Kora Bulletin of the National Research Centre

https://doi.org/10.1186/s42269-019-0231-6
(2019) 43:205
Bulletin of the National
Research Centre

REVIEW Open Access

Leaves as dining plates, food wraps and

food packing material: Importance of
renewable resources in Indian culture
Aruna Jyothi Kora

Abstract
Background: The disposable plates made up of plastics such as polythene, polypropylene, polystyrene, polycarbonate,
polyvinyl chloride, etc. pose health risks due to the release of toxic chemicals; bisphenol A, melamine, vinyl chloride, and
phthalates. The usage of disposable plasticware not only depletes fossil fuels but also causes microplastics pollution. Thus,
thrust has been shifted to utilization of disposable plates made from plant leaves, which are renewable, biodegradable,
and enriched with antioxidants and medicinal values.
Results: In India, serving food on leaf dining plates is a long-standing tradition with its own cultural, religious, medicinal,
and socioeconomic significance. The leaf plate stitching is a livelihood activity for tribal people in Odisha, Madhya
Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana states of India. The leaves and leaf plates are used for offering
naivedyam to god during worship and distribution of prasadam to devotees. They are extensively used for serving food
during marriages, religious festivals, community feasts, etc. The leaves from a vast variety of plants are used as dining
plates, food wraps during steam cooking, grilling and frying of various dishes, and food packing material in India.
Conclusions: The biodegradable leaf plates have vast potential in international market, which should meet in terms of
quality and design. To sustain the practice of using leaf plates and discourage plastic plates; necessary regulations should
be imposed by the government and monitored through local governing bodies. In addition, school children and college
students should be educated and motivated to realize the importance.
Keywords: Leaves, Leaf plates, Renewable, Food wrap, Packing material, Resources

Introduction an endocrine disrupting chemical (EDC), it exhibits hor-

The disposable plates, cups, bowls, tumblers, spoons, mone mimicking properties and affects the male and fe-
bags, covers, sheets, films are made from plastics such as male fertility in humans and animals. The compound
polythene, polypropylene, polyester, polyethylene tereph- melamine is toxic and causes kidney damage. Whereas,
thalate, polystyrene, polycarbonate, epoxy resins, poly- polystyrene, one of the most used plastics, is non-
sulfone, polyvinyl chloride, polyvinylidene chloride, and biodegradable, photooxidation-resistant, cancer suspect
melamine formaldehyde. These plastics can release toxic agent, and also affects the thyroid hormone levels. The
substances including bisphenol A, melamine, vinyl chlor- phthalates used as plasticizers to improve the flexibility,
ide, phthalates, etc. into the food during usage. For ex- transparency and durability of polyvinyl chloride (PVC)
ample, bisphenol A, a starting material for the synthesis are classified under EDC and affect hormone levels, male
of plastics such as polycarbonate, epoxy resins, and poly- fertility and cause birth defects. They are also metabolic
sulfone, is a possible carcinogen and causes prostrate disruptors and possible carcinogens. The vinyl chloride
and breast cancers, insulin resistance, and heart diseases monomer, a precursor to PVC, is also a recognized hu-
(Today 2017). It is classified as xenoestrogen and being man carcinogen. Notably, most of these plastics are pro-
duced from nonrenewable fossil fuels such as petroleum
or natural gas, which are going to be exhausted with in-
Correspondence: [email protected]
National Centre for Compositional Characterisation of Materials (NCCCM),
creasing demand and show definitive impact on human
Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, ECIL PO, Hyderabad 500 062, India health and environment. The carbon emissions released
© The Author(s). 2019 Open Access This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0
International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and
reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to
the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made.
Kora Bulletin of the National Research Centre (2019) 43:205 Page 2 of 15

from incineration of plastics such as dioxins and furans further pressed into thick plates by heat pressing ma-
are toxic, carcinogenic and persistent organic pollutants chines, which are procured by the commission agents,
(POPs). Another important aspect is the microplastics dealers and traders. The amenability of leaves to ma-
pollution in marine environment which is caused by chine compression depends upon unfurling nature, fi-
durable, persistent, slow-degrading plastic fragments of brous content mechanical strength, type, and venation
less than 5 mm length; leading to its accumulation orientation of the leaves. Among the locally available re-
within the food chain of oceans and seas. They also act sources, leaves from sal, addaku, and palasa are amen-
as a sink for other POPs surrounding them, while the in- able for commercial leaf plate making. The pedal-
gestion of plastic bags and covers by stray cows and cat- operated and hydraulic heat pressing plate making ma-
tle leads to their accumulation in gut and causes chines perform the function of molding, trimming,
subsequent death (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plastic pressing, and drying of the product. The machines are
2018; Today 2017; Venkata Ramana 2018). It is alarming widely used in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana,
that India generates around 26, 000 tonnes of plastic Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh. The plates
waste a day and each Indian consumes 11 kg of plastic are made into water and leak proof by sandwiching a
annually (Seetharaman 2019). low-density polyethylene (LDPE)-binding layer in be-
tween the leaves and the underlying cardboard paper or
Environmental importance of leaf plates leaves. The cardboard paper is generally made from cot-
The impact of disposable plasticware utilization in our ton and old cloths. The leaf plates are available in the
day to day has led to a search for alternate renewable re- size of 11–18” diameter; cups and bowls in the size of
source, i.e., use of plant leaves as dining plates and food 3–8” diameter; partitioned trays and buffet plates based
wraps, a traditional practice in India. The long-standing on market and customer requirement, as there is no
tradition has its own cultural, religious, medicinal, socio- fixed standard set by the Bureau of Indian Standards
economic importance in India. The leaves are one of the (BIS). The cups are used for serving liquid food items
non-timers forest produce (NTFP) and collected from such as soups, cereals, raita, and dal. Under Chapter 46,
the forests by the tribal people of India. The plates and based on government decision, there is no levied goods
cups made out of leaves are known as patravali, pattal, and services tax (GST) on these products, which an in-
vistari, vistaraku; and done, dona, respectively, in various direct tax levied on the supply of goods and services in
Indian languages. The leaf plates are environment India. Moreover, the establishment of this industry does
friendly, biodegradable, amenable for longer duration not require clearance from local pollution control
storage and can be easily disposed off. They are econom- agency such as State Pollution Control Board. For the
ical and don’t require cleaning with phosphate-rich regeneration of leaves and sustenance of forest cover,
soaps and detergents, a time taking, labor intensive the state governments restrict the leaf collection to 4–6
process. The nutrient-rich detergents released into the months in a year. The age-old Indian tradition of leaf
water bodies lead to a phenomenon known as eutrophi- plates has attracted the attention of European market
cation, in which excessive growth of algae and its anaer- and a German company; Leaf Republic is manufacturing
obic decomposition depletes dissolved oxygen leading to and importing both the finished goods and raw material
fish kill (Sarin, 2017). The leaves exhibit significant anti- by interacting with the local tribal people of India. The
bacterial and antifungal properties against various bac- leaf scrap waste generated during the operation of the
teria and fungi, thus protect us from the environmental machines can be made into biodegradable paper by
and food borne pathogens (Sahu and Padhy 2013). The repulpation, which is cost-effective. (Leaf cups 2018; Raj
abundance of polyphenols, which could probably be lea- 2018; Singh 2018; Tangar 2017; Vasundhara, 2018;
ched into the food make them as ideal natural antioxi- Venkata Ramana 2018).
dants (Somayaji and Hegde 2016).
Cultural and religious significance of leaf plates in
Leaf plate trade in India India
The normal steps involved in leaf plate making are leaf There are many ways of worshipping gods for Hindus,
collection, leaf drying, hand or machine stitching into in which puja is the most popular form. The puja is per-
plates and bundling for transport. Usually, the leaf col- formed by offering shodopachara, i.e., a standard system
lection from nearby forests is done by women and far of 16 services to be executed to the god at temples and
distance by men. But, the stitching work is carried out homes. Among the 16 services, offering naivedyam is
mostly by women at home. The plates are manufactured one of the forms of expressing reverence and naivedyam
in small scale and cottage industries. The single-layered is offered to the god either on a single broad leaf or plate
hand and sewing machine stitched plates known as khali made up of leaves (Tortora 2014). After offering the nai-
are directly used by the consumers for dining purpose or vedyam to the deity, it becomes prasadam that is
Kora Bulletin of the National Research Centre (2019) 43:205 Page 3 of 15

distributed on god’s name to the devotees. It is a popular and used in Ayurveda and Unani for treating ulcers,
belief that eating prasadam cures the diseases and con- wounds, leprosy, earache, and headache. The leaves are
trols the wrongdoing acts of humans. According to rich source of various flavonoids and exhibit antiobesitic,
Acharya Charaka, the leaves are extremely modest and anti-inflammatory, antinociceptive, antibacterial, antipyr-
during the practice of eating food on leaf plate with etic, analgesic, antihelminthic, alexiteric, and wound
hands, the sparsh (touch) connects all the sense organs healing activities (Merish et al. 2014).
with mind. The practice of eating with hands by sitting The fresh leaves are used for serving small snacks such
on the floor is very apt for the present generation for as boiled lentils and the sun dried leaves are stitched to-
controlling gastritis and obesity (Hegde et al. 2018). gether using grass stem sticks or sewing machine to pro-
The custom of serving meal on leaves and leaf plates is duce leaf plates (khali) and leaf bowls (dona). The leaf
considered as pure and good practice during various oc- plates are used for serving meals during domestic and
casions such as marriages and birth day; and free food ceremonial occasions. In the temple of Lord Jagannath
offered during community feasts and religious festivals. located at Puri, Odisha, the mahaprasad is served to the
For example, during dham, the food is served in leaf devotees in sal leaf plates in Anand Bazar. The used
plates for people sitting in lines on the ground. The plates serve as a meal for the goats and cattle roaming in
dham is a popular, traditional feast prepared during the streets. The leaf cups are routinely used for serving
marriages and local festivals in Himachal Pradesh in prasadam to the devotees in temples; and also pani puri,
which nutritionally rich food cooked in a traditional way chat, and ragda pattice at roadside eateries [Fig. 1(a)].
is served. It symbolizes the universal brotherhood, as As the sal forest of Odisha occupies around 30% of total
people seated in lines irrespective of their status during sal forests in India, it is one of the revenue-generating
such traditional feasts (Tanwar et al. 2018). Also, in the activities for the landless, marginal, and forest-
month of Karthika and during Ayyappa deeksha, it is dependent tribal people living in the Sundargarh,
customary to use leaves and leaf plates for serving food. Mayurbhanj, Kendujhar, Kandhmal, Debagarh, Naya-
During deeksha period, the devotees offer naivedyam to garh, Balasore, and Sambalpur districts of Odisha. Due
god Ayyappa in leaf plates, take satvika (non-stimulat- to the absence of legal restrictions, round the year leaf
ing, energy providing) food served on leaf platters and availability, and occurrence of traditional knowledge in
distribute prasadam in leaf plates and cups. In olden leaf plate making, the local people adopted this occupa-
days, the leaves are extensively used for packing break- tion, as a source of income. The final product, i.e., ma-
fast, meals, and groceries and the practice is continued chine pressed plates are exported to the states of Andhra
in villages even now. Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh,
Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Gujarat through railways
Varieties of plant leaves employed as plates, and roadways (Dash 2015; Singh 2018; Vasundhara, 2018).
wraps, and packing material in India
Plant and tree leaves belonging to a variety of families of Phanera vahlii
the plant kingdom are used as single leaf plates, stitched The plant is known with local names addaku, mada-
dining leaf plates, food wraps, and food packing mate- paku, and siali in different Indian languages. It is a giant,
rials. The current review provides information on plant wild, woody, perennial climber belongs to the family
local names, their distribution, cultural and religious sig- Caesalpiniaceae, a native tree of Indian subcontinent;
nificance, medicinal values, biological properties, and ap- India, Nepal, Myanmar, Thailand, China, Vietnam, Laos,
plications of leaves with specific reference to dining, Cambodia, and Pakistan. It is widely distributed in the
wrapping, and packaging. forest areas of Indian states such as Odisha, Andhra Pra-
desh, West Bengal, Telangana, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu,
Shorea robusta Maharashtra, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Ra-
It is known as sal, meaning house in Sanskrit language jasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Assam,
and saluva, dammar, and ral in other Indian languages. Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Meg-
It is a large, deciduous, highly regenerating, high timber halaya, Himachal Pradesh, and Jammu and Kashmir.
valued tree belongs to the family Dipterocarpaceae. It The leaves are bilobed, 10–46 cm long, rich in various
has religious importance for Hindus, Jains, and Bud- quercetin flavonoids and known to exhibit antibacterial,
dhists. It is a native tree of Indian subcontinent and dis- antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-
tributed in India, Myanmar, Nepal, Bangladesh, and diabetic effects [Fig. 1(b)] (Chouhan and Saklani 2013).
Bhutan. It is extended in Odisha, West Bengal, Bihar, The shade dried leaves in 4–5 numbers are hand and
Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, machine stitched into round plates using grass stem
Assam, Tripura, Andhra Pradesh, and Himachal Pradesh sticks and thread, respectively [Fig. 1(c-d)]. These leaf
states of India. The leaves are of 10–25 × 5–15 cm size plates are extensively used as meal plates in houses,
Kora Bulletin of the National Research Centre (2019) 43:205 Page 4 of 15

Fig. 1 a The machine compressed cup made from the leaves of sal, S. robusta, (b) the bilobed leaf of addaku, P. vahlii, (c) the hand stitched and
(d) machine compressed dining plates made from the leaves of addaku, (e) the leaves of moduga, B. monosperma, (f) the hand stitched and (g)
machine compressed dining plates made from the leaves of moduga

hotels, and religious ceremonies, festivals, weddings, self-help groups and forming cooperative societies for
community feasts and also in occasions where food is increasing the income of the local village tribal people
served for a large number of people (Chouhan and Sak- by ensuring higher profit margins. It is done by provid-
lani 2013). It is common a practice in villages to use the ing training, technology; market linkages with wholesale
leaves as packing material for cooked food such as idli, buyers and upgrading product quality. The finished
sweets like jilebi; and meat in small hotels and butcher product is exported by the wholesalers to other states
shops, respectively. The cone-shaped leaf wraps are used such as Maharashtra, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya
during the steam cooking of millet flour idli, named as Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Rajasthan, and Chhat-
vasenapoli at the local eatery outlets of Visakhapatnam tisgarh. It is estimated that sal and siali leaf trade in
city of Andhra Pradesh state. The food wraps not only Odisha is around Rupees 400 crores every year (Sahu
enhances the aroma of the steam cooked food but also 2015; Shriya 2009). Based on the Paris agreement on cli-
the shelf life (Raju 2018). They are also made into cups mate change, the developed nations in Europe are shift-
and bowls for serving the liquid foods such as soup, dal, ing to biodegradable products. As a part of this initiate,
and ice cream. In Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh high-end restaurants are serving food to their customers
state, the hand oven cups are often used for serving in biodegradable siali pates, sourced from tribal women
honey along with sajja rotte by the Chenchu tribes of of Odisha by Leaf Republic (Abraham, 2016).
Nallamala forest at the roadside eateries. The sale of
prasadam such as godhuma ravva kesari in addaku leaf Butea monosperma
packing is a traditional and continuing practice at the It is known as flame of the forest and moduga, palasa,
temple of Sri Satyanarayana Swamy located at Anna- and palash in various Indian languages. It is a medium
varam, Andhra Pradesh (http://annavaramdevasthanam.- sized, deciduous, drought, and frost-resistant tree; adapted
nic.in/prasadam.htm 2018). to grow extensively in poor soils of open plains, grass-
In Odisha state, the plate making activity with siali lands, and wastelands in the dry seasons. It belongs to the
leaves is one of the most important socioeconomic activ- family Fabaceae, a native tree of tropical and subtropical
ities for the people in the forest villages of Kandhamal, climate of Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asian
Koraput, Malkangiri, Rayagada, Angul, and Debagarh countries such as India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal,
districts. It is especially a means of subsistence for the Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, and
rural women in tribal dominated districts of Odisha and Indonesia. In India, it is abundant in the states of Jhar-
Paderu forest division of Visakhapatnam district of khand, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, West Bengal, Maha-
Andhra Pradesh. In comparison with sal, siali leaves are rashtra, Kerala, and Punjab. It is a sacred tree for Hindus
the preferred raw material due to the large size and dur- and Buddhists, and the leaves are trifoliate, pinnate,
ability of the leaf. As the leaves are critical source of the and 10–15 cm long [Fig. 1(e)] (Prasad et al. 2006).
income, the tribal people protect and nurture the siali The various parts of the tree such as leaves, stem,
climbers. Some of the non-governmental organizations bark, flowers, gum, and seeds are extensively used in
(NGOs) such as Pradan, etc. are collating the makers as Ayurveda due to their medicinal values. The leaves
Kora Bulletin of the National Research Centre (2019) 43:205 Page 5 of 15

are known to possess myriad of properties such as pakku, kamugu, and gua in various Indian languages. It
antihelminthic, antidiarrheal, antidiabetic, antihyperli- is a medium-sized, single-trunked, tropical palm with a
pidemic, anti-inflammatory, antiulcer, antitumor, anti- slender, erect, unbranched solitary stem and belongs to
bacterial, antifungal, antimicrobial, antioxidant, antifilarial, the family Aracaceae. It has widespread cultivation in
anticonvulsant, antinociceptive, anticlastogenic, anti- China, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Thailand,
stress, antiamnesic, nephroprotective, wound healing, and Vietnam, West Indies, and Indonesia. The leaves are
sunscreen activities. The leaf blades are employed as tonic, long and palmate and sized around 1.5–2 m. The
diuretic, appetizer, carminative, astringent, noortropic, sheaths of the leaves encircle the stem by forming a pro-
and aphrodisiac agents. It is also utilized for the treatment tective layer around it. The sheaths are oblong in shape
of various ailments including elephantiasis, eye diseases, and have varying length of 65–111 cm, width of 23–33
skin disorders, stomach disorders, flatulent colic, irregular cm, and thickness of 2.5–5.25 mm [Fig. 2(a)]. The
menstrual bleeding, hemorrhoids, diabetic sore throat, sheaths exhibit good tensile strength and low calorific
cough, cold, etc. The leaves are enriched with various bio- value and composed of cellulose, hemicelluloses, lignin,
molecules such as glycosides, steroids, flavonoids, alka- pectin, and fiber. The wet sheaths are used as an alterna-
loids, tannins, polyphenols, starch, carbohydrates, and tive fodder for cattle, while the dry sheaths are used as
proteins; and linoleic, oleic, palmitic, and lignoceric acids fire wood by the farmers. The trees are usually grown in
(Mengi and Deshpande 1999; Sahu and Padhy 2013; the hilly areas without any input of fertilizer and pesti-
Somayaji and Hegde 2016). cides. The leaf sheaths abundantly available in the states
In the states of Odisha, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Assam are used for making
and Telangana, the plates (vistari) and cups (dona) made disposable plates and cups [Fig. 2(b)]. The naturally
of dried leaves are widely used for serving food and fallen, thick sheaths are collected; water washed, soaked
meals for people during rural feasts and also offering in hot water, and hot compressed to fabricate plates and
naivedyam to various gods and distribution of prasadam cups. Among the other leaf plates, they are rigid, dense,
to deities during festival and religious ceremonies [Fig. heat-tolerant, and high quality. They are leak proof,
1(f-g)] . It is believed that by eating the food served on
moduga leaves keeps the person away from liver disor-
ders, skin diseases and cancer (Today 2017). The tribal
people from the Adilabad district of Telangana state pre-
pare the handmade, wheat dough rotis on these leaf sur-
faces and offer in as naivedyam in moduga leaves to the
worshipping god Bheemanna, a principal deity of the
tribe. The grilled rotis are considered as prasadam and
eaten by the tribals in the forests as vana bhojanam.
Such practice of grilling bread on moduga leaves, offer-
ing to god and eating cooked rice, and drinking water in
moduga leaves is followed throughout the month of
April, as they considered it as a healthy way of living
(Prasad 2018). The leaves also serve as a packing mater-
ial for closing the side of bamboo stick during the gril-
ling of bongu chicken, a cholesterol-free chicken dish
prepared by the tribes of Visakhapatnam district of
Andhra Pradesh state. It is important to note that the
nutrient-rich, leathery leaves are good fodder for buffa-
loes. The tree is known to improve the soil fertility by
increasing the soil organic carbon via faster decompos-
ition of nutrient-rich leaf litter. It is one of the main host
trees for the lac insect (Laccifer lacca) and pruned trees
are the ideal candidates for lac cultivation. Hence, the
leaf plucking is done in an environment-friendly process
without causing damage to the tree (Rai et al. 2016).

Areca catechu
Fig. 2 a The leaf sheath of vakka, A. catechu and (b) the machine
It is known as areca palm, areca nut palm, beetle nut
compressed dining plate made from the leaf sheath of vakka
palm in English, and vakka, adakka, adike, puga, supari,
Kora Bulletin of the National Research Centre (2019) 43:205 Page 6 of 15

water resistant, odorless; freezer, microwave, and oven diseases. The leaf blades are also used as dressing mater-
safe; naturally biodegradable and compostable. In terms of ial for covering the body surfaces of burn wood patients
food safety, they are safe to use with moist food for single due to its cooling effect (Hegde et al. 2018; Imam and
use and for multiple times for dry food. The leaf plates Akter 2011; Swathi et al., 2011; Today 2017).
and cups are also used for holding cold and hot liquids, as In India, serving food or meal on banana leaf is a long-
they exhibit thermal resistance and shape rigidity. In standing unique tradition, especially in the southern
addition, they are durable, appear wood like as the texture states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pra-
of the plate provides esthetic and natural look and used desh, and Telangana. It is a healthy, traditional, and aus-
for outdoor occasions such as picnics (Goyal, 2018; picious practice to serve meal on banana leaves during
Selvakumar, 2018; Shashikumar et al. 2016). festivals, family functions, weddings, traditional feasts,
and religious occasions. The banana leaves are the favor-
Musa × paradisiaca ite as dining plates among other due to the abundance
The banana plant is known as kadali, arati, and kela in of polyphenols, which act as antioxidants and help in di-
several Indian languages. It is a tropical, cormed, pseudo gestion of the food by emanating its ingredients such as
stemmed, herbaceous plant belonging to the family vitamin C and potassium during hot food serving. Most
Musaceae. It is native to Indo-Malaysia; and Australia, importantly, the large blade size of the leaf accommo-
India, and China are the largest producers of banana in dates multi course meal such as rice, curries, chutney,
the world. It is regarded as kalpataru, a plant with all pachadi, sweet dish, etc. The inexhaustible leaves are
virtues due to the multipurpose use of all its parts. The water and leak proof; free from detergent residues and
leaves are large, flexible, water proof, and sized around provide specific flavor and aroma after serving the
2.7 × 0.6 m [Fig. 3(a)]. The leaves are rich source of steamy food. Moreover, the disposed biodegradable
polyphenols, flavonoids, fiber, carbohydrates, tannins, leaves are favorite meal for cows and buffalos. The meal
vitamin C, enzymes, and potassium. The leaves show served on banana leaf should be eaten with hands by sit-
antioxidant, antidiabetic, aphrodisiac, antibacterial, anti- ting on the floor, which is traditional way during vindu
fungal, and anticancer activities. It is reported that the bhojanam and sadhya, a banquet served during mar-
leaves purifies blood, boosts immune system, stimulates riages and festive and ceremonial occasions. In some of
appetite, aids in food digestion, chlorophyll soothes the the restaurants in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, it is
mucus lining, prevents from intestinal ulcers, and pro- mandatory to serve the food on banana leaves. During the
tects from skin diseases. The leaves are used for treating festival of Ganesh Chaturthi, people from Maharashtra eat
skin problems such as wounds, rashes, irritation, eczema, food served on banana leaves. Most importantly, the prac-
dandruff, sun burn, poisonous insect bites, bee stings, tice is considered sacred by offering naivedyam on banana
spider bites, cough, bronchitis, hyper tension, gout, kid- leaves to various gods and goddesses [Fig. 3(b)]. The
ney stones, bladder-related diseases, piles, and heart leaves are often used to distribute prasadam to devotees, a

Fig. 3 a The leaf of banana, M. paradisiaca, (b) naivedyam offered to god Ganesha on banana leaf during the festival of Ganesh Chaturthi and (c)
the utilization of banana leaf blade as a non-adherent surface for spreading the batter of gaare before oil frying
Kora Bulletin of the National Research Centre (2019) 43:205 Page 7 of 15

common practice in Hindu temples. Notably, the maha- are used for leaf harvesting purpose. Usually the dual
prasad of Lord Jagannath, Puri should be eaten sitting on purpose, commercial cultivars used is poovan, monthan,
the floor, served on banana leaf, which is regarded as a peyan sakkai, and karpuravalli. Also, considerable re-
golden plate. The large and flexible leaves are amenable search on germplasm has been done at National Re-
for cutting, and blades of different sizes are used as plate search Centre for Banana (NRCB), Tiruchirappalli for
liners and table decors. The leaves are used as packing recognizing and developing banana varieties with desir-
material for cooked food such as rice, as they seal the able characters such as (i) production of large number of
moisture and flavor of the food by acting as a foil, for ex- quality leaves in given span of time, (ii) production of
ample, pothichoru, a parcel of take away meal in which soft and flexible leaves, (iii) generation of marketable
many dishes are typically covered in blanched banana quality leaves free from leaf spot diseases, and (iv) pro-
leaves, which can be consumed latter. In olden days, it is a fuse suckering habit. Based on these criteria, the culti-
traditional practice of carrying pothichoru to schools, col- vars NRCB selection-1, borkal basta, and elaivazhai
leges, and offices in Kerala, when lunch boxes are not were proven to be the suitable varieties for the leaf in-
popular. Also, packing of parotta and chicken and mutton dustry. The cultivar elaivazhai is a wild, diploid, non-
curry in banana leaves is a practice in some restaurants in edible, seeded variety originated from Musa balbisiana,
Kerala. The local flower sellers also use them for packing grown extensively in the backyards of rural households
flowers by tying with natural plant fibers. The leaf cones in Western Ghats of Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu
are used for serving savories, salads, cooked lentils, and for dining plates in daily life, while the borkal basta is
roasted pulses. The leaves are also used as wrappers for another promising high yielding, backyard cultivar from
food that can be steamed, baked, roasted, and grilled, in North-East states of India (Uma 2008; Uma et al. 2018).
which the packed ingredients are protected from the dir-
ect flame burning along with flavor addition from the Nelumbo nucifera
leaves. They are used as wrappers during the steam cook- The lotus plant is known as tamara, kamal, padma,
ing of elayada, a traditional sweet dish from Kerala. In pankaja, etc. in various Indian languages. It is an
West Bengal, the leaves are used during steam cooking aquatic, perennial herb that belongs to the family,
and grilling of macher paturi, in which marinated and sea- Nelumbonaceae. It is considered as sacred water lily in
soned boneless fish is wrapped inside a banana leaf. Some- Hindu and Buddhist religions. It is a native plant of
times, they are also used as fresh, organic frying pans India, Sri Lanka, China, Japan, and Vietnam and widely
while making thath bakri, a Mangalorean catholic cuisine distributed in Russia, New Guinea, and Australia. In
and also used as a wrap during the roasting of rice panki, India, its distribution ranges from central, northern, to
a savory from Gujarat. The leaves are used as a non- southern India. The lotus flower is the national flower of
adherent surface for spreading the batter of gaare before India and Vietnam. The leaves are peltate, circular in
oil frying [Fig. 3(c)]. The dried leaves are used for food shape; size varies from 20–90 cm in diameter and found
packing and making cups to hold liquid foods. In West as floating or aerial blades in water bodies such as
Bengal, the leaves of banana is an essential part of Nava- ponds, lakes, and water gardens [Fig. 4(a)]. The leaves
patrika (9 leaves), which are worshipped during the Sap- exhibit ultra-hydrophobicity, popularly known as lotus leaf
tami day of Navaratri Durga Puja festival, representing effect due to the presence of dense, waxy cuticle layer on
the nine different forms of goddess Durga. Among the 9 the leaf surface. According to Karma Sanyasa Yoga de-
leaves, the banana leaf represents goddess Brahmani scribed in Chapter 5 of Bhagavad Gita, the leaf is consid-
(Hegde et al. 2018; Rajkumar, 2014; Sarin, 2017; Tankha, ered as a symbol of purity and sanctity due to its self-
2002; Today 2017) cleaning, water proofing, and hydrophobic properties. The
The production of banana leaves as dining plates is leaves contain various alkaloids, flavonoids, steroids, and
commercial trade in the states of Tamil Nadu, Karna- glycosides and exhibit various activities such as antibacter-
taka, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh, as a result of standard- ial, anti-HIV, antifungal, anticancer, antidiabetic, antiobesi-
ized practices and organized marketing channels. The tic, anti-inflammatory, antimalarial, antimutagenic,
estimated annual turnover of the leaf industry is about antioxidant, antipyretic, antispasmodic, aphrodisiac, astrin-
Rupees 100 crore. It has gained importance mainly due gent, cytoprotective, hepatoprotective, hypolipidemic,
to its traditional, cultural, religious, and ecological value; hypotensive, and expectorant properties. According to
yearlong continuous demand for the leaves, sustained in- Sutrasthana, the first chapter of Charaka Samhita, the
come source for many marginal farming families, ability fresh leaves are known to possess coolant, bitter, diuretic,
to act as a buffer during the price fluctuation in fruit and astringent activities. Being a coolant, it is used for burn-
trade, and the applicability to garden, wet and high land ing sensation removal during the swedana, sweating treat-
production systems. The main plant crop is for the ment. Also, in Ayurveda, it is utilized for treating excessive
bunch production, whereas the first and second ratoons thirst, dysuria, piles, fistula, fatty liver, bleeding disorders,
Kora Bulletin of the National Research Centre (2019) 43:205 Page 8 of 15

Fig. 4 a The leaf of lotus, N. nucifera, (b) the application of lotus leaf for packing meat, (c) the leaves of Indian badam, T. catappa, (d) the hand
stitched dining plate made from the leaves of Indian badam, (e) the leaves of teku, T. grandis and (f) the hand stitched dining plate made from
the leaves of teku

and blood detoxification (Hebbar 2015). The leaves are Tectona grandis
used as wrappers during steam cooking and wrapping the It is known as teku, tekku, sagun, sag in various Indian lan-
food ingredients attaches a distinctive flavor, earthy aroma, guages. The teak is a large, tropical, hardwood, deciduous
and taste to the dish via infusion of the leaf contents. The tree that belongs to the family Lamiaceae and naturally dis-
fresh and dried lotus leaves are also used for offering naive- tributed in the Indian subcontinent; Myanmar, Sri Lanka,
dyam to gods. The leaves are used a wrapper for the Indonesia, Malaysia, Bangladesh, and Thailand. It is abun-
cooked food and packing meat, sweets, and flowers dantly distributed in the states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka,
[Fig. 4(b)] (Mishra, 2014). The leaf powder acts as an Kerala, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra,
oxidation retardant during the refrigerated storage of Rajasthan, Bihar, and Telangana. The leaves are large,
cooked food (Choe et al. 2011). rough, broadly ovate to elliptic and sized around 8–60 ×
15–30 cm [Fig. 4(e)]. The leaf extract is extensively used in
Terminalia catappa folklore medicine for curing burn wounds; and alleviating
The Indian almond is a medium sized, tropical tree that be- vata and kapha; and for treating ascites, abdominal tumors,
longs to the family of Combretaceae and known as badam and dyspnea. The leaves contain carbohydrates, protein,
in various Indian languages. It is native to tropical areas crude fiber, calcium, phosphorous, dyes, alkaloids, tannins,
such as Asia, Australia, and Africa. The ovoid shaped leaves saponins, and sterol and exhibit antibacterial, antiheamoly-
are 15–25 cm long and abundant in various polyphenols, tic anemic, antioxidant, diuretic, wound healing, slimming,
flavonoids, tannins, saponins, and phytosterols [Fig. 4(c)]. and gastroprotective activities (Hegde et al. 2018; Nidavani
The leaves are known for their anti-inflammatory, antibac- and A, 2014; Sachan et al. 2014). The teak leaf cups are
terial, antifungal, antiviral, antioxidant, antidiabetic, antican- used for serving liquid food items such as soups, cereals,
cer, anticlastogenic, and hepatoprotective properties. In raita, and dal. The leaves are also used as plates for serving
Indian folk medicine, the leaves are used for dressing food to the agriculture labor engaged during farming activ-
rheumatic joints and curing various skin ailments such as ity in Prakasam district of Andhra Pradesh [Fig. 4(f)]. The
scabies, leprosy; diarrhea, and fever (Muhammad and Mudi leaves are also used as food wraps for specific color and
2011; Terças et al. 2017). The fresh leaves are hand stitched aroma impartation during the steam cooking of jackfruit
into plates and used for serving food [Fig. 4(d)]. In olden idli known as pelakai gatti, a sweet dish made in the costal
days, making plates out of badam leaves is a leisure time districts of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi of Karnataka state
hobby for women in villages to generate revenues. As the (Culinary creations-Jackfruit idli, 2018).
leaves symbolize energy, eating food in these plates protects
the persons from kidney, liver, and throat disorders. They Pterospermum acerifolium
are also employed as food wraps during steam cooking of It is commonly known as kanak champa in various Indian
badam leaf kudubu, a recipe from Udupi cuisine of Karna- languages, due to its large sized, nocturnal, white colored,
taka state (Today 2017). extremely fragrant flowers which attract pollinating moths.
Kora Bulletin of the National Research Centre (2019) 43:205 Page 9 of 15

It is a tropical, ever green, ornamental, landscaping tree that kadubu, and kumbilappam [Fig. 5(d-e)]; and casing ma-
belongs to the family Sterculiaceae, a native tree of Indian terial for baking dishes in the states of Karnataka, Goa,
origin and found in Myanmar, Thailand, Philippines, and Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, and Maharashtra. In Kerala, the
Java. It is distributed in the states of Himachal Pradesh, leaf cones known as plavila kori are also used as spoons
Chandigarh, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal, for drinking kanji, a rice starch soup [Fig. 5(b)] (Sidhu
Sikkim, Meghalaya, and Manipur. In folk medicine, the 2012; Today 2017).
leaves are used for treating wounds, itches, fever, menor-
rhagia, and puerperium. The leaves are simple, very broad, Ficus bengalensis
peltate, shallow lobed, palmately ribbed, and sized around The banyan tree is commonly known as vata, bar, etc.
40 × 40 cm. They resemble either maple leaves or elephant in various Indian languages. It is a large, hardy, ever-
pugmark shape. Notably, the broad and dense leaves release green, drought resistant, fig tree; characterized by aerial
the maximum amount of oxygen into the atmosphere. The prop roots and belongs to the family Moraceace. It is
leaves contain various bioactive molecules such as glyco- considered as a scared tree by the Hindus in India, and
sides, flavonoids, tannins, steroids, triterpenes, saponins, often, shrines and temples are constructed beneath the
and alkaloids and demonstrate various properties such as tree. Due to its characteristic longevity, it is considered
anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, antimitotic, antioxidant, as immortal and exemplified as a symbol of eternal life,
antihelminthic, anticancer, and hepatoprotective activities. peace, and harmony. Due to its large sized canopy, it is
The leaves are used for serving food, making disposable grown in temples, gardens, and roadsides to provide
plates, packaging and storing material, and fodder. They are shade for visitors, community worship, and cultural ac-
also woven into dinner plates and bowls either by stitching tivities. It was planted in large numbers by the kings
with twigs or molding. Because of its large sized leaf blade, along the pilgrimage and trade routes for shade and
it earned the name dinner plate tree. They are also used for shelter to the pilgrims and distance travelers. It acts as a
reinforcement and leakage prevention of roofs, and as tin- rural establishment by providing a peaceful environment
der for lighting fires (Chatterjee et al. 2012; Kapoor, 2018). for human interactions, village meetings, and govern-
ment announcements. The national tree of India is en-
Artocarpus heterophyllus demic to India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. It is
It is known as panasa, chakka, phanas, etc. in various found throughout the India from sub-Himalayan region
Indian languages. The jackfruit is medium sized to large, to deciduous forests of Deccan and south India. Various
evergreen, native tree of South and Southeast Asia and plant parts such as bark, fruits, aerial roots, vegetative
originated from the rainforests of Western Ghats of bubs, leaves, prop roots, and latex are extensively used
India. It belongs to Moraceace family and cultivated in in the prevention and treatment of different disorders in
the countries including India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, indigenous system of medicine; Ayurveda, Siddha,
Thailand, Nepal, Vietnam, China, Philippines, Indonesia, Unani, and homeopathy. The leaves are leathery, stout,
Malaysia, and Sri Lanka. In India, it is widely cultivated entire, ovate to elliptic, 10–20 × 8–20 cm, apex obtuse,
in the states of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra stalked, and reticular pinnately venated [Fig. 6(a)]. The
Pradesh, Assam, Tripura, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh. The leaves contain various flavonoids, terpenoids, and triter-
plant parts such as leaves, latex, bark, stem, inflores- penes and used for treating ulcers, leprosy, skin allergies,
cence, and seeds are used in traditional medicine. The abscesses, diarrhea, hemorrhages, bleeding piles, fevers,
elliptical shaped leaves are 4–25 cm in length, acutely dysentery, etc. The leaves show astringent, antibacterial,
tipped, leathery [Fig. 5(a)] and utilized for the treatment anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, analgesic, antioxidant,
of asthma, ringworm infestation, cracked heals, diabetes, hypotensive, and wound healing activities. The leaves are
gall stones, etc. They are known to induce lactation in used for making disposable plates and wrapping food
women and domestic animals. The phylloplanes exhibit [Fig. 6(b)]. It is also one of the host trees for the lac in-
a myriad of activities including antibacterial, antifungal, sects (Chaudhari et al. 2014; Chaudhary et al. 2015;
antimicrobial, anticariogenic, antisyphilitic, antidiabetic, Kothapalli et al. 2014;; Vora, 1969).
wound healing, antihelminthic, and dye adsorption prop-
erties. The leaves are the favorite feed for cattle and Ficus religiosa
other livestock. The fresh leaves are stitched together to The sacred fig is known as aswatha, bodhi, bo, peepal,
make round, single use, disposable plates [Fig. 5(c)]. The and raavi in various Indian languages and belongs to the
habit of eating food on jackfruit leaf plates enhances di- family Moraceace. It is a large, perennial, fast-growing,
gestion of the taken food and relieves the pitta dosha long-living, highly adaptable, widely branched, season
from the body. Also, the leaves are used as a wrapping deciduous, or semi ever green tree and native to Indian
in the form of hand woven baskets for steam cooking of subcontinent and Indo-China. It is one of the sacred
panasa buttalu, Andhra pottikkalu, kottekkalu, idli, kotte trees worshipped by Hindus, exemplified from the
Kora Bulletin of the National Research Centre (2019) 43:205 Page 10 of 15

Fig. 5 a The leaves of jackfruit, A. heterophyllus, (b) the cones, plavila kori made with the jackfruit leaves are used as spoons for drinking kanji, (c)
the hand stitched dining plate made from the leaves of jackfruit, (d) the hand woven jackfruit leaf baskets, panasa buttalu and (e) the steam
cooked Andhra pottikkalu in leaf baskets.

Fig. 6 a The leaves of banyan, F. bengalensis, (b) the hand stitched dining plate made from the leaves of banyan, (c) the leaves of aswatha, F. religiosa, (d) the
hand stitched dining plate made from the leaves of aswatha, (e) the leaves of juvvi, F. virens and (f) the hand stitched dining plate made from the leaves of juvvi
Kora Bulletin of the National Research Centre (2019) 43:205 Page 11 of 15

discovered seal at Mohenjo-Daro city of Indus valley Manipur, Meghalaya, Assam, Karnataka, and Himachal
civilization (3000–7000 BC). As a mark of worship and Pradesh. The leaves are big, cordate, undulate, obtuse,
salutation, Hindu and Jain Sadhus meditate beneath the gritty, sand paper textured, heavily veined (5-7) from the
tree, and Hindu devotees perform pradakshina around leaf base and sized around 30-44 × 40-45 cm. The leaves
the tree, as it is the king of all trees. The tree is a habitat contain phenolics, tannins, steroids, flavonoids, glyco-
for birds, insects and provides shade to humans and ani- sides, saponins and triterpenoids and used for treating
mals. It is a sacred fig for Buddhists, as Gautama Bud- diabetes, diarrhoea, dysentery, and wounds. They dem-
dha attained the enlightenment (Buddha) while onstrate antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotec-
meditating underneath the tree. It is believed as a sign of tive, and antioxidant activities. They are made as plates
enlightenment, peace, prosperity, longevity, happiness, by stitching 3–4 leaves together and used for taking food
and good luck. The plant parts such as roots, bark, latex, during the festive banquets in the villages. The leaves
leaves, fruits, and seeds have various medicinal values. are also used as fodder during winters, a favorite food
The leaves are shiny, thin, leathery, cordate with long ta- for the cattle (George et al. 2016; Krishnan, 2015).
pering ends (drip tip), reticulately venated, and sized
around 10–17 × 8–12 cm [Fig. 6(c)]. The leaves are rich Macaranga peltata
in protein and contain various amino acids, carbohy- It is known as vatta, chamdakala, chanda, and boddi in
drates, sterols, tannic acid, triterpenes, hydrocarbons, various Indian languages. It is a medium sized, dioecious
and fatty alcohols and utilized for treating wounds, tree which belongs to the family Euphorbiaceae and
asthma, cough, toothache, hematuria, diarrhea, migraine, widely distributed in India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and
gastric, ocular, and skin disorders in folk medicine. The Thailand. It is found in the states of Karnataka, Kerala,
leaves exhibit anti-inflammatory, antivenin, analgesic, anti- Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Goa, Sikkim, and West Ben-
oxidant, antibacterial, antifungal, wound healing, and laxa- gal, in evergreen and semi-evergreen forests. The leaves
tive activities. The leaves are hand stitched into plates for are peltate, characterized by attachment of leaf stalk on
serving food [Fig. 6(d)]. The ingredients present in the leaf the lower leaf surface and lamina sized around 20–50 ×
plates activates the red blood cells, fights against jaundice, 12–25 cm. The leaves are abundant source of flavonoids,
and protects from throat infections (Rutuja et al. 2015; stilbenes, tannins, terpenes, coumarins, steroids, and
Singh 2010; Somaaya, 2018; Today 2017). polyphenols and show anti-inflammatory, anticancer,
antimicrobial, and antioxidant properties. Because of the
Ficus virens large size of the lamina, plates made out of these leaves
The white fig is known as juvvi, plaksa, pilkhan, etc. in are used for serving meal. In the villages of Kerala state,
various Indian languages. It is a medium sized, strangling grandmothers use the abundantly available vatta leaves
fig, which belongs to the family Moraceace and found in from their backyard for serving breakfast such as upma
India, Malaysia, Australia, and Southeast Asia. The tree is to the children. These leaves are used as wraps in Kerala
a preferred habitat for thousands of birds, as it supplies for the steam cooking of the sweet dishes ilayappam
soft fruits during the dry and difficult summer months of and ada, as they provide an ideal platform for dough
April and May, and the same is mentioned in the Indian spreading and impart distinctive flavor to the dishes.
moral story book, Panchatantra. The juvvi tree is wor- The nitrogen- and potassium-rich leaves decompose
shipped by the devotees at Medaram village during the very quickly and improve the nutrient content in the soil
Sammakka-Saramma Jatara, the largest tribal festival of (Almedia 2003; Magadula 2014)
Telangana state. The leaves are ovate, leathery with whit-
ish prominent mid rib, and sized around 5–20 × 3–6 cm Curcuma longa
[Fig. 6(e)]. The leaves contain phenolics, tannins, flavo- The turmeric is an herbaceous, rhizomatous, short
noids, and coumarins and exhibit antiviral, hypolipidemic, pseudo stemmed; perennial plant which belongs to the
antiulcer, and antioxidant activities. The practice of eating family Zinziberaceae. It is native to Indian subcontinent,
food on juvvi leaf leaves removes pitta dosha, excessive Australia, and Southeast Asia and used in Ayurveda, Sid-
heat generated in the body, purifies the blood, and acts as dha and Unani medicine for thousands of years. It is
a coolant [Fig. 6(f)] (Orabi and Orabi 2016). cultivated in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu,
Maharashtra, and West Bengal states of India. The
Ficus auriculata leaves are alternately arranged, large, tufted, oblong, nar-
The elephant ear fig is a small, evergreen, semi decidu- row tipped, and the size of the leaf blade is around 76–
ous tree and belongs to the family Moraceace. It is found 115 × 38–45 cm [Fig. 7(a)]. The leaves are rich sources
all over Asia, especially in India, Bhutan, Nepal, of carotenoids, flavonoids, and essential oils and demon-
Myanmar, Pakistan, China, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, strate antibacterial, antifungal, antidermatophytic, anti-
and Brazil. In India, they are distributed in the states of oxidant, anticancer, noortropic, and immunomodualting
Kora Bulletin of the National Research Centre (2019) 43:205 Page 12 of 15

Fig. 7 a The leaves of turmeric, C. longa, (b) the leaves of taro, C. esculenta (c) the leaves of therali, C. malabathrum and (d) the leaves of Indian
bean L. purpureus

activities. The leaves are also one of the Navapatrika, tropical and subtropical Himalayas, Uttar Pradesh, East
representing goddess Durga. In the western Indian states Bengal; Khasia and Jaintia hills of Assam, and Meghalaya
of Maharashtra, Goa, and Karnataka, people use tur- states of India. It is usually grown in the backyards of
meric leaves as food wraps during the steam cooking of countryside houses, through seeds and root suckers. The
sweet dish named patoli, served as a naivedyam to god tree was mentioned under the name Kattukaruva in the
Ganesha during the festival of Ganesh Chaturthi. It pro- seventeenth century treatise Hortus Malabaricus (garden
vides a distinctive turmeric flavor to the dish, and the of Malabar) that deals with the flora of Western Ghats re-
tasty dish enhances the disease resistance during spring gion, covering the Indian states of Kerala, Karnataka, and
season (Bhardwaj et al. 2011; Patoli 2018). Goa. The leaves are fragrant, three ribbed, elliptical, glab-
rous, and sized around 10–30 × 3–9 cm [Fig. 7(c)]. The
Colocasia esculenta fragrance is due to the constituents such as flavonoids and
The taro is commonly known as kachu, arvi, and chema terpenoids; i.e., eugenol, camphor, benzaldehyde, and cin-
in Indian languages. It is a tropical, perennial, rhizoma- namic aldehydes. A sweet dish known as therali appam,
tous plant which belongs to the family Araceae and na- stuffed and steam cooked in the wrapped cones made up
tive to southern India and Southeast Asia. It is cultivated of therali leaves, is offered to the goddess Attukal Bhaga-
for edible corms, leaves, and petioles in the Indian states vathi located in temple at Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala
of Mizoram, Assam, Manipur, Himachal Pradesh, Karna- during the festival Attukal Pongala. The leaves are sold in
taka, Maharashtra, Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, the local markets during festive seasons, as the leaves in-
Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, West Bengal, Bihar, Odisha, fuse characteristic flavor and fragrance to the dumpling
and Uttarakhand. The leaves are triangular-ovate, while steam cooking (http://www.roshniskitchen.com/
cordate, bright green, mucronately tipped, and sized 2012/03/therali-appam-attukal-pongala.html, 2013).
around 20–150 × 24.8 cm [Fig. 7(b)]. The leaves are
good source of proteins, ascorbic acid, vitamin A, B Pandanus amaryllifolius
complex vitamins, dietary fiber, phosphorous, zinc, iron, The screw pine is commonly known as pandan, mun-
potassium, copper, and manganese. The leaves show daka, kedige, mundig, rampe, and kaitha in various In-
anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties. As the leaves dian languages. It is an upright, sterile, tropical shrub
contain calcium oxalate crystals in the form of raphides, with woody aerial roots and belongs to the family Pan-
it is customary to boil or steam them with tamarind dur- danaceae. It is globally distributed in Indo-Malaysia and
ing cooking. The leaves are extensively used as food cultivated in Karnataka, Maharashtra, Kerala states and
wraps during the steam cooking and oil frying of dishes Andaman and Nicobar Islands along the beaches, river
such as patrode and alu chi wadi in the states of banks and ponds of coastal areas. The leaves are fra-
Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Goa, respectively. The grant, oblong, caudate, prickly on the margins and mid-
leaves are also part of Navapatrika, representing the rib; glossy green, flaccid, keeled beneath, entirely
goddess Kalika (Bhardwaj et al. 2011; Patoli 2018). margined and sized around 25–75 × 2–5 cm. The leaves
are used for treating fever, indigestion, flatulence, skin
Cinnamomum malabatrum diseases, and rheumatoid pains and exhibit diuretic, car-
The wild cinnamon is a rarely cultivated, moderately sized diotonic, hypoglycemic, antiviral and antioxidant proper-
tree popularly known as therali, vazhana, and malaba- ties. The leaves are known to contain aromatic
thrum in Indian languages. It belongs to the family Laura- compound 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline, which gives the charac-
ceae and considered as a native plant of Western Ghats, teristic aroma to white bread, jasmine rice, kaorimai rice
Kora Bulletin of the National Research Centre (2019) 43:205 Page 13 of 15

and basmati rice. The leaves are used as food flavoring segments folded along the mid vein [Fig 8(a)]. The leaves
and coloring agent to non-scented rice. The leaves are possess phenolics, flavonoids, glycosides, tannins, proteins,
rolled, weaved like a ribbon and made into cylindrical con- steroids, triterpenoids, carbohydrates and fats and exhibit
tainers, after blanching. The cylindrical leaf molds are antibacterial, antifungal, antihelminthic and antioxidant
used as food wraps during steam cooking of cylindrical activities.
idli known as mude during rainy season in Dakshina Kan- The leaves are extensively used as fuel, thatching ma-
nada district of Karnataka state and Krishna Janmastami terial and weaved into baskets, mats, boxes, hats, fans,
festival. In addition to its medicinal values, the leaves in- toys and country umbrellas [Fig 8(b)]. The leaves known
corporate taste and aroma to the dish during steam cook- as tala patra are used as writing material for manu-
ing. The leaves are also used for making baskets and scripts in ancient India. The fiber obtained from the
sleeping mats (Bhagya et al. 2013; Liew 2013) leaves is used to make strings, straps and ropes. A single
young leaf which is circularly folded and secured with
Lablab purpureus leaf fiber is used for packing and parceling meat. The
The Indian bean is known as chikkudu, sheem, avara, same is used for parceling munjelu, jelly endosperm
etc. in Indian languages. It is a twinning climber, which from the seeds of unripe fruits and burra gunju, a white,
belongs to the family Fabaceae and originated in India sweet, seed kernel from the germinating seeds of toddy
or Southeast Asia. It is commonly distributed in many tree. Also, the tender folded leaf is used for drinking
tropical and subtropical countries. The leaves are pin- kallu, a fermented sugary sap beverage obtained from
nate, trifoliate, broad oval in shape and measures around the young inflorescence of the toddy tree. The circularly
7.6–15.2 cm [Fig. 7(d)]. The leaves are rich in proteins, folded and sealed tender leaf is also used for steam cook-
iron, zinc; and contain sugars, alcohol, phenols, steroids, ing of marinated chicken in pots at roadside eateries in
alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, terpenoids, glycosides, the Chittur district of Andhra Pradesh state. Sometimes
pigments, tannins and coumarins. The leaves show anti- the farmers use the leaf as a dining plate for eating food
diabetic, antibacterial, antifungal and cytotoxic activities. in the fields, in the absence of other broad leaves. The
The Sun god is worshipped on the festival day of Ratha separated veins from the leaves are also used for anchor-
Saptami and ksherannam; a sweet is offered to Sun god ing and carrying the fish and as meat skewers. The bas-
as naivedyam in 7 pairs of chikkudu leaves (Al-Snafi kets made with toddy leaves are used for packing
2017; Krishna 2011; Madhuri Devi and Vinitha 2011). sugarcane and toddy jaggery [Fig 8(c)]; mangoes, coco-
nuts, groceries, flowers and wooden children toys. The
Borassus flabellifer circular stands made out of leaves are used as stands for
The palmyra palm is known as thati, toddy, tala, tad, etc. supporting and balancing circular hot utensils such as
in various Indian languages. It is a tall, single trunked, un- pots (Jamkhande et al. 2016).
branched, dioecious palm and belongs to the family Ara-
caceae. It is grown widely in tropical areas of India, Conclusions
Bangladesh, Nepal, Thailand, Malaysia, Philippines, In comparison with plastic plates, the leaf plates and cups
Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Africa. It is found in the states of offer many advantages such as renewability, biodegradabil-
Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Maharash- ity, non-toxicity and antioxidant abundance; in addition to
tra as groves. It is the official state tree of Tamil Nadu their religious, medicinal, socio-economic importance in
state. The trunk top is crowned with large number of fan Indian culture. It is evident that there is large scope in leaf
shaped; rigid leaves sized around 3 × 3 m with a diameter plate technology in terms of raw material quality, design
of around 1–1.5 m and divided into lance shaped improvement, product range, production process and

Fig. 8 a The leaves of thati, B. flabellifer, (b) hand oven leaf basket of made from thati is used for storing star gooseberry fruits and (c) packing of
toddy jaggery in leaf baskets of thati
Kora Bulletin of the National Research Centre (2019) 43:205 Page 14 of 15

marketing. For example, design of popcorn buckets and Ethics approval and consent to participate
leak proof soft drink glasses in movie theaters and multi- Not applicable.

plexes is much needed (Singh 2018). Various governmen-

Consent for publication
tal agencies including forest development, rural Not applicable.
development, tribal development, banking, small scale in-
dustry, handicraft, textile and handloom sectors should Competing interests
The author declares that she has no competing interests.
coordinate with the stakeholders of the leaf trade for their
participation in fairs, exhibitions, gift fairs and handicraft Received: 19 September 2019 Accepted: 14 November 2019
melas organized at local, state, national and international
levels for market expansion. In addition to national mar-
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EDC: endocrine disrupting chemicalPVCpolyvinyl chloridePOPspersistent
(2013) Therali Appam - Attukal Pongala. Prathibha
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