Abstract: Maranta arundinacea or (Arrowroot)
is an herbaceous, perennial tropical plant belonging to the family Marantaceae. It is a rich starchy medicinal herb used since ancient times & having vegetative propagation. This plant is derived from the tropical areas of South America and it appears in the Southeast region of brazil to till the Guianas. It is termed an ‘arrowroot’ maybe because it resembles the finger shape of rhizomes Arrowroot powder is rich in vitamins and minerals, including vitamin B6, iron, and calcium
. The arrowroot plant is mainly found in the West Indies (Jamaica), Indonesia, Philippines, India, and Sri Lanka. The arrowroot is a high starch content rhizome. The extracted starch is known to be easily digested and it also has an excellent gelling property from the tropical areas of South America and it appears in the Southeast region of Brazil to till the Guianas. The medicinal value of plants is due to its various naturally derived biologically active components (phytochemicals) like flavonoids, alkaloids, phenols, tannins, saponins, and so on.
It is a perennial herbaceous plant of 0.5-1-meter height. Arrowroot is a perpetual plant with a height of 90–150 cm. It has white flowers, big green leaves with a length of 10–20 cm, and white fleshy cylindrically rhizomes with 2.5–3 cm width and 20–40 cm length. Usually, arrowroot rhizomes either are found in a bunch of two to three or single. The arrowroot rhizome is an important source of starch, bagasse fibre as well as husk fibre.
