[ Prafulla Kaman ]
PASIGHAT, 16 Mar: Associate professor at Jawaharlal Nehru College (JNC) here in East Siang district, Dr Temin Payum has concocted ‘herbal healing tea’ for curing a number of ailments.
He has prepared the specialty tea using rhizome and leaves of black turmeric (Curcuma caesia), which is an abandoned seasonal plant available in natural vegetation.
Speaking to this reporter, Dr Payum said that “many neglected herbs found in the surroundings can be used for healing common ailments such as cough, cold, asthma, fever, gastritis, acidity, and other digestive problems – even cancer.”
“There are abundant plant species found in human habitations, which consist of various phenolic and flavonoid compounds, known as anti-carcinogenic and antioxidants,” he said, and added that “the healing tea produced from black turmeric is a promising product that can promote vital health with potential of livelihood and revenue generation for the state.”
He informed that he has already completed a series of biochemical experiments on the nutritional and medicinal properties of black turmeric tea and “confirmed a most beneficial ingredient in comparison to other tea products available in the market.”
“The specialty tea has an advantage, owing to its characteristic aroma, attractive greenish-yellow colour, light colour and light bitter and salty in taste, with no caffeine,” he said.
Dr Payum has started production of the herbal healing tea as a pilot project, and is working to make consumers aware of its efficacy. He has gathered feedback from experts and also gathers consumers’ response in Pasighat and Itanagar smart cities.
A packet of the herbal tea product, containing 50 gms of processed black turmeric with other ingredients, has been released in the local market. The professor said that he has also concocted a “hormone-rich tonic for females, which can be introduced for regulating menstrual cycles.”
Apart from his teaching profession, Dr Payum has been actively engaged in biochemical research for the past two decades. His activities include herbal medicines, ethnobotany, preparation of herbal detergents (soap and shampoo), study of plants having antioxidant properties, phyto-chemistry, “and channelising of bioresources into human usage,” he said.
Dr Payum has published several research papers in national and international journals. He also works as an associate editor in two international research journals – Archives of Agriculture & Environmental Science, and Journal of Pharmacology & Phytochemistry.
He has also bagged a number of national awards for his contribution in the field of research and social work.
