertile sandy acidic soil with shallow water tables.
Climate: Semi humid subtropical with temperature range of 21-43 degree celcius.

Chemical Properties

Stevia leaves contains di-terpenes glycosides mainly Stevioside and Rebaudioside.
These are natural sweeteners with sweetening index 300 more than natural sugar.
 1.Stevioside : These are stable upto 180 degree celcius.Used to sweeten baked and cooked foods.
 2.Rebaudioside : Stable upto 100 degree celcius. Used as sweetener in cold beverages.

A potent natural sweetener to fight diabetes

The sweetening agents in the leaves have zero calorific value.It is excreated out of the body without being changed.It has been used as sweetener for tea,cold beverages and medicinal preparations in Brazil since long time.It has been reported to have hypo-glycemic in nature. Oviedo et al,reported significant fall in blood sugar levels 6-8 hrs. following the ingestion of stevia leaf extract in the diabetic person.However it does not cause any significant change in blood glucose levels of healthy individuals.
Regular uptake of stevia as sweetener also increases cardio-vascular tone.
However it may not be recommended for children because of calorie concerns.

 Stevia in India

The commercial name of Stevia rebaudiana is Madhu Patra (Sanskrit) in India.It means honey leaves or Sweet leaves.
Tested for cultivation in India in early 90's.
First commercial plant for stevia cultivation and  leaf processing was established at Banglore.
Currently being cultivated among farmers in Kerala,Andhra Pradesh,Maharashtra,Gujrat,Assam and Himachal Pradesh.
Value added products made from stevia leaves are available on online shopping.http://www.procarvit.com/ this online offers free stevia sample in India.You can try it.It is also avialble on some of the medical stores in Metro cities.