Caryota urens: value addition, nutritional and medicinal values

Abstract

Caryota urens which is commonly known as Kithul, is a multipurpose and underutilized palm mainly distributed in Asia. Due to its numerous applications, it has been considered an important plant that ensures the livelihood of the village people in Sri Lanka. Thus, this article reviews the nutritional and medicinal values of kithul palm and its value-added products. Kithul sap is widely used in the production of kithul treacle and jaggery due to its high amount of sugar content. Kithul seed oil is high in palmitic and oleic acid and is a good source of biofuels. Kithul fruit has skin-irritating nature due to the presence of oxalic acid, and also it contains anti-nutritional substances such as phytate, tannin and saponin. Different parts of Kithul palm such as leaves, flowers, fruit, sap is rich in antioxidants, anti -inflammatory, antimicrobial, and anti-diabetic properties due to the existence of flavonoids, glycosides like phytochemicals. Low gelatinization temperature has identified Kithul flour as a good gelling agent, stabilizer and thickener. Owning to its low Glycemic Index, kithul flour has become beneficial for people suffering from diabetics. Thus, valueadded products like biscuits, noodles, bread, muffin, rotti, porridge, dessert, yoghurt are identified as potential products that must be commercialized with more investigations.