soil to facilitate deep digging. The leaves start turning yellow and dry, indicating maturity.
The rhizome will be at a depth of 60cm and having about 30-60cm spread. Therefore,
harvesting is to be done carefully. The rhizomes are to be cut into 5-7.5cm long pieces and all
the fibrous roots are to be removed. Yield of rhizome is about 10t/ha (Farooqi et al, 1991).
Properties and Activity
Rhizomes, roots and leaves yield essential oil. The important constituents of the Indian
oil are asarone and its β-isomer. Other constituents are α and β-pinene, myrcene, camphene,
p-cymene, camphor and linalool, sesquiterpenic ketones like asarone, calamone, calacone,
acolamone, iso-acolamone, acoragermacrone, epishyobunone, shyobunone and iso-
shyobunone. Alcohol present is preisocalamendiol. Sesquiterpene hydrocarbons like elemene,
elemane and calarene are also present. Tricyclic sesquiterpenes present are caryophyllene,
humulene, guaiene, S-guaizulene, arcurcumene, δ-cadinene, cadinane, calamenene,
calacorene, dihydrocalacorene(calamenene), cadalene and selinene. Roots yield acoric acid
as a main constituent in addition to choline. Plant also yields a flavone diglycoside- luteolin
6,8-C-diglucoside. β-asarone is the major constituent of essential oil from rhizome (Dandiya
et al, 1958,1959; Raquibuddoula, 1967).
Rhizome is insecticidal, pisicidal, spasmolytic, hypothermic, CNS active and
analgesic. Essential oil is anticonvulsant. Rhizome is acrid, bitter, thermogenic, aromatic,
intellect promoting, emetic, laxative, carminative, stomachic, anthelmintic, emmenagogue,
diuretic, alexeteric, expectorant, anodyne, antispasmodic, aphrodisiac, antiinflammatory,
sudorific, antipyretic, sialagogue, insecticidal, tranquillizer, sedative, analgesic, antithermic,
antiasthmatic, hypotensive, respiratory depressant, aperitive and tonic.