Challenges in using electronic tongue to study rasa of plants: I. Finding the right tool for the right job.

There is growing interest in understanding how ayurveda, the indigenous medical system of India, uses plants for therapeutic purpose. The aim of this two parts article is to explore how the analytical technique of Electronic tongue (E-tongue) can be used for studying rasa, one of the major ayurvedic parameter in the study of medicinal and nutritional plants. Although E-tongue is widely used in pharmaceutical, food and beverage industries for objective evaluation of taste, its use in plants from an ayurvedic perspective is novel. This first of the two parts article introduces the technique of E-tongue, positioning it in context for the following part. The latter discusses crucial control experiments required prior using E-tongue for studies on medicinal plants from an ayurvedic standpoint.