The medicinal value of gooseberry and different methods of preparing value-added products from it was highlighted at a herbal fest ‘Amalotsav,’ jointly organised by the State Medicinal Plants Board and the OISCA International at the Town Hall here on Tuesday.
The programme, inaugurated by K.S. Rajithan, Superintendent of Oushadi Hospital and Research Centre, was organised to create awareness about the importance of including the vitamin-rich fruit in the diet.
Medicinal properties
“Our main objective is to make people grow at least one gooseberry plant in every house considering the unique qualities of the fruit,” said Dr. Rajithan.
Elaborating the medicinal properties of the fruit, Dr. Rajithan, a Director Board member on the State Medicinal Plants Board, said even the seed of the fruit was bestowed with unique medicinal properties to reduce diabetes. “It is also a fruit that comes without any adulteration,” he said. Competitions in making value-added products, including food items, syrups and cosmetics, were also held as part of the festival. More than 30 homemakers from the district participated in the competitions.
A session for introducing herbal plants, health quiz, demonstration to prepare juices with gooseberry as its central ingredient, and the medicinal use of gooseberry was part of the programme.
A stall outside the venue showcased a variety of value-added food products from gooseberry and other herbal plants in the State. The ready-to-use products at nominal prices included medicinal coffee, different flavours of gooseberry juice, dosa with herbal plants, nellikka-sambaram, mulayari payasam, and alu-pothina- chappathi.
P.D. Mathew, president, Oisca International Kozhikode chapter; Shahanaz Salim, women’s chapter president, and P.K. Nalinakshan, chief coordinator of OISCA South India chapter, spoke.
‘Our main objective is to make people grow at least one gooseberry plant in every house.’
