1. Introduction

Asia is endowed with the world's greatest palm biodiversity, and also possesses the highest diversity of palm utilization[1]. Palms Borassus Flabellifier ‘BF’ has a long history of management for both subsistence and commercial products, many of which are deeply embedded in local cultures. In Asia, traditional technologies of exploiting wild and semi wild palm Borassus Flabellifier ‘BF’populations, as well as processing techniques associated with many of the palm products, are generally more advanced than in the Neotropics, Native Asian palms Borassus Flabellifier ‘BF’ currently provide significant quantities of food, beverage, giber, rattan, construction material and other products. This article surveys edible products from 61 Asian palm Borassus Flabellifier ‘BF’ species. Using these examples from Asia, suggestions are made as to how Neothropical palms could be managed and valorized for food and other useful products.

Palm Borassus Flabellifier ‘BF’ shell[2] obtained from coastal part of southern India was studied for the removal for the adsorption of Hg (II) ions. Batch adsorption experiments were carried out as a function of pH, concentration of Hg (II) ions, time, temperature and adsorbent dose.

There are innumerable medicinal uses for all parts of the Palmyra palm Borassus Flabellifier ‘BF’. Briefly, the young plant is said to relieve biliousness, dysentery, and gonorrhoeal. Young roots are diuretic and anathematic, and a decoction is given in certain respiratory diseases. The ash of the spadix is taken to relieve heartburn and enlarged spleen and liver. The bark decoction, with salt, is used as a mouth wash, and charcoal made of the bark serves as a dentifrice. Sap from the flower stalk is prized as a tonic, diuretic, stimulant, laxative and anti phlegmatic and amebicide. Sugar made from this sap is said to counteract poisoning, and it is prescribed in liver disorders. Candied, it is a remedy for coughs and various pulmonary complaints. Fresh toddy, heated to promote fermentation, is bandaged onto all kinds of ulcers. The cabbage, leaf petioles, and dried male flower spikes all have diuretic activity. The pulp of the mature fruit relieves dermatitis.

1.1. Description of Borassus Flabellifier ‘BF’ Tree

Palmyra palm Borassus Flabellifier ‘BF’ is a native of tropical Africa but cultivated and naturalized throughout India. The Palmyra palm Borassus Flabellifier ‘BF’ is a large tree up to 30m high and the trunk may have a circumference of 1.7m at the base. There may be 25-40 fresh leaves. Leaves are leathery, gray green, fan-shaped, 1-3 m wide, folded along the midrib; are divided to the centre into 60-80 linear- lanceolate, 0.6-1.2 m long, marginally spiny segments. Their strong, stalks, 1-1.2 m long, are edged with hard spines. In India, it is planted as a windbreak on the plains. It is also used as a natural shelter by birds, bats and wild animals. The flowers are produced in big clusters of long, white string-like inflorences. The coconut-like fruits are three-sided when young, becoming rounded or more or less oval, 12-15 cm wide, and capped at the base with overlapping sepals. When the fruit is very young, this kernel is hollow, soft as jelly, and translucent like ice, and is accompanied by a watery liquid, sweetish and potable. The chief product of the Palmyra Borassus Flabellifier ‘BF’ is the sweet sap (toddy) obtained by tapping the tip of the inflorescence, as is done with the other sugar palms and, to a lesser extent, with the coconut. The toddy ferments naturally within a few hours after sunrise and is locally popular as a beverage. Rubbing the inside of the toddy-collecting receptacle with lime paste prevents fermentation, and thereafter the sap is referred to as sweet toddy, which yields concentrated or crude sugar (gur in India; jaggery in Ceylon); molasses, palm candy, and vinegar. Palmyra palm jaggery (gur) is much more nutritious than crude cane sugar. Traditionally, the Indian 'Nadar' community are the people who make their living from this tree using its wood, fruits, sap, stems, petioles and leaves to process a variety of food products, beverages, furniture, building materials, and handicrafts.

Palmyra palm Borassus Flabellifier ‘BF’ jaggery (gur) is much more nutritious than crude cane sugar, containing 1.04% protein, 0.19% fat, 76.86% sucrose, 1.66% glucose, 3.15% total minerals, 0.861 % calcium, 0.052% phosphorus; also 11.01 mg iron per 100 g and 0.767 mg of copper per 100 g. The fresh sap is reportedly a good source of vitamin B complex.

Ultrasonic velocities have been very widely used to study binary liquid mixture to obtain structure and interactions present in the liquid systems[3]. It is known for a long time that ultrasonic frequency offers unique features for characterizing liquid based food products in their intact state, with no sample preparation and no sample destruction. It can be used for on-line process control, which makes it even more attractive. However, it is used still mostly in research environment, except perhaps a single industrial application for monitoring alcohol content.

The specific rotation of a liquid material is defined as the observed angle of optical rotation when plane polarized light is passed through a sample. The specific rotation of a pure material is an intrinsic property of that material. In liquids and solutions, the optical activity[4], is due to molecular structure.

The anisotropic materials are widely used for many structural applications, the determination of mechanical properties is critical for ensuring reliable performance[5]. The knowledge of complete elastic stiffness is essential for ensuring reliable performance. The knowledge of complete elastic stiffness is essential for modelling and evaluating the mechanical behaviour of materials under severe loading conditions. Ultrasonic techniques are however qualified for non destructive measurement of all of the elastic constants of such materials.

The main aim of the present study is that untreated wood had higher dielectric constant than their polymer composites [6]. Electric conductivity of wood is an important property. For good electric insulating property a substance should be porous, good strength properties on the other hand demand a compact structure.

Characterization of BF liquid toddy was done by FTIR , the preferred method of infrared spectroscopy. In IR spectroscopy, IR radiation is passed through a sample. Some of the infrared radiation is absorbed by the sample and some of it passed through. The resulting spectrum represents the molecular absorption and transmission, creating a molecular fingerprint of the sample.. Like a finger print no two unique molecular structures produce the same infrared spectrum. This makes infrared spectroscopy useful for several types of analysis.

2. Material and Method

The material was used in all the measurement and calculation were collected from Kukshi, District Dhar (M.P.), India. All the measurement of ultrasonic velocity, specific rotation and elastic constant were recorded in our laboratory. Other details are given in our communication Sushil Phadke et. al. 2009[7].The value of dielectric constant was found at UGC-DAE Consortium for Scientific Research Centre Indore (M.P.) India. The details of dielectric constant were given in our publication Phadke Sushil et. al. 2010 and 2011[6]. The chemical analysis and identification by IR[8] done at Choksi laboratory, Indore (M.P.), India.

3. Result and Discussion

Table 1 shows the mechanical, thermodynamic, optical and electrical values measured and calculated by the author in their previous communications and publications. Table 1. Earlier reported values of different physical properties of BF by the author.

Table two shows the various substances was present in the chemical analysis of BF toddy.

Table 1. Earlier reported values of different physical properties of BF by the author S.No. Physical property Values in MKS Units 1 Density 0.9802 x 103 2 Viscosity 0.486 x 10- 3 3 Surface tension 5.8328 x 10- 2 4 Ultrasonic velocity 1571.6 m/s 5 Adiabatic compressibility 4.1305 x 10 -10 6 Isentropic compressibility 4.2 x 10 -10 7 Acoustic impedance 1.5405 x 10 6 8 Inter molecular free length 0.4294 x 10 -10 9 viscous relaxation time 0.2766 x 10 -12 10 Gibb's energy 0.1844 x 10 -20 11 Specific rotation 4.03 at 10% 12 Dielectric Constant 40.9 at 1.0 Hz 13 Elastic constant Female 3.355 to 8.552 x 10 9 14 Elastic constant Male 2.513 to 7.259 x 10 9

Table 2. Chemical analysis of BF natural liquid toddy S.No. Description Result 1 Alcohol 28.21% 2 Riboflavin Not found 3 Niasin Not found 4 Ascorbic acid Not found 5 Thiamine Not found 6 Moisture 96.91% 7 Protien 0.28% 8 Crude fibre Nil 9 Fat Nil 10 Carbohydrates 2.57% 11 Calories 11.40 Kcal/100 gm 12 Potassium, as K 0.08% 13 Iron 24.23 ppm 14 Phosphorous 46.90 ppm

The result of IR spectroscopy for Vitamin -C, B₁, B₂, and B₃ and for natural liquid of BF toddy was shown in table 4. Figure 1 shows the retention time and intensity in AU for Vitamin-C, B₃, B₂, and B₁. and figure 2shows the value of retention time and intensity in mV for Natural liquid toddy of BF.

Table 3. IR for Vitamin-C, B3, B2, B1 S.No. Name Retention time Area Area % 1 2.29 1894 0.021 2 Ascorbic Acid 2.74 1681405 18.773 3 Niacin 5.08 1456876 16.266 4 Vitamin-B2 15.03 3354128 37.448 5 Vitamin-B1 29.99 2462404 27.492

Table 4. IR for Natural liquid toddy of BF S.No. Name Retention time Area Area % 1 Ethanol 0.03 5347 0.16 2 Ethanol 0.78 225513 6.728 3 Ethanol 3.83 3120848 93.112

Figure 1. IR graph of table

Figure 2. IR graph of table 4

4. Conclusions

From the previous study and according to the characterization of the BF natural liquid, we can use BF liquid and solid for the following purposes:

1. Industrial use of BF. 2. Medical use of BF. 3. Constructional purpose of BF. 4. To give financial support to tribal’s 5. To reduce crime rate in tribal backward area

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

One of the authors (Sushil Phadke) is highly thankful to University Grants Commission, New Delhi for awarding a Minor Research Project. Our sincere thanks to Dr. T. P. Vyas, Principal Govt. P.G. College, Dhar (MP) India and Dr. S.N. Mandloi, Principal Govt. Girls College Dhar (MP) India for providing facility to bring samples from Dist. Dhar (M.P.) India. We are very thankful to Mr. Ritusing Kalesh of Dist. Dhar (M.P.) India for providing sample. We are also thankful of Dr. A.M. Awasthi and Dr. S. Bharadwaj for providing their lab facility to measure dielectric constant at UGC-DAE Consortium for Scientific Research Centre Indore (M.P.) India.