Alocasia macrorrhizos is a species of flowering plant in the arum family (Araceae) that it is native to rainforests of Island Southeast Asia, New Guinea, and Queensland and has long been cultivated in the Philippines, many Pacific islands, and elsewhere in the tropics. Common names include giant taro,^[rx] ʻape, giant alocasia, biga, and pia. In Australia, it is known as the cunjevoi^[rx] (a term that also refers to a marine animal)

Alocasia mycorrhizas (also called Giant Taro, Ape, Egyptian Lily, Elephant’s Ear, Giant Alocasia, and Roasting Cocoa) is a flowering plant native to tropical Asia. It belongs to the Araceae family which consists of 4095 species and 117 genera.

It is widely cultivated in subtropical and tropical regions. It was originated from India, Southeast Asia, and Sri Lanka and also spread to Oceania and Asian tropical countries. The plant is found in the humid moist, medium, and low elevation valleys where it got naturalized along the stream banks. Today it is available throughout the tropics. The leaves and stems are widely used as vegetables.

Plant

Giant taro is a coarse, erect, monoecious, rhizomatous, and evergreen plant which grows to about 5 m high with large, sagittate, rosette leaves measuring upto 0.9-1.8 m long and 0.6-1.2 m wide. The leaves are glossy in medium green color. The fruit is the spathe, oblong top ellipsoid, green and 8 cm long. Each fruit possesses several, pale brown seeds with 4 mm as a diameter. It has upright, erect, elongated, woody stems of 1-1.2 m long and 25 cm in diameter. It prefers tropical, sub­tropical climates and well-drained soil.

Nutritional Value

100 grams of raw Giant taro serves 70 grams of water, 100 calories, 2.2 grams of protein, 0.1 grams of lipid fat, 23 grams of carbohydrate and 1.9 grams of dietary fiber. The same amount cover minerals such as 38 mg of calcium, 0.8 mg of iron, 52 mg of magnesium, 267 mg of potassium, 30 mg of sodium and 1.6 mg of zinc. It provides the vitamins such as 0.02 mg of Vitamin B1, 0.02 mg of Vitamin B2, 17 mg of Vitamin C and 2 mg of Vitamin E.

Health Benefits of Giant Taro

Giant taro provides various benefits to health. It is rich in Vitamin C, carbohydrate, zinc, vitamin E, magnesium, and iron which is essential to maintain health.

1. Prevent scurvy

Scurvy is a health condition that is caused due to the deficiency of Vitamin C in the body. The symptoms occur due to the weakening of bones, blood vessels, and connective tissues that involve collagen. Vitamin C is an antioxidant that is essential for collagen production. (1)

2. Eliminates free radicals

Vitamin C is an antioxidant that prevents the damage caused due to free radicals, pollutants, and toxic chemicals. The buildup of free radicals leads to the health ailments such as heart disease, arthritis, and cancer. Free radicals build up during the breaking down of food or exposure to tobacco, smoke, and radiation. (2)

3. Treats acne

Zinc helps to eradicate acne from the skin. It helps to regulate testosterone levels which play a vital role in the formation of acne. It helps to normalize the skin oils and enhance the skin health. Zinc promotes the count of white blood cells and lowers the risk of infection. Zinc also helps to lower the scars which are left by acne. (3)

4. Balance hormones

Zinc has a positive effect on fertility and hormonal health because it plays a vital role in the production of hormones such as an increase in testosterone naturally. Zinc affects the hormones of the female sex and involves the release and creation of eggs from the ovaries.

Zinc is essential for progesterone and estrogen production which supports reproductive health. The excessive presence or deficiency of estrogens will create problems with mood swings, menstruation, infertility, and early menopause. (4)

5. Vision

Vitamin E lowers the chances of macular degeneration which is an age-related eye disease that is the cause of blindness. It should be consumed with beta carotene, vitamin C, and zinc. The study shows that a high intake of Vitamin A and Vitamin E improves vision and healing in people who have undergone laser eye surgery. (5)

6. Treats insomnia

Magnesium can help to get a sound sleep. Those who have low nutrient consumption and low absorption of nutrients are at high chances of getting insomnia. The study shows that people with magnesium supplements have increased sleep time, a high amount of melatonin, and a low level of cortisol which is related to stress. Magnesium helps to lower the symptoms of insomnia effectively, enhance sleep efficiency, sleep onset, and sleep time. (6)

7. Prevent heart ailments

Magnesium prevents irregular heartbeats, heart damage, and muscle stress. It soothes the nerves and mediates the digestive processes which prevent the ailments such as indigestion, vomiting, cramps, flatulence, abdominal pain, and constipation. The deficiency of magnesium increases the chances of fatal heart disease. (7)

8. Prevent cramps

Magnesium helps to treat backaches by relaxing kidney stress, back muscles, and muscular tension. It assists in calcium absorption that speeds up the healing of bones. The deficiency of magnesium results in the symptoms such as general fatigue and leg cramps. The adequate intake of magnesium helps to cure the problems of chronic leg cramps. (8)

9. Brain health

Iron aids the oxygen supply in the blood. About 20% of the oxygen is used by the brain so iron is related to the function and health of the brain. The adequate blood flow in the brain enhances cognition and creates neural pathways which help to prevent cognitive ailments such as Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. (9)

10. Formation of hemoglobin

Iron is essential for hemoglobin formation and it also provides a dark red shade to the blood. It transports the oxygen up to the body cells. As human beings lose blood in both external and internal injuries, extra hemoglobin is very important. Women lose blood during menstruation every month due to which they have a high chance of getting anemia than men. (10) (11)

Traditional uses

• In India, Southeast Asia, Bangladesh, and Papua New Guinea, it is used in folkloric medicine.
• In Malaysia, the juice is applied to provide relief from stings.
• The sap of petioles is used to treat cough.
• In Java, the roots and leaves are applied to relieve joint pains.
• In Papua New Guinea, the external use of sap helps to treat headaches.
• In India, the corm is used to cure scorpion stings, abdomen disease, spleen, rheumatism, and gout.
• The poultice made from fresh leaves is applied to eliminate the pain of varicose veins and enhance blood circulation.
• In Indonesia, the tuber is used to cure fever, influenza, headache, malaria, diarrhea, typhoid, pulmonary tuberculosis, rheumatism, ringworms, abscesses, snakes, insects, and dog bites.
• In Bangladesh, this herb is used to treat diabetes; juice extracted from the stem is applied to eliminate edema, pain as well as bleeding from wounds and cuts.
• The plant is used as an aid for pus in the ears, constipation, and jaundice.
• In China, Giant taro is used to treat joint disorders, headache, flu complications, chronic bronchitis, bleeding hemorrhoids, and appendicitis.
• In Hawaii, the tuber is used to cure acute abdominal pain and burns.
• The leaves help to enhance eyesight and prevent iron deficiency.
• The tuber is used to cure rheumatism, anasarca, and leprosy.
• The petioles are used as an aid for toothache and its juice is useful for earache, cough, and stomachache.
• The rootstock is used as a diuretic, mild laxative for inflammations, and abdomen & spleen diseases.
• The leaf is considered to possess an astringent, antitumor, and styptic property.
• A decoction made from leaf and stem if used in a bath helps to cure skin such as itching and burns.
• A poultice made from leaves helps to improve circulation, reduce pain and prevent bursting.
• A decoction made from rhizomes is useful for vomiting and abdominal pains.
• In Vietnam, this plant is used to treat eczema, inflammation, and abscesses.

 Precautions                                                                                                

• Uncooked or semi-cooked taro cause itchiness in the throat and mouth. Therefore It must be cooked well before consume.
• The swollen stem tubers, cormels, and corms are poisonous. If it consumes raw as it possesses Raphide Oxalic Acid crystals that could lead to the swelling of the mouth and throat fatally.

How to Eat

• In Pacific islands, the tubers are baked, roasted, or boiled.
• In Southeastern Asia, the tuber is chopped into pieces and consumed as a vegetable after being cooked in curries or stews.
• The corms and leaves are also cooked as food.
• The corms are roasted, baked, and boiled.
• Giant taro is used as a source of starch or flour.
• The swollen stem, corms, tubers, and cormels are boiled prolonged or roasted before processing as food.
• The corms, cormels, tubers are chopped into pieces and boiled in water than in coconut milk or broth fried in kenari or coconut oil.
• In New Guinea (Papua), the leaves are consumed by preparing coconut milk.
• The leaves are fried with onions, chili, garlic, etc.

References

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