Garcinia indica

Kokam, Kokum, Goa butter

Garcinia Indica is a Fruit Tree of culinary, Pharmaceutical, Nutraceuticals and Industrial uses. The tree is also ornamental, with a dense canopy of green and red-tinged leaves. It is indigenous to the western ghats region of India and is found in forest lands, riversides, and wasteland. Garcinia Indica can be cultivated on a small scale and does not require irrigation, spraying or fertilizers. Though these plants prefer evergreen forests it also thrives in relatively low-rainfall areas. Garcinia indica is known by various names across India -- including Bindin, Biran, Bhirand, Bhinda, Kokum, Katambi, Panarpuli, Ratamba or Amsol.

Domestic use
Garcinia indica is mainly used as a garnish to give an acid / tangy flavour to curries. It is also used to make cooling syrups & drinks during hot months of summer. It is mainly used in the form of 'kokam', prepared by drying the outer rind, soaking it repeatedly in the juice of the pulp and sun-drying.

Medicinal and Other use
The Garcinia Indica fruit is Antihelmintic and Cardiotonic and is considered useful in the treatment of piles, dysentery, tumors, pains and some cardiac ailments. The root is astringent in taste. Garcinia Indica has many medicinal uses. The edible fat / oil from the fruit, known as 'Kokum Butter' or ‘Cocoa Butter” is considered to have nutritive, demulcent, astringent and emollient properties and is suitable for nutracutical and pharmaceutical industries. Called "kokum" or "binna" in parts of western India, the Garcinia indica seed contains 23-26% Oil, which remains solid at room temperature and is used in the preparations of Chocolates, Medicines and Cosmetics. Its by-product is used as a supplementary cattle feed in India.

Recent research by Scientists in India suggest that the extraction of “Hydroxy Citric Acid” -- HCA has fat-reducing, blood purification and cholesterol reducing properties for the human body. Scientists researching on the crop see it as having a bright future.
 

-A Scientific Research Paper presented at the Goa seminar in March 2005 suggests that :
In the case of digestive problems, about half to one glass of curry is prepared from the fruits, with a little salt and sugar, to be taken after meals. For paralysis, the clean-chopped stem bark is finely powdered and is added to boiling water. After 2-3 minutes, a lightly cooled decoction is used for washing the affected parts, two to three times a day.
 

Happenings at Nandan

        Inauguration of Nandan’s R&D and Processing facilities at ICRISAT
 

Nandan Biomatrix Limited in collaboration with ICRISAT, recently established a state-of-the-art R&D, Processing and Formulation Facilities at the Agri-Science Park of the International Crop Research Institute for Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) on 30th May, 2006 at Hyderabad. These integrated facilities will enable drug discovery research, analysis and standardized herbal extracts, API’s and in developing specialty formulations.

Dr. William D Dar (Director General, ICRISAT) was the Chief Guest for the inaugural program and lauded Nandan's progress and commitment in the agriculture industry. Other guests who attended the event were Dr. Gopakumar G. Nair (CEO, Gopakumar Nair Associates), Dato Rameli Buyong (Malaysia), Prof. P. Maruthi Mohan (Head of Biochemistry dept. O.U), Mr. Ravi Dharamshri (RARE enterprises), Barry I Shapiro (Director – Project Development & Marketing, ICRISAT),       Dr. William (Vice chancellor, University of Philippines)
 

FELDA Visit to Nandan Biomatrix Limited

On September 1st, 2006 dignitaries from Federal Land Development Authority of Malaysia visited Nandan Biomatrix & its facilities at Hyderabad to understand how Medicinal Plants can be brought into mainstream cultivation and explore how value addition and wealth creation could be made in this industry for Malaysia. The delegation was led by the FELDA Chairman, Tan Sri Dr. Md. Yusof Noor, Datuk Khamis Md. Som, Director – General and Mr. Hairuddin B.Md. Bakri, Chief Executive Officer of FELDA Herbal Corporation. They visited Nandan's R&D facilities at the ICRISAT Agri Science Park & also had a brief interactive discussion with Dr. William D. Dar, Director-General, ICRISAT to explore future possibilities of partnership on biotechnology in Malaysia. Dr. Dar assured FELDA of ICRISAT's support in the area of agri-biotech research.

Federal Land Development Authority, FELDA, is the foremost land development agency in Malaysia established in 1956. The Authority is managed by a board responsible to the Deputy Prime Minister and is headed by its chairman Tan Sri Md. Yusuf Noor. An academician by profession, he was the Deputy Vice Chancellor of the National Malaysian University and also the Central Minister for Public Enterprise. Under the able and dynamic guidance of its Chairman and other Members, FELDA is today considered the world’s largest land development agency and is committed to promote Malaysian Herbal Industry. It has identified Nandan as a successful and competent organization in the Nutraceuticals industry to learn more about Nandan’s “Integrated Business Model”.  Nandan has already established a subsidiary in Malaysia in anticipation of a possible Joint venture with FELDA in bringing local herbs on to the global platform.

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