Effect of Boiling on Anhydrobarakol Content of Khilek (Siamese cassia) Young Flowers

Abstract

Khilek, locally called of Siamese cassia is a medicinal plant of Thailand. Barakol, an active principle of Khilek, exhibits as anxiolytic properties, improving quality of sleep. Anhydrobarakol is a barakol that is lost a molecule of water. Khilek young flowers (KF) curry is an ancient curry of south of Thailand but they have bitter taste so they are boiled with water 1-2 times before they are used to curry. So this project was to study on the effects of boiling KF with water containing sodium chloride and turkey burry, the optimum time (min) of KF boiling for curry making and curry’s nutrition. Anhydrobarakol content and sensory characteristics of boiled KF with water, boiled KF with water containing sodium chloride and boiled KF with water containing turkey burry were not significantly different (p>0.05). Anhydrobarakol content in boiled KF was decreased when increasing of time. KF for curry should be boiled one time in water 3 times of their weight, 5 min /time. KF curry had very low anhydrobarakol content (2.56 mg by fresh weight) and has much less tendency to cause liver toxicity.