Pharmaceutical approach of Taro (Colocasia esculenta)

Abstract

Colocasia esculenta is a widely cultivated plant belonging to the family Araceae. It is commonly known as “Taro” the name was given to this family’s tubers and roots. It is an annual herbaceous plant with a long history of uses in traditional medicine and as a food in several countries. Taro is an extremely valuable source of carbohydrates as an energy source. It is rich in mucilage and starch granules. Traditionally, it has been employed in the treatment of asthma, arthritis, diarrhea, neuro disorders, and skin disorders. It possesses ingredients having antitumor, anti-diabetic, anti-microbial, anti-bacterial, anti-hepatotoxic, and anti-melanogenic properties. The literature survey carried out revealed that taro can serve as a potential film-forming agent, disintegrant, diluent, and granulating agent. The review revealed that taro can be used in the pharmaceutical industry for its various properties. Taro mucilage was found to be a suitable alternative to conventional mucilage’s in formulations and development. Also in this review, we described different extraction techniques used to extract mucilage from the corms of the taro plant. The review concluded that all parts of the taro plant are useful and have a variety of health benefits. The starch and the gum obtained from the corms of C. esculenta can be used in the pharmaceutical industries for its various properties such as in the form of binder, matrix forming agent etc.