Poster Presentation 2014 International Biophysics Congress

Studies on electrical hysteresis in Gorgon nut (#389)

Mohammed Sye 1 , Deshmukh Saira Khanam 2 , Vidyanath Jha 3 , R. Jeevan Kumar 4 , Adeel Ahmad 5
  1. Engineering Physics Lab, Department of CS & IT, School of Sciences, Maulana Azad National Urdu University, Gachibowli, Hyderabad, India
  2. Biophysics Unit, Department of Physics, Nizam College (Autonomous), Osmania University, Hyderabad-1, India
  3. Department of Botany, MLSM College, Darbhanga, Bihar State, India
  4. Molecular Biophysics Laboratories, Department of Physics, S.K. University, Anatapur, India
  5. Biophysics Unit, Department of Physics, Nizam College (Autonomous), Osmania University, Hyderabad-1, India

The aim of this paper is to investigate the electrical behavior of Gorgon nut samples commonly known as Makhana which is cultivated in the stagnant pools of northen Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, lower Assam, Manipur, Orissa, Jammu & Kashmir., etc. We measured the current (NADC) as a function of voltage in the interval of the 10 volts to 300 volts, both in increasing and decreasing order and studied Voltage- Current characteristics for few Gorgon nut samples in different physiological conditions (normal dry and oven dried). From the Voltage-Current characteristics of Gorgon nut it is obvious that fresh Gorgon nut samples are non-Ohmic while dry Gorgon nut exhibit Ohmic behavior. We found that the characteristic Voltage-Current Curve shows a hysteresis loop. The area within the loop represents electrical energy stored in the material per unit volume per cycle. The energy stored in fresh Gorgon nut samples calculated by electrical hysteresis loops (V-I characteristics) is in the range 2.73±1.3 to 4.6± 1.9 μ J cm-3cycle-1 and 0.573± 0.12 to 2.423±0.59 μ J cm-3cycle-1 for oven dried Gorgon nut samples. Significant variation was observed. Water plays a key role in the physics of Gorgon nut. Voltage measurements should be considered perturbative with respect to the electrical response of the samples. Makhana or Gorgon nut has nutritional and medicinal properties and generates scope of improving cottage industries. This paper constitutes a step towards the application of electrical hysteresis for medicinal plant properties.