Arrowroot (Maranta arundinacea), also known as obedience plant , Bermuda arrowroot, araru, or ararao, is a large, perennial herb found

in rainforest habitats. It is cultivated for a starch obtained from the rhizome's (rootstock), which is also called arrowroot.

Description
A perennial plant growing to about 2 feet (0.61 m) tall, arrowroot has small white flowers and fruits approximately the size and shape of currants. The rootstocks are dug when the plant is one year old, and often exceed 1 foot (30 cm) in length and 0.75 inches (19 mm) in diameter. They are yellowish white, jointed and covered with loose scales.[1]

Habitat
The plant is naturalized in Florida, but it is chiefly cultivated in the West Indies (especially Jamaica and St. Vincent), Australia, Southeast Asia, and South and East Africa.

Starch extraction process

Arrowroot tubers contain about 23% starch. They are first washed, and then cleaned of the paper-like scale. The scales must be carefully removed before extracting the starch because they impart a disagreeable flavour.[1] After removing the scale, the roots are washed again, drained and finally reduced to a pulp by beating them in mortars or subjecting them to the action of a wheel rasp. The milky liquid thus obtained is passed through a coarse cloth or hair sieve and the pure starch, which is insoluble, is allowed to settle at the bottom. The wet starch is dried in the sun or in a drying house. The result is a powder, the "arrowroot" of commerce, that is quickly packed for market in air-tight cans, packages or cases. Arrowroot starch has in the past been quite extensively adulterated with potato starch and other similar substances. Pure arrowroot, like other pure starches, is a light, white powder (the mass feeling firm to the finger and crackling like newly fallen snow when rubbed or pressed), odourless when dry, but emitting a faint, peculiar odour when mixed with boiling water, and swelling on cooking into a perfect jelly, which can be used to make a food that is very smooth in consistencyunlike adulterated articles, mixed with potato flour and other starches of lower value, which contain larger particles.

Cooking
Arrowroot used to be very popular in British cuisine, and Napoleon supposedly said the reason for the British love of arrowroot was to support their colonies.[2] It can be consumed in the form of biscuits, puddings, jellies, cakes, hot sauces, and also with beef tea, milk or veal broth, and noodles in Korean and Vietnamese cuisine. In the Victorian era it was used, boiled with a little flavouring added, as an easily digestible food for children and people with dietary restrictions. With today's greater understanding of its limited nutritional properties, it is no longer used in this way.[2] Arrowroot makes clear, shimmering fruit gels and prevents ice crystals from forming in homemade ice cream. It can also be used as a thickener for acidic foods, such as Asian sweet and sour sauce. It is used in cooking to produce a clear, thickened sauce, such as a a fruit sauce. It will not make the sauce go cloudy, like cornstarch, flour or other starchy thickening agents would. The lack of gluten in arrowroot flour makes it useful as a replacement for wheat flour in baking. Like other pure starches, however, arrowroot is almost pure carbohydrates and devoid of protein, thus it does not provide a complete substitute for wheat flour.

Arrowroot thickens at a lower temperature than flour or cornstarch, is not weakened by acidic ingredients, has a more neutral taste, and is not affected by freezing. It doesn't mix well with dairy, forming a slimy mixture.[3] It is recommended that arrowroot be mixed with a cool liquid before adding to a hot fluid. The mixture should be heated only until the mixture thickens and removed immediately to prevent the mixture from thinning. Overheating tends to break down arrowroot's thickening property. Two teaspoons of arrowroot can be substituted for one tablespoon of cornstarch, or one teaspoon of arrowroot for one tablespoon of wheat flour.[4]

History
Archaeological studies in the Americas show evidence of arrowroot cultivation as early as 7,000 years ago. The name may come from aru-aru (meal of meals) in the language of the Caribbean Arawak people, for whom the plant was a staple. It has also been suggested that the name comes from arrowroot's use in treating poison-arrow wounds, as it draws out the poison when applied to the site of the injury. In the early days of carbonless copy paper, arrowroot, because of its fine grain size, was a widely used ingredient. After an economical way of centrifugally separating wheat flour was devised, arrowroot lost its role in papermaking.[5] Arrowroot, or arrowroot starch, is a powdery product made from the arrowroot plant, a starchy tropical root. The plant is dried and ground up to make the powder, which is primarily used as a thickener in the kitchen, much like cornstarch. Much like cornstarch, it is an excellent thickening agent. It has about twice the thickening power of regular flour. Unlike cornstarch, however, arrowroot is completely flavorless and will not impart a starchy taste into puddings or other dishes that it is used to thicken. Another reason that arrowroot is called for in recipes is that it is extremely digestible, moreso than regular wheat flour. It can be used in cookies and crackers as a substitute for part of the flour, and you can find arrowroot biscuits in stores that are often said to sooth the stomach. It is also a very popular ingredient in gluten-free baking. Still, its primary use is as a thickener. To use it, it must be mixed with some cold water before being added to a hot liquid to prevent clumping. Arrowroot can be found at some specialty grocers and can also be ordered online.

Arrowroot
Botanical: Maranta arundinaceae (LINN.) Family: N.O. Marantaceae

Description Constituents Medicinal Action and Uses Other Species

---Synonyms---Indian Arrowroot. Maranta Indica. Maranta ramosissima. Maranta Starch or Arrowroot. East or West Indian Arrowroot. Araruta. Bermuda Arrowroot. ---Part Used---The fecula or starch of the rhizome. ---Habitat---Indigenous in the West Indian Islands and possibly Central America. Grows in Bengal, Tava. Philippines, Mauritius. Natal. West Africa. ---Description---The name of the genus was bestowed by Plumier in memory of Bartommeo Maranto (d. 1559, Naples), a physician of Venosa in Basilicata. The popular name is a corruption of the Aru-root of the Aruac Indians of South America, or is derived from the fact that the plant is said to be an antidote to arrow-poison.

The product is usually distinguished by the name of the place from which it is imported. Bermuda Arrowroot was formerly the finest, but it is now rarely produced, and the name is applied to others of high standard. It was introduced into England about 1732 though it will only grow as a stove plant, with tanners' bark. The plant is an herbaceous perennial, with a creeping rhizome with upward-curving, fleshy, cylindrical tubers covered with large, thin scales that leave rings of scars. The flowering stem reaches a height of 6 feet, and bears creamy flowers at the ends of the slender branches that terminate the long peduncles. They grow in pairs. The numerous, ovate, glabrous leaves are from 2 to 10 inches in length, with long sheaths often enveloping the stem. The starch is extracted from rhizomes not more than a year old. They are washed, pulped in wooded mortars, stirred in clean water, the fibres wrung out by hand, and the milky liquor sieved, allowed to settle, and then drained. Clean water is again added, mixed, and drained, after which the starch is dried on sheets in the sun, dust and insects being carefully excluded. The starch yield is about one-fifth of the original weight of the rhizomes. It should be odourless and free from unpleasant taste, and when it becomes mouldy, should be rejected. It keeps well if quite dry. The powder creaks slightly when rubbed, and feels firm. Microscopical examination of the starch granules is necessary for certainty of purity. Potato starch, which corresponds in chemical and nutritive qualities, is sometimes substituted, but it has a somewhat unpleasant taste, and a test with hydrochloric acid brings out an odour like French beans. Sago, rice and tapioca starches are also found occasionally as substitutes. The jelly is more tenacious than that of any other starch excepting Tous-les-mois. Arrowroot is often used simply in the form of pudding or blanc-mange. The roots could be candied like Eryngo. [Top] ---Constituents---An 1887 analysis of the root of the St. Vincent Arrowroot gave starch 27.17 per cent, fibre, fat, albumen, sugar, gum, ash, and 62.96 per cent water. Of the starch was given: starch 83'70 per cent., fibre, fat, sugar, gum, ash and sand, and water 15.87 per cent. The official granules, according to Pereira, are 'rarely oblong, somewhat ovate-oblong, or irregularly convex, from 10 to 70 microns in diameter, with very fine lamellae, a circular hilium which is fissured in a linear or stellate manner.' ---Medicinal Auction and Uses---Arrowroot is chiefly valuable as an easily digested, nourishing diet for convalescents, especially in bowel complaints, as it has demulcent properties. In the proportion of a tablespoonful to a pint of water or milk, it should be prepared by being first made into a smooth paste with a little cold milk or water, and then carefully stirred while the boiling milk is added. Lemon-juice, sugar, wine, or aromatics may be added. If thick, it will cool into a jelly that usually suits weaning infants better than other farinaceous foods. It is said that the mashed rhizomes are used for application to wounds from poisoned arrows, scorpion and black spider bites, and to arrest gangrene. The freshly-expressed juice, mixed with water, is said to be a good antidote, taken internally, for vegetable poisons, such as Savanna. ---Other Species--Maranta ramosissima is the M. arundinaceae of the East Indies.

M. allouya and M. nobilis are also West Indian species. The term arrowroot is applied to other starches. BRAZILIAN ARROWROOT, or Tapioca Meal, is obtained from Manihot utilissima (bitter) and M. palmata (sweet) . It is also called Bahia Rio, or Para-Arrowroot. See MANDIOCA. TAHITI ARROWROOT is from Tacca oceanica (pinnatifida). It is a favourite article of diet in the tropics, being found in the Sandwich and South Sea Islands, and is said to be the best arrowroot for dysentery. EAST INDIAN ARROWROOT is from Curcuma augustifolia, or longa. TOUS-LES-MOIS is from Canna edulis and C. achiras, of the West Indies, called Indian Shot, from their hard, black seeds, used as beads, and Balisier, from the use of their leaves for packing, in Brazil. OSWEGO ARROWROOT, used in America, is from Zea Mays, Indian Corn. MEXICAN ARROWROOT is from the seeds of Dion edule. CHINESE ARROWROOT is said to be from the tubers of Nelumbium speciosum. PORTLAND ARROWROOT was formerly obtained from Arum maculatum, but it was acrid and not very satisfactory. M. dichotoma has stems used, when split, for making shade mats in India. M. Malaccensis has poisonous roots used as an ingredient in a Borneo arrow-poison. Arrowroot is an easily digested starch extracted from the roots of the arrowroot plant, Maranta arundinacea. The starch is used as a thickener in many foods such as puddings and sauces, and is also used in cookies and other baked goods. It is extremely bland, making it suitable for neutral diets, especially for people who are feeling nauseous. The starch is not terribly nutritious, but some people believe that it helps to soothe upset stomachs, which is why many health food stores carry arrowroot cookies. The arrowroot plant is native to the tropics of South America. It has a long history of cultivation by native peoples, who developed an extensive treatment process for extracting the usable powder from the roots. The roots are washed, scraped, beaten, soaked, pulped, and finally forced through a sieve. The liquid and fine powder which make it through the sieve are dried, leaving the useful arrowroot powder behind. When Europeans first encountered arrowroot, the Arawak Indians informed them that it was called aru-aru, meal of meals. The Indians placed a high value on the root as a food, and the Europeans duly brought it back with them along with numerous other unusual plants and animals. Arrowroot was also used medicinally, with some Indians believing that it should be placed on wounds made with poisoned arrows to draw out the toxins. The Europeans may have begun calling it arrowroot because of the perceived medicinal properties, or they may have simply corrupted aru-aru.

Health Benefits of Arrowroot

Arrowroot is a herbal plant found in rain forest habitats. Also known as obedience plant, the

health benefits of arrowroot

are wonderful. This plant was used as a staple by the old Caribbean Arawak people and was mostly found in Florida, West Indies, South Asia, Australia, Thailand and Brazil. The starch content present in arrowroot is responsible for its health benefits. The starch contains the similar substances present in potato starch or corn starch.

Listed below are the

health benefits of arrowroot:

Arrowroot is a very nutritious diet for people suffering from certain chronic diseases, especially at the time of internal irritations like bladder irritation or during recovery from illnesses. It has got demulcent properties and therefore used for treating bowel problems and also aids digestion. Arrowroot is used in place of breast milk as an alternative to help the infant adjust after weaning. Even a jelly prepared from arrowroot is used as an infant cereal to feed the child. This is an easily digestible food compared to other starches. Consuming freshly prepared arrowroot juice is a very effective antidote against vegetable poisons. Arrowroot is very beneficial in treating poisoned wounds like spider bites, snake bites and scorpion stings. It is also used to treat gangrene. It can be used as a foot powder to remove the excess moisture which may lead to athletes foot or any other foot conditions. It is not antifungal in nature and thus only used to control moisture alone. Arrowroot is a beneficial remedy to provide relief against nausea and also has the ability to replenish nutrients lost by vomiting and diarrhea.

How to Prepare Arrowroot Powder?

The arrowroots are rinsed properly and cleaned. They are washed again and completely drained. It is mashed with the help of mortars and reduced to a pulp. While beating it, a milky liquid is formed which is filtered by a clean cloth to get starch. The starch obtained is insoluble, and when dried in the sun turns to powder form. This powder form of arrowroot has got many culinary uses. It is used in biscuits, sauces, cakes, jellies, fruit pie fillings and puddings. It is also used in ice creams to prevent ice crystal formations and also for baking purposes.

Therapeutic Uses, Benefits and Claims of Arrowroot

The flavorless arrowroot is used as a non-irritating, nutritious diet for people with certain chronic diseases, during recovery from an illness, or for certain internal irritations including bladder irritation. Arrowroot has been used as an infant formula in place of breast milk or to help the baby adjust after weaning. A jelly made from arrowroot is often preferred by recently-weaned infants to infant cereal or other farinaceous foods. Compared to other starches, arrowroot is believed to be the easiest to digest.

Because of its demulcent properties, arrowroot has been used as a treatment for various bowel complaints. It is believed that arrowroot is an effective treatment against poisoned wounds, including scorpion stings, snake bites, and spider bites. Additionally, arrowroot has been used to treat gangrene. Fresh arrowroot juice mixed with water, if drank, is said to be an antidote to vegetable poisons. Arrowroot is used as an herbal remedy to alleviate nausea and to replenish nutrients lost through diarrhea and vomiting. Used as a foot powder to combat excess moisture that may lead to athletes foot or other foot problems. Arrowroot does not have antifungal properties, so its use is restricted to moisture control alone.

Dosage and Administration:

Starch can be extracted from the arrowroot tubers when the leaves whither, signaling that the plant is mature. Generally, these tubers are less than a year old. Through a pulverizing process in which the fibrous parts of the root are removed and the impurities strained out of the remaining pulp, a useful powdered starch can be extracted. For use in infant formula or those needing a non-irritating diet, boil approximately one tablespoon of arrowroot in a pint of water or milk. The resultant jelly can be seasoned in any way desired. The powder can be mixed with milk, water, or juice to take internally or it can be cooked into a number of dishes including soups and stews. The most effective dose for therapeutic purposes is unknown, though arrowroot is considered safe to take in large quantities.

Potential Side Effects of Arrowroot

As with any herbal remedy, caution should be exercised when taking arrowroot. While a doctor should always be consulted before using herbal remedies, use special caution before giving it to children, pregnant or nursing mothers, or anyone with kidney or liver disease. If considering arrowroot for an infant formula, consult the childs pediatrician first and monitor closely for allergic reactions. There are no known side effects linked to arrowroot, and it is not known to have any adverse interactions with drugs or chemicals in food. When using arrowroot to alleviate diarrhea, it should not be taken along with any other medication or supplement for diarrhea as this may lead to constipation.

Nutritional Value of Arrowroot

You might come across different tuberous plants commonly called arrowroot. The University of Florida Extension, however, says the true arrowroot is the Maranta arundinacea species. Manufacturers of gluten-free products use arrowroot flour in cookie recipes, and the starch serves as a thickener. The root is also edible raw, roasted, stewed or fried. The raw tuber is arrowroot in its most nutritious state. Much of the roots nutritional value declines after it is processed into flour.

Vitamins
Eight ounces of raw arrowroot offer 1 percent of the recommended daily intake -- RDI -- for vitamin A. Concerning the B-complex vitamins, it contains 22 percent of the RDI for thiamine, 8 percent for riboflavin and 19 percent for niacin. Vitamin A is an antioxidant that protects your cells from damage by molecules known as free radicals. The B vitamins, in general, help your body break foods down into energy. Those four nutrients are reduced to nothing when the arrowroot becomes flour. Fresh arrowroot also has 30 percent of the RDI for

vitamin B-6, 7 percent for pantothenic acid and 192 percent for folate. The flour is left with 1 percent of the RDI for B-6, 3 percent for pantothenic acid and just 4 percent for folate.

Minerals
In the mineral group, two instances exist in which the flour offers a higher nutritional value than the raw arrowroot. Calcium is 1 percent of the RDI and manganese 20 percent in 8 ounces of the fresh product. A similar amount of flour has 9 percent of the RDI for calcium and 53 percent for manganese. All the other minerals have lower values in the flour. Minerals perform different functions to keep your body thriving. Potassium, for example, sends electrical signals throughout your body to power its cells, tissues and organs. The mineral makes it possible for your heart to beat and bowels to move.

Protein
Proteins are components of every part of your body. They are also broken down continuously. Thus, it is essential to include protein-rich foods in your meals regularly to replace the discarded ones. Eight ounces of raw arrowroot provides 19 percent of the recommended daily intake for protein. The same weight of arrowroot flour gives you 1 percent of protein's RDI.

Other Values
Eight ounces of the raw root provides 148 calories. A similar weight of flour has 810 calories. The carbohydrates, including dietary fiber, also show an increase in the flour. The values jump from 10 percent of the RDI to 67 percent for carbohydrates as a group. The amount of fiber, in particular, rises from 12 percent to 31 percent of the RDI.

Name: Maranta arundinaceae Filename: Maranta_arundinaceae.jpg Description: Botanical name : Maranta arundinaceae Linn. Family : Marantaceae SANSKRIT SYNONYMS Tuvaksheeri, Tugaksheeri AYURVEDIC PROPERTIES Rasa : Madhura, Kashaya Guna : Guru, Rooksha Virya : Seeta PLANT NAME IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES English : Arrowroot, West Indian arrowroot. Hindi : Tikhor Malayalam : Koova, Vellakoova Distribution Throughout India growing wild in planes; also cultivated. PLANT DESCRIPTION An erect perennial herb grows up to 150 cm in height. Leaves simple, ovate-oblong, acute, and glazing. Flowers white in clusters in the inflorescence. Underground rhizomes are cylindrical covered with pale scales, leaving scars on falling. MEDICINAL PROPERTIES Plant pacifies vitiated vata, pitta, dysentery, diarrhea, dyspepsia, bronchitis, cough and general weakness. Starch obtained from the rhizome is an ideal food for infants, also in convalescents. Useful part : Underground rhizomes.