Medicinal herbs of Chhattisgarh, India having less known traditional uses. XXXXIV. Ama Haldi (Curcuma amada, family : Zingiberaceae)

Research Note - Pankaj Oudhia
© 2001,2002,2003 Pankaj Oudhia - All Rights Reserved

The natural forests of Chhattisgarh are well known for natural diversity of Curcuma species. Many common as well as rare species of Curcuma have been reported in these forests. Curcuma amada, C. angustifolia, C. caesia, C. domestica, C. aromatica, C. leucorrhiza, C. zedoaria etc. are among major species. The rhizome of Ama Haldi (Curcuma amada) have an odour of raw mangoes (in Hindi Ama). This is the reason locally it is known as Ama Haldi. For the natives and traditional healers of Chhattisgarh, Ama Haldi is a valuable medicinal herb. Southern Chhattisgarh is rich in natural population of this species. As its rhizomes are used as spice and condiment, many farmers are engaged in commercial cultivation of Ama Haldi. In Chhattisgarh Plains, it is establishing as potential medicinal crop.

To list out the existing traditional uses of Ama Haldi in different parts of Chhattisgarh, series of surveys were carried out. In present article, I am giving the details but at first I am describing its botany and reported medicinal uses. According to reference literatures Ama Haldi is a stemless herb with horizontal, palmate and sessile tubers, united to the sides of an ovate conic bud of the same colour, which give rise to the leaves and spike; from its sides and base long fleshy fibres issues, which penetrate deep into the soil, some of them ending in oblong, paler (pendulous) tubers; Leaves radical, bifarious, petioled above their sheaths, lanceolate, cuspidate, smooth on both sides, from 6 to 18 inches long, scape central, about six inches long, invested by several alternate sheaths; spike shorter than the scape, cylindrical with a loose, coloured, pale rose coma; Bracts oblong, imbricated, the lower half of their margins united to the backs of the two next above, forming a pouch for a fescicle of 4 or 5, rather small, yellow flowers, which expand in succession; Calyx superior, unequally 3-toothed; Corolla with a slender tube. Flowering time August to October in Chhattisgarh conditions. Ama Haldi holds a reputed position as a medicinal herb in different systems of medicine in India. According to the Ayurveda, it is sweet, bitter, cooling, appetizer, alexiteric, antipyretic, aphrodisiac, laxatives and useful in treatment of biliousness, skin troubles, bronchitis, asthma, hiccup, inflammations etc. According to Unani system of medicine, Ama Haldi is bitter, diuretic, maturant, emollient, expectorant, antipyretic, appetizing and useful in treatment of inflammations, diseases of mouth and ear, gleet, ulcers on penis, scabies, lumbago, stomatitis etc. Although Ama Haldi is present in abundance in natural forests of Chhattisgarh, the natives and traditional healers are not much aware of its medicinal uses.

During the ethnobotanical surveys, I observed this. It is used alone rarely. It is used in combination with other herbs. Its use as blood purifier with other herbs is very popular in Chhattisgarh. The natives and traditional healers use powdered rhizome as medicine. In healing wounds, it is considered as more promising as compared to the domestic Haldi (Curcuma longa). In combination with Dhikuar (Aloe vera) gel, the healers of Gandai region use it externally in treatment of swelling. Ama Haldi is one of the important ingredients added in herbal formulations used in treatment of different fevers. The traditional healers of Bastar region informed that Kali Mirch (Black Pipper), Aonla (Phyllanthus emblica), Harra (Terminalia chebula), Chita (Plumbago zeylenica), Pippali (Piper longum) etc. herbs are added in these herbal formulations with Ama Haldi. These combinations are given twice a day till complete cure. The traditional healers of this region also informed that they use powdered rhizome with pure Honey (Shahad) as aphrodisiac but as other promising alternatives are available, this combination is not much popular. Ama Haldi is in the list of non-wood forest produces of Chhattisgarh having regular demand in national and international drug markets. The existing cultivation is reducing the pressure on natural population of Ama Haldi due to market demands. In my allelopathic studies, I have found Ama Haldi rhizome more effective against common pest as compared to domestic Haldi (Curcuma longa). With the help of innovative herb growers of Chhattisgarh, we are using the leachates and extracts of Haldi rhizome in organic cultivation of Indian medicinal and aromatic crops. This is really surprising that the natives and traditional healers of Chhattisgarh are not much aware of its traditional uses as compared to other herbs. Observing this, now I have decided to conduct a separate survey on this aspect. I am confident that living with the natives of Ama Haldi rich areas of Chhattisgarh few weeks, I will be able to get information on more promising uses.

Thank you very much for reading the article.