Dried Mahua Flower

Mahua (Madhuca longifolia) belongs to family sapotaceae and finds origin in different regions of India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Nepal.

Mahua is one of the naturally occurring plants which possess numerous health benefits. Tribal people use mahua flowers for curing of skin diseases, headache, pitta and bronchitis. Flower juice is supplemented to lactating women for augmentation of breast milk. Due to the availability for short time at limited places and highly perishable nature of this flower, it is not yet much explored by researchers and food processors except few for its value addition.

Mahua flowers are rich source of sugars which is responsible for its sweet taste and can be utilized to make indigenous or modern alcoholic beverages. Mahua flowers contains good amount of Vitamin-C which is responsible for its antioxidant activity. Mahua flower contains carotene which is precursor of Vitamin-A. Flowers also contain good amount of minerals like Calcium and Phosphorus. Few amounts of proteins and fats are also present in mahua flowers. Various researches have been done to find out medicinal properties of mahua flowers like antihelmenthic, antibacterial, analgesic, hepatoprotective, antioxidant, and anticancer.

Mahua a plant of Indian origin having tremendous therapeutic and potential use but due to unawareness of people it is not fully utilized. Mahua tree have a lot of pharmacological potency for treatment of several diseases. The different ailments treated with these parts include tuberculosis, rheumatoid arthritis, cholera, paralysis, snake-bite, debility, tonsillitis, influenza, piles, arthritic pain, helminthiasis, headache, flatulency, and infections, besides being used as a blood purifier and as an antidote to poison. The Madhuca longifolia commonly known as Mahua is an important economic plant growing throughout the subtropical region of the indo-Pakistan subcontinent.