Introduction Reetha, scientifically known as  Sapindus mukorossi , is a large deciduous tree of the  Sapindaceae  family. It is commonly known by many names like soapberry, soapnut, washnut, aritha, dodan, and dodani. In countries like Japan and China, Reetha has been used for centuries. In Japan, it has been used as a life-prolonging pericarp (the part of a fruit enclosing the seeds) and in China as a fruit for managing illnesses. The plant is well known for its folk medicinal values. Reetha is found in the hilly regions of the Himalayas in India. The fruit of Reetha has been used in Indian Ayurvedic medicine for decades.  Reetha is a popular ingredient of many Ayurvedic shampoos and cleansers. Nutritional Value The major constituents present in Reetha are saponins, sugars and mucilage. The seed kernels of Reetha are a rich source of proteins and show a balanced amino acid composition as per the World Health Organization. In addition to proteins, sugars and fibres are also present. Ph

Introduction Tea tree is the name of a plant native to Australia, scientifically known as  Melaleuca alternifolia . The oil extracted from the leaves of the tea tree is tea tree oil, a widely used ingredient in a variety of household and cosmetic products, like shampoos, massage oils, laundry detergents, and skin and nail creams for its potential antiseptic benefits. Tea tree oil is pale yellow in colour. It has a strong odour and provides a cooling sensation on the skin. It has been widely used in Australia as a topical medicine for almost 80 years. Common names of tea tree include tea tree oil, Australian tea tree oil, melaleuca oil and tea tree essential oil. Chemical Constituents of Tea Tree The main component present in tea tree oil is terpinen-4-ol. Tea tree oil contains more than 100 compounds. However, the International Organization for Standardization has specified the main 15 components that are needed for a product to be labelled as ‘tea tree oil’. These are alpha pinene, sa

Introduction: Karela, also known as  Momordica charantia   L ., belongs to the family Cucurbitaceae. It is commonly known as balsam pear, bitter gourd, bitter melon, karela, or kugua. Its fruit has been used as a vegetable for thousands of years. It is widely distributed in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide. It is called ‘bitter melon’ or ‘bitter gourd’ as the entire plant, including the fruit, tastes very bitter. Karela is widely cultivated in countries like India, China, Japan, Malaya, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, Colombia, Brazil, Amazon, Cuba, East Africa, Haiti, Ghana, Mexico, Nicaragua, New Zealand, Panama, Middle East, Central and South America. The vernacular names of Karela are Karavelli in Sanskrit; Karelo in Gujrati; Karli in Marathi; Baramasiya in Bengali; Kaypa in Malayalam; Karali in Kannada; Kakara in Telugu; Pakar in Tamil. Nutritional Value of Karela: Karela has the following nutritional value: Nutrient Amount per 100 g Water 94 g Carbohydrate 3.7 g Protein 1