Botanical name – Daucus carota
Family- Apiaceae
Identification No.: SDACH/HG/191
Synonyms– Gajar, Narang Varnak
Vernacular Names
Hindi: Gajar
English: Carrot
Bengali: Gajor
Marathi: Gajjar
Gujarati: Gajar
Tamil: Carrot
Telugu: Gajaru
Kannada: Gajjari
Morphology-
Carrots consist of leaves, flowers, tubers, and roots. Carrot leaves are double or triple pinnate compound, and leaflets are lanceolate (stripes). It has 5-7 petiole, stiff and thick petiole with a smooth surface. At the same time, the leaves are limp and thin. The stems of the carrot plant are so short they are barely visible. The trunk is also round, not woody, a little stiff, and small in diameter, dark green. It has no branches but is overgrown by longleaf stalks so that it looks branched. Carrot plants have taproots. The taproot will change its form and function to become a storage area for food reserves. Roots will turn out to be large and round lengthwise, up to 6 cm in diameter and up to 30 cm long, depending on the variety. Carrot plant flowers grow on the tip of the plant and are white. Flowers have short, thick stalks.
Varieties
- Daucus carota subsp. sativus (cultivated carrot)
- Daucus carota subsp. carota (wild carrot or Queen Anne’s Lace)
- Red carrot (desi) and orange carrot (European) types
Rasapanchak–
Rasa- Madhur, Tikta
Guna- Laghu, Teekshan
Virya- Ushna
Vipaka- Katu
Doshakarma–
Vatakapha nashak
Phytochemicals
- β-carotene (Provitamin A)
- Lutein, Zeaxanthin
- Vitamins: A, C, K, B-complex
- Flavonoids
- Polyacetylenes
- Coumarins
- Volatile oils (terpenes in seeds)
- Dietary fiber
- Sugars (glucose, fructose, sucrose)
Amayika Prayoga / Therapeutic Uses
External
- Paste of root in skin inflammation, burns (cooling)
- Juice used for eye wash (mild conjunctivitis – diluted)
Internal
- Used in anemia, debility, constipation, and indigestion
- Juice used for liver disorders and as a cooling drink
- Seed decoction used as diuretic and emmenagogue
- Beneficial in eye disorders due to high carotene content
- Used as rasayana in rejuvenative diet
Parts used– leaf, seed and root
IUCN
Not Evaluated
Research Updates
- 2020 – Journal of Food Science & Nutrition:
Showed strong antioxidant and hepatoprotective activity of Daucus carota juice in CCl₄-induced liver toxicity models.
- 2021 – Clinical Nutrition ESPEN:
Randomized study on beta-carotene supplementation from carrot juice showed improved visual acuity in age-related macular degeneration. - 2023 – Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge:
Validated Daucus carota as a functional food with anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects; potential adjunct in chronic disorders like diabetes and arthritis.
