THE USAGE AND HEALTH BENEFITS OF PANDANUS AMARYLLIFOLIUS

PANDANUS  AMARYLLIFOLIUS

DESCRIPTION

Botanical Name:-Pandanus Amaryllifolius(syn:Pandanus 

                             Odorus

Common Name:-Fragnant pandan,Fragnant Screwpine,

                             Pandan leaves,Daun pandan(Malaysia/Indonesia),

                             Bai toey(Thailand)

Family name     :-Pandanacea (screwpine family)

Origin               :-Probably originated from Mollucas,Indonesia.

                            Widely cultivated in tropical Asia namely Sri

                             Lanka,Thailand,Vietnam,Indonesia,Malaysia,

                            Philippines.

Plant type        :-Indoor and outdoor foliage or shrub;fragnant herb

                           plant.

Features        :-Pandanus amaryllifolius,the only species with

                        fragnant leaves of the genus,Pandanus,grows

                        between0.5 to 1 m but can reach up to 2 m in

                        height.As the perennial plant ages and lower

                        leaves are trimmed for culinary purposes,it

                      becomes top-heavy and produces aerial roots

                      and stilt roots to support itself from falling.

                      Foliage is ever green with slender leaves that

                      are lush-green and smmoth-edged measuring

                      roughly 30-50 cm long.Their leaves have a

                      depressed center running from the axis outward

                      and gradually flatten towards their tips.It

                      produces suckers laterally and abundantly,if

                      especially grown on the ground with good

                      conditions and these can be used to propagate

                      new plants.Sometimes,it does develop aerial

                      plantlets too.

CHEMICAL COMPOUND:-

Pandan leaves consist of essential oils extracted by hydrodistillation from leaves parts of pandan leaf.The major components in pandanus amaryllifolius is 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline.But as in the present study pandan contains minor component which is cycloheptasiloxane and cyclohexasiloxane.The yields of oil for pandanus amaryllifolius were 3.76%.Pandanus leaves contain volatile oil which repels cockroaches and vermin.The active principals are mainly terpenes and  sesquiterpene(6-42%).

USAGE:-

-Pandanus amaryllifolius repels cockroaches.

-Leaves of pandan are widely used for scenting foods such as 

  rice,jellies,or sweets.

-It is used to freshen the air for households.

-It is for diabetics patients.

-Used in closets and drawers to freshen the air.