SHALLOT

Shallot or known by the scientific name Allium cepa L. is one of the members of the familia Liliaceae. Shallot have been known and used by people for thousands of years ago. Shallot plants thought to have come from the Central Asian region, namely the regions of India, Pakistan to Palestine. The Egyptians had known since 3200-2700 BC, the Ancient Greeks since 2100 BC, and Israel found since 1500 BC. Countries in Western Europe, Eastern Europe, and Spain are new to the shallot around the eighth century. From this and shallot spread to the Americas, East Asia and Southeast Asia.

Shallot is a multipurpose vegetable tubers, can be used as a spice in cooking, vegetables, flavoring dishes, as well as traditional medicine as an antiseptic effect and alisin aniline compounds it contains. The active ingredients of shallot essential oil consists of sikloaliin, metilaliin, kaempferol, quercetin, and floroglusin.

The Characteristics Shallot

This plant is an annual herbaceous plant with a height of 40-60 cm. Not trunked, layered bulbous, whitish red, perforated, straight shape, pointed tip, but the average length of ± 50 cm ± 0.5 cm wide, thick and fleshy and contain food supplies consisting of the holes are coated leaves to become bulbs, green.

Plants have root fibers, the hollow cylinder-shaped leaves. Tubers are formed from the base of the leaves together and form stems that change shape and function, enlarged and form a layered bulbs. Shallot bulbs are formed of layers of leaves enlarged and united. Shallot bulbs is not a true tubers such as potato or taro.

Shallot flower is compound interest that stemmed cylindrical-shaped bunches with 50-200 flowers. Has a length of ± 40 cm, green, six stamens, white stem, green anthers, pistil stuck at the base of the flower, the crown ovoid shape, pointed tip, middle white striped. At the tip and base of the stalk shrinking and bulging middle section, shaped like a pipe with holes in it. Stalk bunches of flowers is very long, higher than the leaf itself and reaches 30-50 cm. Fruit will actually formed of three leaves of a fruit called carpel, which formed three rooms and in each room there are two candidates for the seed.

Fruit is round with a blunt tip. Seed shape slightly flattened, triangular and black. Shallot seeds can be used as a generative plant propagation material.

Condition Of Growth

Shallots can be planted well in lowland and highland. Shallots requires a climate of high humidity in the early growth and dry conditions and high temperatures, which is an average of 30 °C. Shallots can be grown well in upland areas, but generally better in low-lying areas up to a height of 30 meters above sea level due to high air temperatures. The height of the ocean surface range from 0-800 meters. Shallots including vegetable plants that are not resistant to rain. The optimum rainfall of 100-200 ml/month.

Shallot crop more developed in the lowlands dry climate with temperatures rather hot and sunny weather. Although shallots do not like a waterlogged but the shallot crop requires a lot of water in the formation of tubers. Shallot developed seasonally dry season (April to October) resulting in production and prices fluctuate throughout the season.

This plant requires fertile soil, many containing humus, loose, and good air exchange, and not stagnant. Favored land is the land of sandy sediment and clay.

Substances Contained In Shallots

Shallot proved to be extremely rich in substances that are useful for our body. To benefit from this shallot, let us know more about the content of this festive shallot. The following important the contents contained in shallot bulbs:

1.   Saponin. Substances contained within this shallot could help to thin the phlegm when you cough disease. Sputum must be diluted because of the dense phlegm would interfere with breathing and also make a sore throat when coughing. Shallot substance is a herb that is very effective as a cough medicine.

2.   Flavonglikosida. Substances contained in shallot is very effective to kill the bacteria, so people often use substances contained within shallot for the treatment of wounds and infections that are not inflamed. Substance of the shallot is very effective as a cure wounds.

3.   Essential Oil. Essential oils contained in the shallots, the benefits are:

a.   Essential oils of shallot has a distinctive aroma, if inhaled can eliminate the headache also restore consciousness when fainting or travel sickness land, sea, or air. Shallot essential oil is very suitable to carry on the way, because the essential oils of shallot serves as preventive medicine carsick, sea or air.

b.   Shallot essential oil is also useful for massage while removing wind from the stomach and blood circulation. When you catch a cold or exposed to other diseases caused by blood circulation is not smooth like menstruation is not smooth in women, massage with essential oils of shallot can be done.

c.   Additionally shallot essential oil is also beneficial to cure blisters on the nipple nursing mothers and shallot essential oil is also a foam to treat hemorrhoids. Shallot essential oil is the best medicine to treat hemorrhoids.

4.   Sikloaliin. Sikloaliin substances shallot is very powerful to lower the body temperature. Sikloaliin shallot substance has the same content with other content on shallot, which metialiin, quercetin, kaemfreol, and floroglusin. Fifth shallot substance is a drug for fever or body temperature very powerful. So the shallot sikloaliin substances can be used to cure fever. Sikloaliin substances shallot is a type of drug known as a full drug tremendous heat.

5.   Floroglusin. Floroglusin substance in shallot bulbs in addition to lower body temperature, shallot floroglisin substances could also prevent the emergence of cancer cells in the body. Floroglusin substance in shallot bulbs is a good cancer-preventing drugs.

6.   Dihidroaliin. These substances shallot dihidroaliin help smooth urination for those who have problems with urination. Based on clinical trials, dihidroaliin substance in shallots can overcome the problem of the content of urine disease. Dihidroaliin shallot substance is widely used by people who have problems with urination.

7.   Peptide. Peptide in shallot is very useful also to reduce blood sugar levels, so that the shallots you can also treat diabetes or diabetes. Peptide in shallot by experts made into a diabetes drug.

8.   Vitamins and Minerals. It has been ascertained that all the shallots contain protein, fat, calcium, phosphorus, iron, vitamin B1 and C which are useful for the human metabolism. If the body's metabolism smoothly then your body will be healthy. So by consuming lots of shallots, you will receive your intake of vitamins and minerals is sufficient for our body. In shallot there are many substances that are required by the body as calories, protein, fat, calcium, and others.

9.   Pectin. Pectin is generally present in the primary cell walls of plants, especially the sidelines between the cellulose and hemi cellulose. Pectin compound also serves as an adhesive between the cell wall with one another. Section between the two walls of the adjacent cell is called lamela middle. As a constituent of plant tissue, pectin substances responsible for the majority of hardness and texture of fruits and vegetables. Network softening of fruits during ripening, the destruction of stability Icoloid fruit concentrates changes are often caused by changes in pectin substances. As an additive, pectin is gelling and thickening invaluable.

Pectin consists mainly of various carbohydrate compounds. compound consists primarily of polysaccharides consisting of D galacturonic acid units linked by 1-4 glucoside bond, galacturonic acid is a derivative of galactose.

The content of nutrients in 100 grams of shallot: Energy 39 kcal, protein 0.3 g, fat 0.2 g, carbohydrates 10.2 g, calcium 36 mg, phosphorus 40 mg, iron 0.8 mg, Vitamin A 0 IU, vitamin B1 0.03 mg, vitamin C 15 mg, water 88 g.

Benefits Of Shallot

Although the shallot has a pungent aroma, it can even make out the tears, it smells indicate that the medicinal compounds in shallots. Aroma arises because of the wide variety of sulfur amino acid that becomes the primary photochemical on shallot.

Phytochemicals most in shallot is allisin and diallyl sulfide. Both of these minerals are very useful for lowering blood pressure, lowering blood sugar, lowering blood cholesterol levels, and as antibiotics.

Because it contains flavonglikosida, he considered anti-inflammatory, bacterial killer, while the content of saponin dilute phlegm. He also has a number of other substances that are efficacious reduce heat, warm, facilitate the issuance of wind from the stomach, launched in urination, prevent blood clotting, reduce cholesterol and blood sugar levels. According to recent research, shallots can also prevent cancer because the content of sulfur. It tuber layer contains substances such as protein, fat, calcium, phosphorus, iron, vitamin B1 and C.

Benefits of the shallot that makes phenomenal in the medical world is the ability to fight against cancer and other dangerous diseases. It can also be a source of powerful antioxidant to fight free radicals in the body.

1.   Cancer Prevention. 

2.   Lower Risk Prostate Cancer.

3.   The Esophagus And Stomach Cancer. 

4.   Set the Sleep and Mood. 

5.   Better For Heart. 

6.   Addressing Flatulence In Children. 

7.   Relieves Cough. 

8.   Controlling Blood Pressure And Cholesterol Levels. 

9.   Coping With Difficult Bowel Movements. 

10. Reduce The Risk Of Diabetes.

11. Lower the fever.

12. Smooth circulation of blood in the baby's body. 

Benefits of the shallot is very diverse, in addition to health shallot is also beneficial in terms of beauty. Here are the benefits of shallot for beauty:

1.   Prevent premature aging. 

2,  Preventing and treating acne, 

3.   Brighten face. 

4.   Coping with black spots. 

Health Risks Of Shallot

Although it is not very serious, eat onion can cause problems for some people. Carbohydrates in shallots can cause gas and bloating, according to the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse. Shallots, especially if consumed raw, can worsen heartburn in people who suffer from chronic heartburn or gastric reflux disease, according to a 1990 study in the American Journal of Gastroenterology.

Consuming some shallots or increase the consumption of onion can interfere with blood-thinning drugs, according to the University of Georgia. Shallots contain high amounts of vitamin K, which can lower blood function.

Shallot also allows for a food intolerance or allergy to shallots, but cases are rare, according to an article in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. People who have allergies shallot may experience redness, itchy eyes and rashes if shallot contact with the skin. People with intolerance to shallots may experience nausea, vomiting and other stomach discomfort.