Katuray free essay sample

Katuray are the flowers of a small tree with light foliage (sesbania grandiflora) that thrives in arid and tough conditions, the often rather bitter tasting flowers (petals mostly) are a classic ingredient in Ilocano cooking. Along with ampalaya (bitter gourd) and other vegetables, they seem to mirror the tough conditions wrought by the geographical realities in the Ilocos region. I suspect many hundreds of years ago someone thought to cook katurai flowers for lack of better food alternatives†¦ The tree is apparently native to this part of the world, some suggesting Indonesia as the epicenter of the species, and its flowers are enjoyed as food in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, etc. I have seen two colors of katuray in the markets, this pale greenish white and a more burgundy colored hue. At the markets this morning, I spotted a gorgeous pile of fresh katuray and purchased 250 grams worth for just PHP12. I had a dish in mind that I wanted to try it out. Eaten raw, the katuray flower is vile, bitter and astringent, it is worse than a big hunk of raw ampalaya (bitter gourd), in my opinion. I tried to blanch it once and serve it with some fish sauce and it was gross. Obviously I didn’t know what I was doing, but it did not bode well at all. However, I was convinced that this flower was â€Å"a diamond in the rough,† so I continued to experiment†¦ always tempted to buy some when a fresh pile of flowers presents itself. Used as fodder for cattle and livestock elsewhere in the world, katuray is one of those ingredients that makes you truly wonder who first discovered it was edible, and were food choices so limited then, that they had to resort to eating this flower/vegetable?! Artichokes, in my opinion, would also fall into that category elsewhere on the planet. And who the heck figured saffron was so hot? At any rate, after several attempts, my use of katuray earlier today yielded utterly superb results, and the recipe is up in the next post, stay tuned†¦ The substances found in the different parts of these plants promotes or increases the secretion of urine which is then disposed off the body as excess water through urination. Katuray Leaves. The leaves are boiled and made into a tea-like-drink. The Roots are boiled and made into a tea-like-drink Katuray is a tall and slender tree that bears long, slender hanging pods about one foot long, white or wine-red flowers approximately 5 to 7cm. They are widely distributed in the country and are usually found in backyards, along roads and in lot boundaries. The young leaves and pods may be ooked and eaten while flowers and flower buds are commonly cooked and used for medicinal purposes. There are two distinct types of katuray: one bearing white flowers and the other bearing wine or rose-red flowers. Katuray flowers contain water, ash, protein and fat. Katuray thrives in both dry, moist areas. It grows in low altitudes and propagated through seeds and cuttings. Germinate the seeds in plots an d boxes. Transplant the seedling when they are about 75 to 100cm high. If propagated by cuttings, select straight branches with a base diameter of at least 3cm or more. Plant the cuttings immediately in the field to avoid drying. The best time to plant is usually or just before the rainy season. Katuray Sesbania grandiflora  Linn. WEST INDIAN PEA |Other scientific names |Common names | |Robinia grandiflora  Linn. |Agati (Hindi) | |Aeschynomene grandiflora  Linn. |Diana (Bag. ) | |Sesban grandiflorus  Loir. |Gauai-gauai (P. Bis. | |Agati grandiflora  Desv. |Kambang-turi (Sul. ) | |   |Katodai (Ilk. ) | |   |Katudai (Ilk. , Ibn. ) | |   |Katurai (Ibn. , Tag. Pang. ) | |   |Katuray (Tag. ) | |   |Sesbania (India) | |   |Hummingbird tree (Engl. ) | |   |West Indian pea (Engl. | Botany A tree, 5 to 12 meters high. Leaves are pinnate, 20-30 cm long with 20 to 40 pairs of leaflets which are 2. 5 to 3. 5 cm long. Flowers are white, 7-9 cm long. Pods are linear, 20-60 cm long, 7 to 8 mm wide, pendulous and curved, containing many seeds. Distribution In settled areas, at low and medium altitudes. Constituents and characteristi cs Bark contains tannin and gum. Saponin isolated from the seeds. Sesbanimide isolated from seed, considered a cancer inhibitor. Considered aperient, diuretic, emetic, emmenagogue, febrifuge, laxative and tonic. Bark is very astringent. Flowers are emollient and laxative. Leaves are aperient, diuretic, laxative. Parts used and preparation Root, flowers, bark, leaves. Uses Culinary Often planted for its edible flowers and pods. The large white or pink flowers are edible, eaten raw or steamed; makes for an excellent salad. Young pods are eaten like string beans. Excellent source of calcium, fair source of iron, good source of vitamin B. Folkloric Juice of the root, mixed with honey, used as an expectorant. Decoction of the bark used for hemoptysis. Infusion of the bark given for smallpox and other eruptive fevers. Juice of leaves and flowers used for nasal catarrh and headaches. Juice of flowers as snuff to clear the sinuses. Poultice of leaves for bruises. In  Ayurveda, fruits are used for anemia, bronchitis, fever, turmors; flowers for gout, bronchits, nyctalopia. In  India, used for treatment of renal calculi. In  Cambodia, bark used for diarrhea, dysentery and sprue; laxative in large doses. Pounded bark used for scabies. In  Java, bark is used for thrush. Others Produces a clear gum making a good substitute for gum arabic. Studies †¢Ã‚  Anti-urolithiatic / Antioxidant:Evaluation of Sesbania grandiflora for antiurolithiatic and antioxidant properties : The leaf juice exhibited antiurolithiasis activity and antioxidant properties. †¢Ã‚  Smoke-Induced Oxidative Damage/ Protection Effect:  Protective Effect of Sesbania grandiflora Against Cigarette Smoke-Induced Oxidative Damage in Rats: An aqueous suspensionn of SG provided support for traditional use of SG in the treatment of smoke-related disease. †¢Ã‚  Antimicrobial / Synergism:SYNERGISM BETWEEN METHANOLIC EXTRACT OF SESBANIA GRANDIFLORA (FABACEAE) FLOWERS AND OXYTETRACYCLINE: Study showed synergism against all 12 bactrial species, the highest synergism attained was against Shigella boydii. †¢Ã‚  Anxiolytic / Anticonvulsant:  Anxiolytic and anticonvulsive activity of Sesbania grandiflora leaves in experimental animals: Study showed the triterpene fraction of SG exhibited a wide spectrum of anticonvulsant and anxiolytic activity. †¢Ã‚  Cardioprotective / Antioxidant:  Study showed that chronic cigarette smoke exposure increases oxidative stress and the aqueous suspension of S. grandiflora had a protective effect against oxidative damage through an antioxidant effect. Uses The tender leaves, green fruit, and flowers are eaten alone as a vegetable or mixed into curries or salads. Flowers may be dipped in batter and fried in butter. Tender portions serve as cattle fodder, (overeating is said to cause diarrhea). Ripe pods apparently are not eaten. The inner bark can serve as fiber and the white, soft wood not too durable, can be used for cork. The wood is used, like bamboo, in Asian construction. The tree is grown as an ornamental shade tree, and for reforestation. In Java, the tree is extensively used as a pulp source. A gum resembling kino (called katurai), fresh when red, nearly black after exposure, exudes from wounds. This astringent gum is partially soluble in water and in alcohol, but applied to fishing cord, it makes it more durable. Pepper vines (Piper nigrum) are sometimes grown on and in the shade of the agati. According to NAS (1980a), this small tree produces firewood, forage, pulp and paper, food, and green manure and appears to hold promise for reforesting eroded and grassy wastelands throughout the tropics. It combines well with agriculture (agroforestry) in areas where trees are not normally grown and becomes an important fuelwood source. Dried and powdered bark is used as a cosmetic in Java. Allen and Allen enumerated three undesirable features (1) short lived (2) shallow-rooted and subject to wind throw, and (3) prolific seeder, the pods often considered a litter. An aqueous extract of bark is said to be toxic to cockroaches. Folk Medicine Resorted to be aperient, diuretic, emetic, emmenagogue, febrifuge, laxative, and tonic, agati is a folk remedy for bruises, catarrh, dysentery, eyes, fevers, headaches, smallpox, sores, sorethroat, and stomatitis (Duke and Wain, 1981). Bark, leaves, gums, and flowers are considered medicinal. The astringent bark was used in treating smallpox and other eruptive fevers. The juice from the flowers is used to treat headache, head congestion, or stuffy nose. As a snuff, the juice is supposed to clear the nasal sinuses. Leaves are poulticed onto bruises. Rheumatic swellings are poulticed or rubbed with aqueous decoctions of the powdered roots of the red-flowered variant. In India the flowers are sacred to Siva, representing both the male and female sex organs; still I find no mention of their use as aphrodisiacs. Ayurvedics, believing the fruits to be alexeteric, laxative, and intellectually stimulating, prescribe them for anemia, bronchitis, fever, pain, thirst, and tumors; the flowers, apertif and refrigerant, for biliousness, bronchitis, gout, nyctalopia, ozoena, and quartan fever; the root for inflammation, the bark as astringent; leaves, alexeteric, anthelmintic, for epilepsy, gout, itch, leprosy, nyctalopia, and ophthalmia. Yunani consider the tonic leaves useful in biliousness, fever, and nyctalopia. Indians apply the roots in rheumatism, the juice of the leaves and flowers for headache and nasal catarrh. Mixed with stramonium and pasted, the root is poulticed onto painful swellings. In Amboina, flower juice is squeezed into the eye to correct dim vision. The bark is used in infusions for smallpox. Cambodians consider the flowers emollient and laxative, the bark for diarrhea, dysentery, and paludism. Malayans apply crushed leaves to sprains and contusions. They gargle with the leaf juice to cleanse the mouth and throat. In small doses, the bark is used for dysentery and sprue, in large doses, laxative, in still larger doses, emetic. Pounded bark is applied to scabies. Philippines use the pounded bark for hemoptysis. The powdered bark is also recommended for ulcers of the mouth and alimentary canal. In Java, the bark is used for thrush and infantile disorders of the stomach. Leaves are chewed to disinfect the mouth and throat.