Roadside Food Research Articles

Phenolic Ecotoxins in River Water: Survey on Knowledge and Practices of Road-Side Food Vendors Operating Along River Chania Bank Fringes in Thika Sub- County, Kenya

Purpose: Phenolic ecotoxins consumed in raw surface water from river sources has been implicated in causing diseases of high burden such as cancers, in Kenya. This study was conducted in Thika Sub County, and data collected from roadside food vendors and food hawkers who operate small scale street food business along the fringes and banks of River Chania. The study’s objective was to establish the knowledge on Phenolic ecotoxins present in river water and practices of the study respondents. Methodology: A crossectional descriptive study design was used, in which combined interviews and questionnaire enquiries conducted from, n=341, small-scale road side food vendors and hawkers was analyzed. Findings: Data reveals that none of the respondents had knowledge on Phenolic ecotoxin contaminants and additionally a strongly associated correlation (P<0.001, χ222.6 and df 1), further augments the disclosure that, poor knowledge of raw river water safety and hygiene does result to body harm and ill health. Unique Contribution to Theory, Policy and Practice: There is increased need and effort to scale up the sensitization and awareness on exposure to harmful ecotoxin contaminants from the use of raw river water. Water decontamination mobile units should be considered and introduced especially in urban areas of high population density, transversed by rivers.

An in-depth investigation correlating lifestyle choices with cognitive well-being: Public health implications of food packaging trends and memory capacity, an intensive research study

This study presents a multifaceted investigation into the interplay between lifestyle choices, cognitive well-being, and potential health risks associated with food packaging materials. Statistical analyses of memory patterns among diverse population groups, including healthy volunteers, addicted individuals, and those consuming roadside food from street vendors or hawkers, reveal intriguing correlations. The study also conducts a rigorous chemical analysis of newspaper packaging, uncovering significant concerns related to lead contamination. The findings emphasise the need for heightened awareness, further research, and interventions to address potential health risks and ensure the safety of packaging materials. Overall, this research contributes valuable, insightful information that has implications for public health initiatives and packaging industry practices. This is a qualitative study correlating lifestyle choices with cognitive well-being and specific food packaging that impacts the memory and health too. Key findings reveal intriguing correlations between lifestyle habits, the type of food packaging used, and memory capacity. The study’s chemical analysis of newspaper packaging uncovered significant lead contamination, raising serious public health concerns. These findings emphasise the necessity for heightened awareness and targeted interventions to mitigate health risks.

The Provison of Leaflet Media, Videos, and PowePoint on Hygiene Sanitation in Food Presentation to Increase Knowledge (Case Study on Traders in East Telukjambe District)

Introduction: Food poisoning can occur if traders do not pay attention to hygiene and sanitation in the food they sell. Good selling facilities and environment must comply with hygiene and sanitation standards, the place must have layout, floors, strong walls, adequate ventilation, adequate lighting, strong roof, and ceiling free from insects and vectors bully. Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of giving leaflets, videos, and PowerPoint media on sanitation hygiene in food serving in increasing the knowledge of traders in Telukjambe Timur Karawang District. Method: This type of research is Quasi Experimental with the Pre-Posttest Group Design research design. In this study, it was divided into 3 groups, namely the leaflet, video, and powerpoint group and was carried out on 1-6 May 2023. The population in this study were roadside food vendors in Telukjambe Timur Karawang District with a total sample of 45 subjects selected purposively. sampling. Measurement of pretest and posttest knowledge used a questionnaire with 14 questions and then analyzed the data using the Paired t-test because the data from the three media were normally distributed. Result: The results in this study were that the p-value on leaflet media was 0.582 (>0.05), on video media was 0.017 (<0.05), and on PowerPoint media was 0.023 (<0.05). Conclusion: The conclusion in this study is that there is an influence on increasing the knowledge of roadside traders regarding sanitation hygiene in presentations using video and powerpoint media. Whereas in the leaflet media there is no effect on increasing the knowledge of traders.

Quality of Work-life of Road Side Food Street Vendors in Tiruchirappalli District

Street vending is a universal phenomenon and is primarily seen in all countries. The people working in this area get low wages, which makes it easy for them to enter unskilled labour and be self-employed. It provides self-employment, removes poverty, and improves the people's standard of living. This study mainly focuses on the standard of living of roadside food vendors in the Tiruchirappalli district. The researcher selected 60 sample respondents by using a simple random sampling method. It is found that there is a significant difference between monthly income and quality of life of food street vendors. It is suggested that the street vendors must register as per the provisions of The Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014.

A Survey of Quality Management on Roadside Food Stalls in Tiruchirappalli Corporation with Special Reference to Food Industry

A Survey of Quality Management on Roadside Food Stalls in Tiruchirappalli Corporation with Special Reference to Food Industry

A Survey of Quality Management on Roadside Food Stalls in Tiruchirappalli Corporation with Special Reference to Food Industry

A Survey of Quality Management on Roadside Food Stalls in Tiruchirappalli Corporation with Special Reference to Food Industry

Bacterial contamination test on plates, spoons, and glass at a food stall (angkringan) Surakarta City, Central Java

Cutlery is an important component that can affect the health of the digestive tract. Plates, glasses and spoons are eating utensils that are often used by the community. In the city of Surakarta, Central Java, there are many roadside food stalls that are in great demand by the community, namely Angkringan. The purpose of this study was to determine bacterial contamination of cutlery (pring, glass and spoon) at a food stall (Angkringan) in Surakarta City, Central Java. This research is a descriptive observational study, bacteriological examination of cutlery begins with swab sampling, bacterial examination using the Total Plate Number method, and confirmed by Gram staining. The results of the examination of the number of bacterial colonies were compared with the standard reference of Permenkes No. 1096/MENKES/PER/VI/2011, which is 0 colonies/cm2. The results showed the average bacterial contamination in angkringan food stalls in Surakarta City, as follows: plate 10230 colonies/cm2, glass 9560 colonies/cm2 and spoon 3960 colonies/cm2 . All cutlery that was inspected did not meet the standards of Permenkes No. 1096/MENKES/PER/VI/2011.

Study on customer preference towards seafood in Pattinapakkam-Chennai City

Sea food shop is a small roadside food shop serving trustworthy home-cooked base. They do not have luxurious atmosphere, probably food shop has an open-air seating area with a size of around 10-20, we can analyze freshness of foods [fish fry, prawn fry, squid, Crab, Sura Puttu] they are making with softness with flavorful rich spiciness.They provide unlimited rice with fish curry, as per my research they fixed affordable price for sea foods. Some people have been travelling here to taste this from their own town. Sea foods are consumed quickly, so surplus foods are not violated in pattinapakkam. Shopkeepers are preparing foods in front of the customer so they concerned about quality and quantity. They are preparing own handmade Masalas so it is chemical-free and food colour free. Most of the shop keeper runs their shops with their Family, Males are going for fish catching ladies are doing cooking for their shops. Nowadays, celebrities also consuming these types of food varieties, so it’s getting more familiar to everyone.

Risk Factors for Lead Toxicity and its Effect on Neurobehavior in Indian Children.

Lead (Pb) is profoundly used heavy metal despite its known toxic effects. Children in particular are more susceptible to Pb toxicity. Thus, the present study was carried out to estimate the prevalence of lead toxicity in Indian children, to observe serum levels of biochemical parameters and to evaluate psychopathological implications of Pb toxicity using population specific scale-Childhood Psychopathological Measurement Schedule (CPMS) in children. Children between 9 and 15years of age were included in the study (N = 70). Demographic details and information regarding the source of lead exposure were collected using a self-made questionnaire. All biochemical investigations were performed in Beckman Coulter Auto-analyser AU680 and Blood Lead Levels (BLL) were estimated by Graphite Furnace Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer. The neurobehavioral state of the children was assessed by a population-specific scale i.e., CPMS, which evaluates for neurobehavior under 8 factors, titled, Low intelligence with behavioural problems, Conduct disorder, Anxiety, Depression, Psychotic symptoms, Special symptoms, Physical illness with emotional problems, and Somatization. The median BLL of the study population was 4.9μg/dL. Habit of frequently consuming roadside food, proximity of residence to vehicular traffic and educational status of the mother were observed to be significant contributing factors for high BLL (≥ 5μg/dL). Serum alkaline phosphatase (P = 0.02) and phosphorous levels (P = 0.04) were significantly lower in children belonging to high BLL group. A significantly high adverse neurobehavioral score was observed in high BLL group children compared to low BLL group (P < 0.05). There was high prevalence of Pb toxicity with 50% of children having BLL > 5μg/dL. Further, certain lifestyle characteristics such as proximity of residence to vehicular traffic, frequent consumption of roadside food and lower educational status of the mother could be possible risk factors for higher Pb exposure in children. Evaluation of neurobehavior in children with high BLL revealed a high prevalence of adverse neurobehavior in them when compared to children in low BLL group.

Micronutrient Status of the Selected Transgenders

According to Hindu mythology the supreme beings of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvathi join and emerge as the almighty Ammaiyappan, these divine beings combine to take the form "half male and half female”-Arthanaareeshwara. The present study flashes light upon the micronutrient status of the transgender individuals. The study was conducted in Coimbatore and Tiruppur picking up a sample size of 147 and was selected by convenience and purposive sampling method. Written questionnaire was the tool used to gather data from the participants. The participants were assessed for their micronutrient status, nutritional status and dietary habits, physical and mental health. The dietary habits found out on enquiry include their general eating habits, food allergies, likes and dislikes on food. It was discovered that they consumed non vegetarian food (100%), road side food (100%), junk food (75%) and an average of 2 meals, 2 snack and 1 beverage a day. The micronutrient status was found to be low (0-40) for nearly all participants as assessed with vitastiq. The deficiency symptoms noticed on clinical examination are sparse / thin hair (27.3%), inattentiveness (22.1%) and mild anaemia (12.9%). The BMI of the participants indicated that 42.2% were obese, 26.5% were overweight, 8.2% were under weight and 23.1% were normal. On a general note, participants had very poor physical health due to their sedentary life style neglecting exercise and yogic practices in their day to day life. They did not show mental fitness due to equal per cent of sexual and verbal harassment. Even on consumption on balanced meal they show low nutritional status which may be attributed to stress, poor hygiene and sanitation, lack of medical facilities and nutritional intervention programs. Hence the nutritional status of the transgender needs to be improved.

Exposure to aflatoxin B1 and associated risk factors in hepatitis C patients in cosmopolitan city of Pakistan: facility-based study.

Introductionpopulation-based follow-up study has been designed to investigate the contributing factors to high exposure to Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and the subsequent associated risk factors among hepatitis C-infected patients at a referral centre, Karachi. Pakistan. Hepatitis C infection affects millions of individuals worldwide and confers high morbidity and mortality, especially in lower middle-income countries (LMICs) including Pakistan. A literature review of recent studies has revealed that a number of hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC) cases are markedly increased in Pakistan, where one of the potential causes of HCC is hepatitis C virus. The objectives of this study were to determine frequency of Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) exposure and other associated characteristics among hepatitis C patients at a referral centre, Karachi, Pakistan.Methodsa semi-structured pre-coded pro forma designed to collect socio-demographic, Pharmacological, biochemical and clinical information from patients and hospital records. Patient´s pre and post polymerase chain reaction (PCR), serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels and other blood parameters were analysed. AFB1 exposure was determined using an ELISA kit and validated through high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).ResultsAFB1 exposure was found in 30 (34%) patients. Post treatment responders were 49 (55.6%). More than 37% of study participants had a family history of hepatitis C. About 74% had a history of surgical procedure, and around 36% of study participants had a blood transfusion history. Up to 36% participants were fond of spicy food and around 25% study participants were eating roadside food on daily basis.Conclusionhigh frequency of AFB1 exposure due to risky dietary habits, low level of formal education and awareness are contributing factors may be responsible for high exposure of AFB1. Effective and multidimensional strategies are needed to prevent advance stage progression of disease and associated complications.

HEALTH MESSAGES AND COMPLIANCE BY UNDERGRADUATE CONSUMERS OF ROADSIDE FOOD AROUND UNIVERSITY CAMPUSES IN ANAMBRA STATE

The overall purpose of this study was to ascertain the level that undergraduate students in universities around Anambra State comply with health messages on the dangers of patronizing roadside food outlets. The study was guided by four research questions which include the following: To what extent are university undergraduate students in Anambra State exposed to messages on health implications of patronizing roadside food outlets? To what extent are the undergraduate students knowledgeable on the implication of patronizing roadside food outlets? To what extent do these students comply with messages of health implication of eating at roadside food outlets? What demographic factors affect the undergraduate students’ compliance with the health messages on the implications of eating at roadside food outlets? Anchored on the Health belief Model, the study adopted the survey research method. Findings suggest that: undergraduate students in universities around Anambra State were exposed to health messages on the implication of patronizing roadside food outlets. The research further reveals that majority of the undergraduate students were knowledgeable on the implication of patronizing roadside food outlets. Surprisingly, irrespective of the undergraduate students’ exposure and knowledge of the dangers of eating at roadside food outlets, it was discovered that they did not comply with health messages on the dangers of eating at roadside food outlets. Furthermore, the findings also reveal that such demographic factors like: age and class level of the undergraduate students’ had influence on their compliance with dangers of patronizing roadside food outlet, gender however did not. The researchers therefore recommended that communication experts get fully involved in the development of health-behviour change messages. They should look from within and identify factors that would negatively affect strategic health media messages intended to bring about sustainable health behavior change for a better living.

Level of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon in Smoked Food Materials from Roadside Barbeque Spots in Western Nigeria and Health Implication

Levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in smoked food materials from roadside barbeque spots in western Nigeria were determined. Different samples of smoked fish, meat and plantain were collected from states in western region of Nigeria. Analyses of PAHs in various samples were done using GC-MS operated in selected ion monitoring mode. Result showed the values of PAH4 observed for the smoked fish, meat and plantain were 511, 513, 445 µg/kg, respectively. Also concentrations of Benzo [a] pyrene observed for the samples were 61, 66 and 45 µg/kg for fish, meat and plantain, respectively. These values were above maximum acceptable level. The study revealed that consumption of smoked roadside food materials could pose a danger to human health

Distribution of Enterobacteria in Ready-to-Eat Food in Cafeterias and Retail Food Outlets in Benin City: Public Health Implications

Background: The aim of this study was to determine the occurrence and antibiotic susceptibility profile of enterobacteria isolated from ready-to-eat foods within Benin metropolis, Nigeria.Methods: This was a descriptive study of 210 ready-to-eat food samples comprising fried rice, jollof rice, moi-moi, salad, oil beans, non-oil beans, and African salad obtained from roadside food vendors between January and June 2017. Isolation and identification of enterobacteria isolates were carried out using standard bacteriological and molecular methods. Antibiotic susceptibility profile was carried out using the disc diffusion method.Results: The mean mesophilic bacterial count expressed in log10 CFU/g from the ready-to-eat foods ranged from oil beans (4.3±0.52) to African salad (7.2±1.38). Escherichia coli count ranged between oil beans (1.8±0.16) and African salad (4.1±0.10). Salmonella species count ranged from non-oil beans (2.3±0.17) to African salad (5.2±0.09). Significant differences were observed from the population count of the ready-to-eat foods (p &lt; 0.05). Bacterial isolates recovered from the ready-to-eat foods include Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Citrobacter freundii, Enterobacter cloacae, Salmonella enterica, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella oxytoca. The highest occurrence of the bacterial isolates was Escherichia coli 23(41.07%) while the least was Citrobacter freundii 3(5.36%) and Enterobacter cloacae 3(5.36%). The antimicrobial susceptibility profile of the bacterial isolates revealed that all bacterial isolates were 100% resistant to cefepime, ceftazidime, cefuroxime, ertapenem, and meropenem; with considerable sensitivity to kanamycin and gentamycin.Conclusion: The occurrence of these bacterial isolates in the foods constitutes public health risk to consumers as these pathogens have been associated with foodborne infections.&#x0D; Keywords: Antibiotic-resistant; Enterobacteria; Foodborne pathogens; Microbial quality; Public health; Street foods

Food safety knowledge, attitudes and self-reported practices among food handlers in Sohag Governorate, Egypt.

Foodborne diseases are of public health importance worldwide. Most of the factors related to their occurrence are the responsibility of food handlers. This study aimed to determine the knowledge, attitudes and self-reported practices of food handlers in Sohag Governorate about food safety and the factors affecting their knowledge, attitudes and practices. A cross-sectional study was done from May 2016 to March 2017 with food handlers working in cafeterias, restaurants, food establishments and roadside food stands from four randomly selected districts in Sohag Governorate. A questionnaire was used to collect data on their sociodemographic characteristics - age, sex, residence (urban, rural), education (illiterate, primary, preparatory, secondary, university) and job (cook, assistant) - and food safety knowledge, attitudes and practices. Of the 994 food handlers included in the study, 39.2% had good knowledge of food safety, 61.2% had positive attitudes and 56.3% reported good food safety practices. In univariate logistic regression, most of the variables were significantly associated with participants' knowledge. Only residence and education were significantly associated with positive attitudes. None of the variables was significantly associated with participants' practices. In multivariable logistic regression analysis, age, male sex, urban residence, higher education and working as a cook were strongly associated with good knowledge. Residence and education significantly influenced positive attitudes. Food handlers in our sample had poor knowledge of food safety and inadequate compliance with food safety practices. Educational and training programmes should be implemented to improve their knowledge, attitudes and practices.

Risk factors for diarrhea among travellers visiting Bali

Background and purpose: The number of foreign travellers visiting Bali continues to increase and diarrhea often occur among them. The purpose of this study is to determine the risk factors for the incidence of diarrhea in foreign travellers.Methods: A case control study was conducted in foreign travellers visiting the international clinic at the Port Health Office at Ngurah Rai International Airport in Denpasar during the period from May to October 2018. Cases were foreign travellers visiting the clinic with diarrhea symptoms. Controls were non-diarrhea foreign travellers visiting the clinic for other purposes. The number of cases and controls was 87 people each and were matched by gender and citizenship. Data collected were age, travel plans, type of food and beverage consumption, hand washing habits and type of food providers (roadside food sellers, restaurants, hotel restaurants and food stalls). Multivariat analysis was performed using logistic regression to determine the adjusted odds ratio (AOR) of each risk factor.Results: Characteristics of cases and controls do not differ in terms of gender and citizenship. Multivariat analysis shows that significant risk factors associated with diarrhea in foreign travellers are a history of consuming street food with AOR=3.94 (95%CI: 1.19-12.97) and a history of traditional barbequed pork consumption (called babi guling) with AOR=6.24 (95%CI: 2.09-18.64). Other risk factors, namely consumptions of Indonesian food, traditional mixed chopped meat and vegetables (called lawar), mixed rice and drinks with ice cubes, are not found to be associated with the incidence of diarrhea in foreign travellers.Conclusion: Consumptions of street food and traditional barbequed pork were found to be associated with the incidence of diarrhea in foreign travellers during a visit to Bali. Street food hygiene, education for food vendors and information provision to foreign travellers on choosing food types need to be improved

Risks factors for diarrhea among travellers visiting Bali

Background and purpose: The number of foreign travellers visiting Bali continues to increase and diarrhea often occur among them. The purpose of this study is to determine the risk factors for the incidence of diarrhea in foreign travellers. Methods: A case-control study was conducted in foreign travellers visiting the international clinic at the Port Health Office at Ngurah Rai International Airport in Denpasar during the period from May to October 2018. Cases were foreign travellers visiting the clinic with diarrhea symptoms. Controls were non-diarrhea foreign travellers visiting the clinic for other purposes. The number of cases and controls was 87 people each and were matched by gender and citizenship. Data collected were age, travel plans, type of food and beverage consumption, hand washing habits and type of food providers (roadside food sellers, restaurants, hotel restaurants and food stalls). Multivariat analysis was performed using logistic regression to determine the adjusted odds ratio (AOR) of each risk factor. Results: Characteristics of cases and controls do not differ in terms of gender and citizenship. Multivariate analysis shows that significant risk factors associated with diarrhea in foreign travellers are a history of consuming street food with AOR=3.94 (95%CI: 1.19-12.97) and a history of traditional barbequed pork consumption (called babi guling) with AOR=6.24 (95%CI: 2.09-18.64). Other risk factors, namely consumptions of Indonesian food, traditional mixed chopped meat and vegetables (called lawar), mixed rice and drinks with ice cubes, are not found to be associated with the incidence of diarrhea in foreign travellers. Conclusion: Consumptions of street food and traditional barbequed pork were found to be associated with the incidence of diarrhea in foreign travellers during a visit to Bali. Street food hygiene, education for food vendors and information provision to foreign travellers on choosing food types need to be improved

Effect of continuous usage on the natural antioxidants of vegetable oils during deep-fat frying

Abstract Edible frying oils are important source of vitamins and natural antioxidants. They provide protection against diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular diseases. Using oils for prolonged periods, may cause its quality to deteriorate. The effect of continuous usage of vegetable oil used for frying different food types on the antioxidant content was determined. Vegetable oils were obtained from roadside food vendors, fast food outlets, controlled frying in the laboratory, and unused branded and unbranded oils. The oils were analysed for total phenolic acids (PO), flavonoids (FL), Vitamins A and E. Oil samples collected from the roadside food fryers had higher PO and FL concentrations, but lower vitamins A and E than those from commercial fast food outlets. In the controlled experiment, PO, FL, vitamin A and vitamin E concentrations were significantly lower (p

Exploring the food tourism landscape and sustainable economic development goals in Dhofar Governorate, Oman

PurposeThis exploratory research opens a new avenue of tourism destination enquiry for Dhofar Governorate, Oman. It examines the relationship between the food tourism landscape in the country’s southernmost region and the Government’s stated economic development goals. Tourism is a new industry here and in need of sustainable development. The purpose of this paper is to identify how the natural and human resources of the region may be harnessed to expand food tourism pathways and achieve sustainable economic development e.g. maximising stakeholder benefits.Design/methodology/approachThe literature review highlights many new developments in food tourism for this baseline study. Qualitative and quantitative (i.e. mixed) methods are used including a case study, a pilot survey of key Government stakeholders in Oman’s Ministry of Tourism, food factory tours and interviews with their executives in Dhofar, direct and participant observation at food establishments and events, visits to popular roadside and market food stalls in Salalah and tourism trend analysis.FindingsSome recent trends in food tourism elsewhere may be adapted in Salalah and spark interest in the food culture and heritage of Dhofar. This, in turn, may bring multiple benefits to the destination’s stakeholders. The governorate’s environment yields a rich variety of agricultural and other food products that may be used to provide new forms of food tourism and increase the region’s appeal to tourists beyond the Khareef season. Further possible benefits include safeguarding local food knowledge, production, culture and heritage, developing SMEs, creating new jobs and increasing visitor stay and spend.Research limitations/implicationsThe study is conducted solely in English, whereas Arabic is the mother tongue in Oman. Dhofar is the country’s largest governorate occupying a vast area, not all of which is covered by the study. More data are needed to inform tourism development, policymaking and planning in Dhofar.Practical implicationsImproving tourism’s sustainability profile, creating successful food tourism products and services and achieving Dhofar’s economic development goals require concerted effort. All are in the best interest of the tourism stakeholders concerned.Social implicationsThis paper provides a foundation for future research on this topic. It highlights the importance of placing food tourism development on a sustainable footing to protect and preserve Dhofar’s unique food culture, heritage, traditions and environment, extend the main tourism season and maximise benefits to stakeholders.Originality/valueRecent trends in food tourism are investigated to gauge their applicability in this dynamic region of Oman. Ideas are presented demonstrating possible food tourism pathways to sustainable economic development that benefit a wide range of stakeholders e.g. food tours, food factory tours and shops, food festivals and cookery-school holidays and/or classes.

Evaluation of hepato-protective activity of Dãruharidrã ( Berberis aristata,DC) with special reference to Hepatitis (Bahupittakãmalã).

The main causes of hepatitis are health ignorance, increased hot and humid environment, lowering living status, unhygine causing various gastro-instestinal diseases mainly diarrheoa, viral hepatitis and many other diseases. The people are living in congested places in bad sanitation, eating roadside fast food, drinking polluted water etc. Along with hepatitis, alcoholism and alcoholic liver disorder are most leading disease in India. Carakãcãrya explain Dãruharidrã (Berberis aristata, DC)nin bahupittakãmalã (khoşthaśãkhãshrîtakãmalã). It has references in many granthãs with respect to bahupittakãmalã. It is useful in a vast range of diseases. It has properties like cholegouge, astringent, hepato-stimulant and hepato-protective which are useful in treating anorexia , dysentery, hepatitis and liver disorder. This study shows Dãruharidrã is very effective in viral hepatitis.