Costus speciosus: Medicinally Wild Edible Stout of Odisha

Sanjay Kumar Madkami

Archita Behera

Sanjeet Kumar

•Higher plants are major sources of therapeutic agents, it was utilized throughout the world.

•Currently more than 2000 plants are used as single drugs and compound formulation.

•The current demand for the plant based products in medicine and industry has resulted in extensive of plant for potential therapeutic agents.

•In India, the agro-climatic condition provide an ideal habitat for growth of more than 9500 medicinal plant .

•Today a substantial number of drugs are developed from plants which are active against a number of diseases.

•In this research work Costus speciosus Koen. is selected, as it is one of the important wild rhizomatous plant having nutritional and medicinal values and extensively used by rural and tribal people of Odisha as traditional medicine.

INTRODUCTION

Costus speciosus

Systematic position

Kingdom - PlantaeSubkingdom - TracheobinotaDivision - MangoliophytaClass - LiliopsidaOrder - ZingiberalesFamily - CostaceaeGenus - CostusSpecies - speciosus

Mature plant of Costus speciosus (J. Konig) Smith.(Saxena H O and Brahmam M. The Flora of Orissa.1996. IV: 2037- 2039)

Uses of Costus speciosus

• Bruised leaves are applied in fever.

• Eating of one leave daily to keep blood glucose

low for diabetic people.

• Leaves decoction is utililized in bath for

patients with high fever.

• Leaves are given in mental disorder.

Leaves

(Ariharan et al., 2012.. International Journal of Advanced Life Sciences. 4: 24-27.)

Stem are also intake as food by boiling or frying removing its outer skin.

Decoction of stem is used in fever and dysentery.

Young stem juice is used internally for eye and ear infection.

Stem

(Singh N. 2011. International Journal of Pharma Sciences and Research. 2(12): 216- 225.)

Rhizomes and roots juice are given with sugar internally to treat leprosy.

These are given in pneumonia, rheumatism, urinary diseases, jaundice, etc.

The root extract possesses antidiabetic, antibacterial, antifungal and antioxidant properties.

It contains Diosgenin, a steroidal saponingenerally used as antifertility agent.

Bioactive compounds like costunolide, eremanthin, protodioscin, dioscin, octasonoic acid, etc. are present.

Rhizome

Daisy P, Eliza J, and Ignacimuthu S. 2008. Journal of Health Science. 54: 675- 681.

Seed and Fruit

Seeds and fruits of these plants are used in the preparation of syrups in traditional medicine as cough suppressant and in the treatment of oxidative related diseases.

PHOTO OF FRUIT N SEED

Arora R K and Pandey A. 1996. Diversity, Conservation and Use. National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources, New

Delhi, India.

Nutritional Values• Costus speciosus (Koen.) Sm. rhizome is a good source of micronutrients like

Vitamin A, which can prevent night blindness and malnutrition prevalent.

• Besides it is rich in antioxidant, nutrients like β- carotene, ascorbic acid

(Vitamin C), tocoferol (Vitamin E), which can prevent coronary disorder and

cancer.

• The tubers of Costus speciosus are being consumed raw or as vegetable.

• It possesses a very good amount of carbohydrate- 44.51%, starch- 31.65%,

amylose- 14.44%, protein- 19.20% and lipid/ oil content was also estimated to be

3.52% in this species.

PHARMACOLOGICAL ACTIVITY OF

Costus speciosus

Antidiabetic

Antibacterial

Antifun

gal

Anticancer

Antioxid

ant Anthelmi

ntic

Antiinflamm

atory Hepatoprotec

tive

( (Bhuyan B, et al.. 2013. Pharmanest. 4(6): 1447- 1457.) Vasantharaj S, et al 2013. International Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences and

Research. 4(5): 1815- 1819.)

Conclusion & Future Prospects

• The study of the antimicrobial and medicinal properties of this plant and parts will facilitate the possible use

of the plants for curing common diseases and also in preparation of medicines. This could counteract the need

for new and modern drugs against the resistant microbes.

• The nutritional values of these rhizomes can be documented and hence will encourage to propagate more and

more indigenous rhizomatous crops which can partly solve their food problems and to make a suitable

horticulture plant

• Mass cultivation of these wild plants through Tissue culture can protect the minor rhizome crops from

extinction helping in conservation of wide biodiversity available in Odisha.

• Tribal people at the time of food scarcity depend on this plant for their dietary.

FUTURE PROSPECTOUS