A Study on organoleptic evaluation and acceptability of traditional tribal therapeutic recipes of Assam for gastro intestinal disorders.

Abstract

Assam, a state with a blend of culture, heritage, faith and belief of numerous ethnic tribes with a distinct food culture has once been a cradle of therapeutic cuisines. Urbanization and westernization has resulted in a drastic shift of eating habits of people of Assam leading to spare usage of recipes that have potential therapeutic values .Reintroducing the forgotten therapeutic recipes into the tribal communities of Assam is the need of the day. A total of 50 tribal women (purposive sampling) above the age group of 60 years from Sadiya in Assam were interviewed to collect the original traditional therapeutic recipes of Assam. A total of 120 traditional therapeutic tribal recipes were collected ,documented and classified for 13 different disease conditions namely Gastrointestinal diseases(43), Degenerative diseases(15), Infectious diseases(21), Respiratory diseases(14), Liver disease(8), Renal disorder(3), Cardiovascular Disease(3), Reproductive problems(5), Nutritional deficiency(20), Sleeping disorder(2), Vision problem(2), Blood toxicity(2) and Others (1). The classified recipes were standardized and tested for its organoleptic qualities by a semi trained panel of 10 members using a 9 point hedonic scale and it was found to be acceptable for all sensory characteristic indicating the grater scope of its consumption by a different population across the nation for therapeutic uses.