A Review on Phytochemical and Ethnopharmacological Activities of Curculigo orchioides

A scientific evaluation of herbs or medicinal plants according to their ethnopharmacological or traditional methods of use in various diseases management can incorporate them into the complementary and alternative medicine. Curculigo orchioides Gaertn. (Hypoxidaceae) is a perennial herb with long cylindrical rhizomes, distributed throughout India, especially in north hillside region, as well as in other Asian countries. The rhizome, as well as the tuberous roots of the plant has been extensively used in indigenous systems of medicine in India, Pakistan, China and some other Asian countries for the treatment of various diseases. The rhizomes of this plant possess various medicinal as well as other properties such as cooling, diuretic, aphrodisiac, tonic hemorrhoids, leucorrhoea, pruritis, skin diseases, asthma, bronchitis, jaundice, cancer, diarthrosis wound healing, and sweet etc. The active compounds reported are flavones, glycosides, alkaloids, steroids, saponins, triterpenoids and other secondary metabolites. Therefore, the plants have long since been deemed a valuable source of natural products for maintaining human health.