About this Produce
Psyllium seeds (Plantago ispaghula Roxb.) or Psyllium (Isabgol) is native to Iran and India. Psyllium seeds contain mucilage in the seed coat, proteins and fatty oil in the endosperm. It has a broad range of medical and industrial applications. It is used to treat constipation as it is a bulk-forming laxative. Psyllium has been used in Ayurvedic medicine in India and in traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years. It has also been used in Europe and North America in the last few years. It is widely considered very safe and effective when used in recommended doses for constipation and diarrhea.Its industrial uses are to prevent soil erosion in landscaping, as animal feed, and as a thickening agent in some pharmaceutical and food industries.
The crop is mainly cultivated in the states of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Haryana and Madhya Pradesh. India is the largest producer and the main supplier of seed and husk to the world market.
It can be grown well in saline soils. The water requirement is low as compared to traditional crop making it suitable for arid areas in Rajasthan. It matures in about 120 days (November to Feb-March). Rajasthan produces 67% of the Isabgol followed by Gujarat at 33%.
