Costus pictus–transition from a medicinal plant to functional food: A review
Saranya Selvakumarasamy, Balakrishnaraja Rengaraju, Siddhu Adhiaman Arumugam, K. Ramalakshmi
Abstract
Medicinal plants play a pivotal role in curative care, be it from the olden days to the modern era. Costus pictus, popularly known as ‘insulin plant,’ manifests an extensive range of significant bioactivities including anti-diabetes, antioxidant, anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective and several other activities. The versatile features are by dint of its abundant phytochemicals, majorly flavonoids, and phenolic compounds. Therefore, the present article emphasizes addressing the therapeutic potential of C. pictus and the mechanism of action underneath these promising effects. The review also addresses the phytochemicals corresponding to these effects, thereby bringing about an understanding at the molecular level, providing discrete relevance to the in vivo studies whenever appropriate. The designing of functional foods with the supplementation of medicinal plants has become the domain of interest over the years. Further studies are indispensable to substantiate the effects of C. pictus incorporation onto foods and to conceptualize the dietary intake for counteracting diversified disorders.