Lotus (Nelumbo sp., Nelumbonaceae) is known for its attractive flowers all over the world. N. nucifera is indigenous to Asia while N. lutea is native to the United States. Lotus is the national flower of India and is legendary in folklore and religious mythology. Lotus has been cultivated in China since the 12th century BC, where it is known as "sacred water lily", and revered as both a sacred symbol and an edible food for its medicinal properties. The lotus grows in the wild in pools full of weeds and dirt, and yet, its serene beauty appears detached, pure and beautiful. In the Asian religions, it is symbolic of vitality, purity, enlightenment, beauty, grace, divine peace, and total detachment from worldly qualities of greed, anger, lust, passion, jealousy and ego.

Lotus is grown widely for culinary use of stalks, roots and seeds. It is cultivated as an ornamental and a commercial throughout Asia including China, India, Malaysia and Japan, and Australia.

Hindus believe that the white lotus is the honored seat of Saraswati (goddess of learning, knowledge, and wisdom), while Lakshmi (goddess of wealth) is always portrayed seated on a red lotus. Many of the Hindu gods hold a lotus blossom in their hands as representation of purity. Lotus is frequently represented in Egyptian art and considered the "tree of life." Lotus flowers are used for religious occasions and offered to gods during worship (poojas) by Hindus, and is a unique symbol of Indian culture. In Indian traditional system of meditation (Yoga), the lotus (Padma) is associated with the crown chakra, a point vital to human health and well-being. The many petals of the lotus are believed to symbolize layers of the human personality. As the petals open, the individual gradually reaches closer and closer to self-realization, and liberation from earthly bondage and everlasting life.

Lotus is an aquatic perennial that grows in shallow waters. The leaves are a greenish gray, and ~30 to 76 cm (12 to 30 in) wide. The leaf surface is known for its water repelling quality due to reduced particle adhesion. Lotus is propagated by seeds or by the underground stem (rhizome). The rhizome is shaped like a long sausage with hollow portions and is connected like sausages on a string. Plants take about 5-6 years to fully establish and reach full bloom. The large pink, red, yellow, or white flowers are fragrant, and grow 10 to 30 cm (4 to 12 in) wide and 7 to 15 cm (3 to 6 in) in height when unopened. The rhizomes are harvested after leaves have died. After the petals fall, a cone-shaped seed head resembling the head of a watering can is left on the flower stalks. Dried seed heads of lotus are very attractive and are frequently used in floral arrangements. The seeds are harvested after the seed head turns brown.

All parts of the lotus plant are useful to man- seeds are eaten raw or cooked, unripe or ripe and are popular ingredients in desserts; rhizomes are boiled in soup, candied as a dessert, or pickled; petioles and young roots are also eaten as a vegetable. The large circular leaves may be used to wrap food preparations of rice and tapioca desserts. In India, the leaves are dried and used as disposable plates, sewn together to make cups used in temples as containers to distribute food. In traditional Asian medicine, the rhizomes and leaves are used in combination with other herbs to treat fever, sunstroke, diarrhea, dysentery, dizziness, and stomach problems; whole plant is used as an antidote for food poisoning; the seeds to treat fever, cholera, nervous disorders and insomnia, nausea, indigestion and diarrhea; crushed petals to treat syphilis; and the flower stalks with other herbs to treat bleeding of the uterus.

The Chinese traditional medicine prescribes lotus seeds and rhizomes as a routine practice to treat hyperlipidemia (1). Modern research provides evidence to the acclaimed medicinal properties of lotus in traditional medical systems. Controlled studies report antifertility properties (2) of lotus seeds. Other pharmacological activities demonstrated of the alcohol extraction of lotus rhizomes include anti-diarrheal (3-4), antibacterial (5), antifungal (6), anti-hyperglycemic (7), antipyretic (8-9), diuretic, psychopharmacological, anti-inflammatory, and anti-diabetic (10-13).

REFERENCES

1. la Cour B et al. 1995. Traditional Chinese medicine in treatment of hyperlipidaemia. J. Ethnopharm. 46(2):125-129
2. Mazumder UK et al. 1992. Antifertility activity of seed of Nelumbo nucifera in mice. Indian J. Exper. Biol. 30(6):533-534
3. Mukherjee PK et al. 1995. Antidiarrhoeal evaluation of Nelumbo nucifera (Nymphaceae) rhizome extract. Indian J. Pharmacol. 27: 262-364.
4. Talukder MJ & Nessa J. 1998. Effect of Nelumbo nucifera rhizome extract on the gastrointestinal tract of rat. Bangladesh Med. Res. Council Bull. 24(1):6-9
5. Mukherjee PK et al. 1995. Antibacterial efficiency of Nelumbo nucifera (Nymphaceae) rhizome extract. Indian Drugs 32:274-276.
6. Mukherjee PK et al. 1995. Antifungal screening of Nelumbo nucifera (Nymphaceae) rhizome extract. Indian J. microbial. 35:327-330.
7. Mukherjee PK et al. 1995. Hypoglycemic activity of Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn. (Nymphaceae) rhizome (methanolic extract) in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Phytotherapy res 9:522-524.
8. Mukherjee PK et al. 1996. Antipyretic activity of Nelumbo nucifera rhizome extract. Indian J. Exper. Biol. 34(3):275-276
9. Sinha S et al. 2000. Evaluation of antipyretic potential of Nelumbo nucifera stalk extract. Phytotherapy res. 14(4):272-274
10. Mukherjee PK et al. 1996. Diuretic activity of the rhizomes of Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn. Phytotherapy res. 10:424-425.
11. Mukherjee PK et al. 1996. Studies on psychopharmalogical effects of Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn. rhizome extract. J. Ethnopharmacol. 54(2-3):63-67.
12. Mukherjee PK et al. 1997. Studies on the anti-inflammatory activity of rhizomes of Nelumbo nucifera. Planta Medica 63(4):367-369.
13. Mukherjee PK et al. 1997. Effect of Nelumbo nucifera rhizome extract on blood sugar level in rats. J. Ethnopharmacol. 58(3):207-213.

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