SPICES RESEARCH

Coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.) being an annual herb is most commonly used for seasoning purpose. Its plant seeds, leaves and roots are edible, although they have very distinct flavors and uses. The herb has a light and fresh flavor. Coriander can be used as whole plant and can be processed because of its perishable nature of leaves and to increase the palatability of ripe fruits (seeds) before using it as flavoring agent in different food preparations. Whole plant of coriander mainly fresh leaves and ripe fruits are used for culinary purposes. Coriander leaves have different taste than its seeds, with citrus overtones. Coriander plant is a rich reservoir of micronutrients and nutritional elements which leads us to focus our study on this herb. Coriander is very low in saturated fat however, contains good amount of linoleic acid which is a good source of α-tocopherol and vitamin K. Leaves of plant are rich source of vitamins while seeds are rich in polyphenols and essential oils. Coriander taste is devoted to its essential oil comprising a significant content of linoleic and furanocoumarins (coriandrine and dihydrocoriandrine). Coriander is also well known for its antioxidant, anti-diabetic, anti-mutagenic, anti-anxiety and antimicrobial activity along with analgesic and hormone balancing effect that promotes its use in foods due to numerous health benefits and its protective effect to preserve the food for longer period. The aim of present study was to highlight the processing, nutritional and functional aspects of coriander.

Spices are high value and export oriented in nature. India's spice exports amounted to $875 million in the current year (2007-08), will breach the $ 1 billion mark next year. To achieve the target, increasing productivity and there by production of the crop is of prime importance. This can be achieved only when high yielding varieties with pest and disease resistance and healthy seeds are used for propagation along with adaptation of latest package of practices.

Spices are high value and export oriented in nature. India's spice exports amounted to $875 million in the current year (2007-08), will breach the $ 1 billion mark next year. To achieve the target, increasing productivity and there by production of the crop is of prime importance. This can be achieved only when high yielding varieties with pest and disease resistance and healthy seeds are used for propagation along with adaptation of latest package of practices.

Forty one accessions of nutmeg collected from diverse locations of Kerala of age 15 years were evaluated at Kerala Agricultural University, Thrissur during 2012–14. Among these accessions, 38 were females and three were monoecious. The accessions were evaluated based on 17 fruit characters recorded from two trees per accession during two consecutive bearing seasons. The statistical parameters viz., mean, range, phenotypic coefficient of variation (PCV), genotypic coefficient of variation (GCV), heritability (H 2), genetic gain (GG) and genotypic correlation coefficients were calculated. High PCV and GCV were observed for the characters such as fruit weight, mace weight, mace volume, dry nut weight, kernel weight, fruit volume and number of fruits per tree. Heritability was high for all the characters except shell thickness. High GCV coupled with high heritability in the characters indicated the scope for yield improvement through selection based on these characters. Genetic gain was the highest for number of fruits per tree (144.3%) followed by mace characters viz., fresh and dry weight as well as volume of nut. Fruit weight was also significantly and positively correlated with fruit breadth, fruit volume and thickness of pericarp. Based on the results, accessions such as Acc. 9, Acc. 8 and Acc. 22 were found promising with respect to the economic characters viz., mace weight, nut weight, kernel weight and number of fruits per tree. These accessions can be used in further crop improvement programmes on nutmeg.

Turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) is an herbaceous perennial plant belong form the family zingiberaceae. In the present investigation, 27 genotypes from different sources of the country were taken into consideration for genetic variability analysis and evaluation of different characters as specified by the DUS characters evaluated by Indian Institute of Spices Research.Randomized Block Design was adopted for evaluating the genotypes about the performances in this region. The characterization was done in genotypes and grouped according to the DUS groups of all the genotypes.Here, 7 genotypes of turmeric were found to be the best among the 27 genotypes investigated in this terai region of West Bengal compared to local check variety TCP 2 and national check variety Prativa. So 7 genotypes were recognized and advised to consider for growing which will give better result in this region of West Bengal

Nutritional therapy has become important to drug metabolism and treatment with the calorie sensitive gene Sirtuin 1 (Sirt 1) shown to be critical to the prevention of non alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) with the activation of hepatic drug metabolism. Indian spices have been used extensively in healthy diets in the developing and developed countries for the prevention of NAFLD, diabetes and Alzheimer's disease. Experimental evidence with relevance to ingestion of Indian spices (mg/day) is limited in various countries. Curcumin intake (mg/ day) an amyloid beta aggregation inhibitor for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease should be carefully controlled to prevent mitophagy and NAFLD. Indian spices that contain Sirt 1 activators such as cinnamon should be consumed to maintain hepatic drug and spice metabolism with the prevention of insulin resistance. Excessive intake of various Indian spices should be avoided to maintain the therapeutic properties of curcumin and cinnamon and to prevent spice-drug or drug-drug interactions. Data on safety and toxicity of Indian spices may indicate that toxic curcumin effects may be related to over ingestion of various Indian spices relevant to drug induced mitochondrial toxicity in NAFLD, diabetes and neurodegenerative diseases.

ABSTARCT A co ordinated variety trial of turmeric in seven selected germplasms were organised in the year 2010, 2011 and 2012 in experimental plots of the field gene banks of Uttar Banga Krishi Viswavidyalaya in order to investigate the best performing varieties against the check (TCP-2). The characterizations were done in accordance with the norms adopted by IISR (Indian Institute of Spices Research). Conservation of turmeric was done taking qualitative and quantitative characters. The germplasms showed maximum result in plant height (TCP 129), tiller number (RH-50), number of leaves (TCP-129), pseudo stem girth (RH-50), leaf length (TCP-129), leaf breadth (RH-9/90), yield per plot (TCP 70), weight of clump (TCP-129), wt of the mother clump (TCP-129), length of mother rhizome (TCP-129), number of mother rhizome per clump (RH-80), number of primary fingers (TCP-70), wt of primary fingers (TCP-70), length of primary fingers (TCP-129), number of secondary fingers (TCP-2), wt of secondary fingers (RH 80), length of secondary fingers (TCP-2), projected yield (t/ha) (TCP-70), curcumin (%) (TCP-2), oleoresin (%) (TCP-2) and essential oil (%) (TCP-2). From the investigation, TCP-129, TCP-70, RH-80 can be considered for better performing varieties in this region of West Bengal.

The Southeast Asian spice trade involved an evolving network of trade as well as the meaning of the term "spice". This paper takes a snapshot of the spice trade in Southeast Asia at large as well as specifically in the royal Johorese capital Batu Sawar around the year 1600. The backbone for this study is formed by hitherto unknown or sparsely known materials that include so-called rutters as well as the Batu Sawar factory records of the Dutch East India Company

Spices are high value and export oriented in nature. India's spice exports amounted to $875 million in the current year (2007-08), will breach the $ 1 billion mark next year. To achieve the target, increasing productivity and there by production of the crop is of prime importance. This can be achieved only when high yielding varieties with pest and disease resistance and healthy seeds are used for propagation along with adaptation of latest package of practices.

Potato ( Solanumtuberosum ) popularly known as ‘The king of vegetables’, has emerged as fourth most important food crop in India after rice , wheat and maize. Indian vegetable basket is incomplete without Potato. Being one of t he world's major agricultural crops it is consumed daily by millions of people from divers e cultural backgrounds. Potatoes are grown in approximately 80% of the countries across the world with an annual production in excess of 300 million tons/yea r, a figure exceeded only by wheat, maize and rice (Moyano, 2008).High dry matter, edible energy and protein content of potato makes it nutritionally a superior vegetable as well as staple food not only in our country but also through-out the world. It is ther efore an essential part of breakfast, lunch and dinner worldwide. Though a short duration crop (90-110 days) yet it produces more quantity of dry matter, edible energy and edib le protein than cereals like rice (140150 days) and wheat (100-120 days) and m...

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The field experiment was conducted at-226025, India during Rabi season of 2016-17. The research material comprised of 8 treatments replicated three times in a Randomized Block Design. The chlorophyll content in leaves (108.27 mg/l), Proline content in leaves (33.99), Nitrate content in leaves (156.75 mg/kg), Carbohydrate content in leaves (108.27 mg/l), Protein content in leaves (0.38 mg/l), Carbohydrate in curd (107.49 mg/l), Chlorophyll in curd (108.62 mg/l), Antioxidant in curd (61.90 %), Flavonoid in curd (34.49 %), Nitrate in curd (172.96 mg/kg), Protein in curd (0.40 mg/l), T.S.S. in curd (10.9 ºBrix) was maximum recorded under T 7 (Biofertilizer + Vermicompost) treatment. The fresh weight of plant (1132.66 g), Dry weight of plant (0.203 g), Fresh weight of root (82 g) Dry weight of root (0.021 g), Root length (17.80 cm), Root spread (24.7 cm), was maximum recorded under T 7 (Biofertilizer + Vermicompost) treatment. It is recommended for higher production of sprouting broccoli was under Lucknow conditions.

Forty one accessions of nutmeg collected from diverse locations of Kerala of age 15 years were evaluated at Kerala Agricultural University, Thrissur during 2012–14. Among these accessions, 38 were females and three were monoecious. The accessions were evaluated based on 17 fruit characters recorded from two trees per accession during two consecutive bearing seasons. The statistical parameters viz., mean, range, phenotypic coefficient of variation (PCV), genotypic coefficient of variation (GCV), heritability (H2), genetic gain (GG) and genotypic correlation coefficients were calculated. High PCV and GCV were observed for the characters such as fruit weight, mace weight, mace volume, dry nut weight, kernel weight, fruit volume and number of fruits per tree. Heritability was high for all the characters except shell thickness. High GCV coupled with high heritability in the characters indicated the scope for yield improvement through selection based on these characters. Genetic gain was ...

The field experiment was conducted at-226025, India during Rabi season of 2016-17. The research material comprised of 8 treatments replicated three times in a Randomized Block Design. The chlorophyll content in leaves (108.27 mg/l), Proline content in leaves (33.99), Nitrate content in leaves (156.75 mg/kg), Carbohydrate content in leaves (108.27 mg/l), Protein content in leaves (0.38 mg/l), Carbohydrate in curd (107.49 mg/l), Chlorophyll in curd (108.62 mg/l), Antioxidant in curd (61.90 %), Flavonoid in curd (34.49 %), Nitrate in curd (172.96 mg/kg), Protein in curd (0.40 mg/l), T.S.S. in curd (10.9 ºBrix) was maximum recorded under T 7 (Biofertilizer + Vermicompost) treatment. The fresh weight of plant (1132.66 g), Dry weight of plant (0.203 g), Fresh weight of root (82 g) Dry weight of root (0.021 g), Root length (17.80 cm), Root spread (24.7 cm), was maximum recorded under T 7 (Biofertilizer + Vermicompost) treatment. It is recommended for higher production of sprouting broccoli was under Lucknow conditions.