Gen
info
• Although "Arrowroot"
refers to any plant of the genus Maranta, its popular use is to describe
the digestible starch from the rhizomes of the Maranta arundinacea.
There is evidence to show arrowroot cultivation 7,000 years ago.
• The word may derive from (1) a corruption of the Aru-root of
the Aruac Indians of South America, (2) Aru-aru. referring to the native
Carribean Arawak people's "meal of meals" for which the plant
is a dietary staple, and (3) Arrowroot's use for treating poison arrow
wounds.
• Year-old roots are used; and when good, contain 23% starch.
Aftrer washing and clearing of paper-like scales, It is beat to a pulp
through a wheel rasp. The milky fluid is passed through a coarse cloth
or sieve; the resultant pure low-protein mucilaginous starch settles
as an insoluble powder that is sun-dried or processed dried power to
become the arrow-root of packaged or canned commerce.
Botany
An ererct, smooth, dichotomously branched
herbaceous perennail plant growing to 1 - 2 meters, with thick, starchy
rhizomes. Stems are slender. Leaf blades are lanceolate, attenuate-acuminate,
10 to 20 cm long, think petioled, rounded at the base. Inflorescence
is terminal, lax, divaricate, and few-flowered. Flowers are white, about
2 cm long.
Distribution
Widely distributed, cultivated for
its fleshy and starchy rhizomes.
Parts utilized:
Roots, rhizomes.
Chemical
constituents and properties
Demulcent, nutritive.
The starch is white, odorless, tasteless.
The tuber consists of 27% starch, 63% water, 1.56% albumin, 4.10% sugar,
gum, etc., 0.26% fiber and 1.23% ash.
Uses
Folkloric
Rhizomes produce the arrowroot starch.
Preparation: Decoction from 2-3 tablespoonfuls of root powder in one
liter of water, seasoned with honey, lemon or any variety of fruit juices
to taste.
Mashed roots as plaster applied to areas of insect stings and spider
bites.
Applied to the skin fo soothe painful, irritated and inflammed mucous
membranes.
Roots also poulticed for poisoned wounds.
The fresh juice is used as antidote for vegetable poisons.
Used to soothe the stomach and as a remedy for diarrhea, probably from
its high starch content.
Culinary / Nutrition
Rhizomes are edible, boiled and roasted or
ground and made into pastries.
Starch is also used for starching clothes.
Valuable as an easily digested and nutritive and nourishing diet for
the convalescing.
Well suited for infants in the weaning from breast milk.
A chief ingredient in infant cookies.
Others
Ancient Mayans and other Central American
tribes used it as antidote for poison-tipped arrows.
Studies
• Enterokinase Inhibition:
A study of 22 tubers and 9 pulses screenbed for inhibitors of enterokinase
activity showed Maranta arundinacea as one of 12 tubers with inhibitory
activity. M arundinacea also exhibited endogenous esterase activity
towards benzoyl arginine ethyl ester. Any factor in food capable of
suppressing enterokinase activity would lead to digestive disturbance
comparable to enterokinase deficiency.
Availability
Wild-crafted.
Cultivated for arrowroot starch.
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