'Lomba' found to contain citral essential oil
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, June 03 2022: In view of the state having wide variety of medicinal and aromatic plants due to its location in the Indo-Burma Biodiversity Hotspot, experts of the MSME Technology Centre, Imphal set up at Nilakuthi Food Park have been conducting research on extraction of beneficial oils from various plants found in the state.

Established under Union Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME), the centre is presently engaged in extraction of essential oils in laboratory-scale from plants endemic to the state and carrying out research and development work on these oils.

The Centre represented by its deputy director Dr Sinam Yoirentomba Meetei recently participated in the international level congress and expo on 'Exploring Excellence in Essential Oil-2022' organised by Essential Oil Association of India at Indore in Madhya Pradesh from May 26 to 28.Speaking in connection with the programme to TPC, Dr S Yoirentomba informed that the Centre for the first time demonstrated at the Indore meet that essential oil can be extracted from 'Lomba' (Elsholtzia communis Collet & Hemsl.), which is a common herb used in Manipuri food.

Though the Centre is yet to be fully equipped, it grabbed the opportunity to participate in the expo so as to show the work it has been able to carry out, he added.

Dr Yoirentomba noted that though 'Lomba' has been in use since time immemorial it is grown on a very small scale at the level of kitchen garden, apparently due to ignorance of its benefits.

However, the research conducted by the Centre has shown that Lomba contains high percentage of essential oil, especially citral oil component, which is in high demand from aroma industries, amounting to 85 per cent from total extraction output.

Based on these research findings, state farmers can now grow the herb on large scale and boost their business from present 100 to 1000 per cent, he confided.

The deputy director also revealed that numerous multi-national companies which participated in the expo have shown interest in the essential oil extracted from 'Lomba' with many top industrialists engaged in essential oil businesses opining that value of the oil from the herb will be high.

The Centre is set to receive high-end technology equipment from the Union Ministry such as Super Critical Fluid Extraction Unit, Steam Distillation, Rotatory Extraction, Vertical Extraction, Spray Dryer, FT-IR Spectrometer, Field Distillation Unit, UV-VIS Spectrometer, etc.

As soon as all these advanced technology equipment are available at the Centre, work will be expanded to extract oils on larger scale from various plants of the state, he added.

Dr S Yoirentomba also conveyed that the Centre has done research on extracting oil from lemongrass, 'Nashik', marigold, 'Karpoor', etc., and plans are afoot to extract oil from 'Kanghuman' and 'Ok-hidak' plants.

In case of 'Lomba', it is mostly found in North Eastern states.

Hence, the Centre has taken up steps to get 'GI Tag' for the same to facilitate research and extraction of essential oil.

He also lamented that due to lack of awareness among the locals, experts from outside the state are taking advantage and searching for these plants using photographs provided by some locals.

Dr S Yoirentomba further observed that plants producing essential oil should replace poppy cultivation in the state as an alternative means of livelihood.

In connection with this, the Centre is raising awareness on cultivating essential oil plants with farmers who were carrying out poppy plantation in Kamjong and other districts.

In the case of the valley region, the agricultural fields generally remain barren after harvest of paddy crops.

Keeping this in mind, the Centre has carried out research on Chamomile herb and found that it is suitable to the soil of the valley.

So, the herb can be grown from October-November to March-April after harvesting of paddy crop.

The oil extracted from the herb can then be sold at the rate of Rs 28,000 per litre, he pointed out.

The deputy director further suggested that if agar plant could be successfully grown then the oil extracted from it can be sold at the rate of Rs 30-40 lakh per litre based on the grade of the oil.

Therefore, it is very much in the interest of the people and the state that growing crops that produce essential oil are encouraged in the state.

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