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Seasonal Evaluation
of Nutritive Status of Cymbopogon
jwarancusa (Jones) Schult Growing Wild in Churu District of Rajasthan |
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| Paper Id :
19309 Submission Date :
2024-08-03 Acceptance Date :
2024-08-21 Publication Date :
2024-08-25
This is an open-access research paper/article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. DOI:10.5281/zenodo.13929851 For verification of this paper, please visit on
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| Abstract |
The study focuses on the nutritional status of Cymbopogon jwarancusa (Jones) Schult.
(Poaceae) in various seasons (2021-22). This important perennial herb found in
Churu and was assessed for its nutritive contents in the roots, stems, and
leaves using the AOAC (1995) method. The findings revealed that the plant is
rich in nutrients. During the rainy season, ash, silica, and ether extract were
observed in the highest amounts, while dry matter, organic matter, and total
carbohydrates were found in the lowest amounts. In contrast, the winter season
showed maximum levels of dry matter, organic matter, total carbohydrates, acid
detergent fibres, crude proteins, and cellulose, with minimum levels of ash,
silica, crude protein, ether extract, neutral detergent fibres, and
hemicellulose. Additionally, the winter season exhibited high levels of neutral
detergent fibres, hemicellulose, and lignin (leaf), and low levels of acid
detergent fibres, cellulose, and lignin (root). The study concludes that this
herb is a valuable source of nutrients, suitable for human and livestock
consumption. |
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| Keywords | Nutritive Contents, Seasonal Evaluation, Cymbopogon Jwarancusa, Crude Proteins. | ||||||
| Introduction | The natural environment contains various types
of untamed vegetation such as herbs, shrubs, and grasses, which are utilized as
sources of nourishment for both humans and animals. Plants found in dry and
semi-dry regions are valuable reservoirs of phytochemically significant
compounds. The Churu district is situated in the central part of North-East
Rajasthan, positioned between 28o 18’ North Latitude and 74º58’ East Longitude.
It is also recognized as "The Gateway to Thar," experiencing minimal precipitation
and extreme temperatures. During summer, the temperature rises above 50° C,
while in winter, it drops to freezing levels. The climate in Churu is
characterized by extreme temperature fluctuations. The annual precipitation in
the study area varies from 260-440 millimetres (10-17 inches). Cymbopogon jwarancusa (Jones) Schult,
locally known as Bur or Buraro, is an upright, perennial, hairless herb with
numerous 30 to 150 cm long stems. The leaves are elongated, and the plant bears
flowers in clusters. It blooms and produces fruit from August to December. |
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| Objective of study | The current study assessed the nutritional content of the root, stem, and leaf of the selected plant species. |
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| Review of Literature | Cymbopogon jwarancusa (Poaceae) is an important medicinal herb found as a wild throughout
India. The name Cymbopogon is
composed of two Greek words “Kymbe+Pogon”. The Kymbe meaning a boat and pogon
a beard, the first one refers to the boat shaped spatheoles and awns that
one conspicuous feature of the inflorescences.. The species name jwarancusa has been composed of two
Sanskrit words “Jwar & Ankusha” meaning “Fever and breaker” respectively
that recalls the much contained medicinal property allied with the herb. According
to Kirtikar and Basu (1982), Cymbopogon
jwarancusa is utilized for treating various ailments such as vomiting,
abdominal tumors, unconsciousness, blood impurities, and skin issues. S.
Mohammed, P.K. Kasera, and J.K. Shukla (2004) conducted a study on unexplored
plants with potential medicinal properties in the Indian Thar desert,
highlighting the usefulness of Cymbopogon
jwarancusa roots in managing fever, root oil in combating microbial
infections and skin diseases, and leaves in the production of soaps and
perfumes. The mineral content of certain herbal plant species in the Churu
district was assessed by Kapoor and Gaur (2006). Gul Bano et al. (2009)
demonstrated the seasonal variation in the nutritive components (P, N, Ca, Mg,
K, and Na) of Cymbopogon jwarancusa
(Jones) Schult and Chrysopogon aucheri
in Balochistan. Baga Ram and N. S. Bains (2014) disclosed the nutritive
contents of two plant species growing in western Rajasthan. Ravi Parihar and
Rohitashv Choudhary (2017) investigated the nutritive status of Mollugo cerviana Ser. growing wild in
Bikaner District of Rajasthan.
Manasi Rajendra.Navale et.al. (2022)
studied that Seasonal variations in the nutritive value of fifteen
multipurpose fodder tree species the fifteen
different MPTs of the mid-hills north-western Himalayan ecosystem in the
proximate and mineral compositions, cell wall constituents, anti-nutrient
content, and palatability, which are also influenced by the seasonal effect.
Cymbopogon jwarancusa contains an
essential oil rich in piperine that is used as a diaphoretic for gout, chronic
rheumatism, and intermittent fever. It is commonly found in sandy or fine
gravelly soils, wastelands, and as a weed in cultivated fields, particularly in
arid regions. The plant is collected from the wild for local consumption as
both a food and a medicinal resource. It is a prevalent plant in Churu and
arid-semiarid regions of Rajasthan, and in addition to its medicinal
significance, it may contain adequate nutrient levels to be considered as both
food and animal fodder. The current study assessed the nutritional content of
the root, stem, and leaf of the selected plant species. |
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| Methodology | The roots, stems, and leaves of Cymbopogon jwarancusa (Jones) Schult,
which were well-developed and free from disease, were gathered from Pirer
village and the nearby tehsil headquarters of Sardarshahar in Churu district
(2021-22). After collection, each part was dried separately at 100° C for 15
minutes and then at 60° C until a specific weight was reached. Following the
drying process, the samples were ground into powder using 20 mesh screens in
the Willey mill and subsequently utilized for assessing their nutritional
contents using the Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC, 1995)
Method. |
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| Statistics Used in the Study | |||||||
| Result and Discussion |
The nutritive composition of Cymbopogon jwarancusa (Jones) Schult was
analysed based on the dry matter percentage. The stem had the highest dry
matter content at 98.08% in the winter season, while the lowest was in the leaf
at 96.36% during the rainy season. In the rainy season, the leaf part of the
plant had the highest ash content at 8.79%, whereas the stem had the lowest at
2.09% in the winter. The maximum organic matter at 97.91% was found in the stem
during winter, and the minimum at 91.21% was in the leaves during the rainy
season. Silica content was highest at 5.63% in the leaf during the rainy season
and lowest at 1.02% in the stem during the winter season. The leaf had the
highest crude protein at 0.70%, while the stem had the lowest at 0.22% during
the winter season. Mathur and Sundaramoorthy S. (2006) reported that the root
and stem parts of Blepharis sindica had
the highest protein contents during the winter season. P.lal.et. al. (2014)
observed that the highest crude protein values were in the seedling stage, and
the lowest was in the late season. The leaf had the highest ether extract at
3.87% during the rainy season, and the root had the lowest at 0.40% in the
winter season. The total carbohydrate value was highest at 96.57% in the stem
during winter and lowest at 86.72% in the leaf during the rainy season. The
stem had the highest neutral detergent fiber at 79.74% during summer and the
lowest at 76.67% in the root during the winter season. The highest acid
detergent fibre at 75.77% was reported in the stem during winter, and the
lowest at 46.90% in the leaf during the summer season. The leaf had the highest
hemicellulose at 31.84% during summer, and the stem had the lowest at 3.20%
during the winter season. Lignin was highest at 6.06% in the stem and lowest at
3.49% in the root during the summer season. Cellulose was highest at 70.04% in
the stem during the winter season and lowest at 40.84% in the leaf during the
summer season. Karamat Mahmud et.al. (2002)
provided a biochemical analysis and trace element analysis of Cymbopogon jwarancusa. It was found to
have 67.02% moisture content, 9.52% ash content, 1.8% carbohydrates, 1.07%
reducing sugar, 0.80% non-reducing sugar, 0.67% nitrogen, 5.02% crude proteins,
and 9.50% crude fiber. B.B.S Kapoor et.al.
(2007) evaluated the mineral contents of medicinal plants in the Hanumangarh
district of Rajasthan. Kedia S. et. al. (2008)
studied the phytochemical analysis of Phyllanthus
fraternus during different seasons and growth stages in the Indian arid
zone. Various plant species from the research area were analysed for their
nutritive properties and found to be a potential source of nutrients.
Similarly, Cymbopogon jwarancusa is
rich in nutrients and can be used as a source of food and fodder for living
organisms.  |
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| Conclusion |
The study demonstrates that Cymbopogon jwarancusa (Jones) Schult, found in the Churu district
of Rajasthan as a wild herb, contains adequate nutritional components. As a
result, this plant species could potentially serve as food for humans and as
fodder for livestock. |
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| Acknowledgement | The authors would like to express their gratitude to Principal Govt. Dungar College, Bikaner and Director or Principal Scientist (Dr.R.K.Sawal) of ICAR-National Research Centre on Camel, Bikaner, for generously providing access to laboratory facilities. Special thanks are extended to the CSIR, New Delhi for their financial support in the form of JRF/SRF fellowships to the corresponding author. Additionally, the authors are thankful for the financial backing received from the UGC, New Delhi in the form of UGC- Ref. No. 21/06/2015(I)EU-V. | ||||||
| References |
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