mango leaf and cow dung.

Mango, the quintessential summer fruit, is perfect for desserts. But who would have imagined that a sweet, juicy and delicious fruit like mango can also be a healthy superfood? Well, it’s true. It is rich in Vitamin A, Vitamin C and minerals like copper, potassium and magnesium. Not only this, mango leaves which you may often discard can actually work as a great herbal medicine. Mango leaves are full of healing and medicinal properties. Benefits of mango leaves are so varied and extensive that they are given immense importance in eastern medicine too. They are reddish or purplish when tender and new, and grow into a dark green color and have a pale underside.
These leaves are fleshy and shiny with a sharp tip containing vitamins C, B and A. They are also rich in various other nutrients. These leaves have powerful antioxidant properties as they have a high content of flavonoids and phenols. They can be boiled in water to make a decoction or can be consumed in powdered form. In South East Asia, the tender leaves of the mango tree are cooked and eaten. Also for medicinal purposes young leaves should be used. But one has to be careful.
The antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of mango leave can help treat various ailments effectively.
1. Regulates Diabetes

Mango leaves are very useful for managing diabetes. The tender leaves of the mango tree contain tannins called anthocyanidins that may help in treating early diabetes. The leaves are dried and powdered, or used as an infusion to treat the same. It also helps to treat diabetic angiopathy and diabetic retinopathy. Soak the leaves in a cup of water overnight. Strain and drink this water to help relieve the symptoms of diabetes. It also helps in treating hyperglycemia.
2. Lowers blood pressure

Mango leaves help lower the blood pressure as they have hypotensive properties. They help in strengthening the blood vessels and treating the problem of varicose veins.
3. Fights restlessness

For people suffering from restlessness due to anxiety, the mango leaves can be a good home remedy. Add few mango leaves to your bath water. This helps in relaxing and refreshing your body.
4. Treats gall and kidney stones

Mango leaves help treat kidney stones and gall bladder stones. The daily intake of a finely ground powder of mango leaves with water kept in a tumbler overnight, helps in breaking the stones and flushing them out.

5. Cures respiratory problems

Mango leaves are good for all kinds of respiratory problems. It is especially useful for people suffering from cold, bronchitis and asthma. Drinking a decoction made by boiling mango leaves in water with a little honey helps to cure cough effectively. It also helps in curing voice loss.

6. Treats dysentery

Mango leaves help in treating bleeding dysentery. Mango leaves dried in a shade should be powdered and then taken with water two to three times a day to stop dysentery.

7.  Remedy for ear aches

Ear ache can be quite painful and frustrating. Using mangoes leaves as home remedy provides good relief. A teaspoon of juice extracted from mango leaves works as an effective ear drop and pain killer. Heat the juice slightly before using it.

8. Heals burns

The simplest remedy for healing painful burns is to apply mango leaf ashes to the wounded area. This soothes the skin and brings relief.

9. Stops hiccups

If you’re troubled with frequent hiccups or other throat problems, mango leaves can be a great home remedy. Burn a few mango leaves and inhale the smoke. This helps to cure hiccups and throat problems.

10. Good for your gut

Put some mango leaves in warm water, close the container with a lid, and leave it overnight. The next morning filter the water and drink this concoction on an empty stomach. The regular intake of this infusion acts as a good stomach tonic, flushes out toxins from your body and keeps your stomach clean.

cow dung as a bioresource for sustainable development

Cow dung, an excreta of bovine animal, is a cheap and easily available bioresource on our planet. Many traditional uses of cow dung such as burning as fuel, mosquito repellent and as cleansing agent are already known in India. Cow dung harbours a diverse group of microorganisms that may be beneficial to humans due to their ability to produce a range of metabolites. Along with the production of novel chemicals, many cow dung microorganisms have shown natural ability to increase soil fertility through phosphate solubilisation. Nowadays, there is an increasing research interest in developing the applications of cow dung microorganisms for biofuel production and management of environmental pollutants. This review focuses on recent findings being made on cow dung that could be harnessed for usage in different areas such as medicine, agriculture and industry.

Cow dung can be defined as the undigested residue of consumed food material being excreted by herbivorous bovine animal species. Being a mixture of faeces and urine in the ratio of 3:1, it mainly consists of lignin, cellulose and hemicelluloses. It also contains 24 different minerals like nitrogen, potassium, along with trace amount of sulphur, iron, magnesium, copper, cobalt and manganese. The indigenous Indian cow also contain higher amount of calcium, phosphorus, zinc and copper. Waste is generally meant for discarding because it may act as a source of pollution  However, if it is used in some other process such as feedstock it may be considered as co-product . People in Indian villages use cow dung for cooking purpose by direct burning. It is also used in plastering of walls and floor in rural houses for providing insulation during winter and summer. Application of smoke generated from the burnt cow dung as mosquito repellent and subsequent ash as cleaning agent for kitchen utensils is an age old practice. Accordingly, different usage of cow dung by village peoples reflect the native knowledge associated with it. It also depict that cow plays an important role in village economy and has high socio-economic value 

Cow dung in India is also used as a co-product in agriculture, such as manure, biofertiliser, biopesticides, pestrepellent and as a source of energy. As per ayurveda, it can also act as a purifier for all the wastes in the nature Therefore in India, Cow  is not only just milk-producing animal but also truly considered as Gomata (mother of all) and Kamdhenu Detailed study of cow dung is gaining interest around the world and few attempts have been made for utilising its potential in the field of energy production, pharmaceutical products. The review intends to highlight the possible applications of cow dung particularly in the area ranging from energy, agriculture and environment to medicine for human welfare.