Screening and analysis of bioactive compounds of traditional hair shampoo (Chenghi) - A review

Background: Traditional practice(s) in Manipur is one of the oldest in terms of keeping food fresh (preservation/conservation/fermentation) and one such practice is using rice soaked water as a hair shampoo and conditioner. Aim: The current review aims at analysing the traditional practices of Chenghi as an hair shampoo in Manipur. Materials & methods: A survey was initiated to collect information from the local people on the use of Chenghi with various medicinal or non-medicinal plants in Manipur during 2019-2020. The indigenous knowledge of local traditional practice using native plants in Chenghi for hair shampoo purposes was collected through personal interviews and questionnaires from different parts of the state. Further, the information about the plants was collected from the scientific literature and published articles. Possible isolation of microorganisms is also highlighted along with the extraction of bioactive compounds for their antimicrobial activity and other benefits (hair smoothing and as a shampoo) of such compounds. Observations: The present investigation revealed that the use of Chenghi is very common in Manipur. 18 families, 30 genera of the various groups of plants with their types, parts used, mode of Chenghi extraction and, how the Chenghi is used in Manipur (Indo-Burma hotspot), North Eastern corner of India have been successfully investigated. This study indicates that still many people in the studied parts (districts: Imphal west, Kakching, Thoubal, and Bishnupur) of Manipur relied on using Chenghi as a hair shampoo and conditioner. Conclusions: Overall, at this hour, the worry is, that traditional knowledge is in danger of disappearing soon. Documentation for the preparation of Chenghi is also not in the proper manner, and the effectiveness of Chenghi is also not well known. This study may throws light for future research works on the local traditional values and practices, which ultimately can be taken for large scale industrial application and public use.