Phytochemical competence and pharmacological perspectives of an endangered boon—Costus speciosus (Koen.) Sm.: a comprehensive review

Abstract

Background Costus speciosus (Koen) Sm. popularly known as crepe ginger or spiral ginger and insulin plant is a perennial rhizomatous herb contain variable number of medicinally important bioactive phytochemicals having intensive pharmacological effects due to antioxidant, antimicrobial, insecticidal, anticancerous, and antidiabetic properties. This plant is widely distributed throughout India and has tremendous ethnobotanical uses. This review article is the coalescence of the distribution, morphology, phytochemistry, pharmacology, effect, and mode of action of pharmacologically active principles of Costus speciosus. Main body The therapeutic potential possessed by the plant is mainly the attribution of the bioactive compounds such as phenolics, steroids, alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, terpenoids, and tannins, which are found to be present in different parts of the plant. Bioactive constituents like diosgenin, gracillin, dioscin, prosapogenins A and B of dioscin, eremanthin, costunolide, β-sitosterol, β-D-glucoside, β-carotene, α-tocopherol quinine, dihydrophytylplastoquinone, 5α-stigmast-9(11) en3β-ol, tetracosanyl octadecanoate, methyl hexadecanoate, methyl octadecanoate, cycloartenol, cycloartanol, and cycloalaudenol are specifically found in C. speciosus. This review also focuses on the possible mechanisms followed by these bioactive compounds while exhibiting various pharmacological properties. Because of the presence of diosgenin, this plant is given the name “insulin plant.” Diosgenin along with an important sesquiterpene, costunolide, performs significantly high antioxidant, anticancer, and antidiabetic activities. Besides these properties, insecticidal, antifungal, antibacterial, and anthelminthic properties have also been discussed. This plant needs to be given more emphasis as it is exploited at the commercial level by the pharmaceutical industries, conservation status is getting poorer, and it is already in a near-threatened state. Therefore, more systematic and intensive research should be done in a sustainable manner. Conclusion Spiral ginger plant shows diverse pharmacological effects due to presence of variety of bioactive phytochemicals, but the compounds like diosgenins, costunolides, eremanthin, and arbusculin are highly specific that exhibit effective antidiabetic, anticancerous, and antioxidative properties through different mechanism. Thus, C. speciosus can be exploited as an economically sustainable source of effective drugs against deadly diseases like diabetes and cancers with less or no side effects, and further research is needed to explore the intricacy of its pharmacological actions with human trials. Graphical Abstract

Antiviral Potential of Melissa officinalis L.: A Literature Review

“…Phytochemical components and Pharmacological effects of Melissa officinalis: Melissa officinalis is a therapeutic plant rich in organic active components which contains predominantly essential oils (including Citronellal, Menthol, Eugenol, Linalool, Pinocarvone, and Geraniol) and Polyphenols (including Rosmarinic acid, Caffeic acid, Chlorogenic acid, Salicylic acid, Ellagic acid, and Quercetin) that determine several pharmacological effects with possible therapeutic uses (including anti-inflammatory effects, anti-diabetic effects, anti-proliferative effects, anti-angiogenic effects, anti-depressant effects, anti-cancer effects, anti-oxidant effects, anti-microbial effects, anti-epileptic effects, and cardio-protective effects). [25][26][27] of Melissa officinalis on EV71 infection. This study showed that Melissa officinalis aqueous extract prevents loss of viability in EVA71-infected virus cells and Melissa officinalis has a high percentage of antiviral compounds.…”

“…The antimicrobial activities of lemon balm are mainly explained through the C15 and C10 terpenes with phenolic hydroxyl groups and aromatic rings, as well as other active terpenes, such as esters, aldehydes, and alcohols. 25 - 27 …”

“…The antimicrobial activities of lemon balm are mainly explained through the C15 and C10 terpenes with phenolic hydroxyl groups and aromatic rings, as well as other active terpenes, such as esters, aldehydes, and alcohols. [25][26][27] Moreover, these components have also demonstrated high antioxidant activity in lemon balm. Some studies evaluated the free radical scavenging ability of lemon balm together with positive results on lipid peroxidation.…”

Costus speciosus (J. Koenig) Sm., a suitable plant species for phytoremediation of crude oil and mercury contaminated soil

“…According to (Gupta 2010), C. speciosus is an ornamental tall, rhizomatous, perennial succulent herb that can grow up to 2.7 meters high. The plant's rhizome is covered in sheaths and includes nodes and internodes; as it grows upward, it becomes leafy (Sohrab et al 2021). The plant's thick, upright or occasionally ascending stems bear large, lanceolate, dorsally silky leaves in a helical fashion.…”

The Aqueous Leaf Extract of the Medicinal Herb Costus speciosus Suppresses Influenza A H1N1 Viral Activity under In Vitro and In Vivo Conditions

“…It is widely used as a treatment for diabetes [ 12 ]. This plant, popularly known as crepe ginger, spiral ginger, or insulin plant is a perennial rhizomatous herb that contains numerous medicinally important phytochemicals [ 13 ]. The known compounds of C. speciosus have intensive pharmacological effects owing to their antimicrobial, antioxidant, insecticidal, anticancer, and antidiabetic properties.…”