Gloriosa superba L: A critical Review of Recent Advances

Abstract

Gloriosa superba is a flowering plant belongs to Colchicaceae. It refers to full of glory', and the superba refers ‘superb’ referring to the outstanding red and yellow flowers. G. superba is a highly toxic plant, due to the presence of an alkaloid, ‘Colchicine’. Adequate ingestion of this alkaloid could cause fatalities to humans and animals. Despite its toxicity, G. superba considered as a medicinal plant because of its medicinal constituents and properties such as colchicine, gloriosine, pungent, bitter, acrid, heating, anthelmintic, laxative, alexiteric, and abortifacient. G. superba utilized for the treatment of snakebite, scorpion stings, parasitic skin disease, urological pains, colic, chronic ulcers, piles, gonorrhoea, gout, infertility, wounds, arthritis, cholera, kidney problems, itching, leprosy, cancer, sexually transmitted disease, and countless other diseases. This plant listed under the threatened category due to its indiscreet reaping from the wild as medicinal industries widely use it for its colchicine content. Field study and secondary sources were used to abridge the information on the recent advancement study of G. superba. In the present review, the information regarding the occurrence, botanical description, propagation, medicinal application pharmacological, ethnomedicinal, biological, and toxicological studies of G. superba and its recent advancement has been summarized. The detailed study of G. superba with current trends helps the researcher to focus on the future development needed for its conservation.