A review on the phytochemistry and biological activities of Curculigo latifolia Dryand ex. W.Aiton

Curculigo latifolia Dryand. ex W. T. Aiton, from the genus Curculigo, is a medicinal plant traditionally used to treat numerous illnesses such as fever, stomach aches, jaundice, wounds, and inflammation. C. latifolia is a perennial herb that is widely found in tropical and subtropical regions, such as Southeast Asia, Southern China, Bangladesh, Australia, and the Andaman Islands. This review collates the reported studies on the different aspects of C. latifolia from its plant description, nutritional value, phytochemistry, chemical composition, and pharmacological properties. This review aims to identify gaps in the literature and provide useful references for future work on this plant. Previous studies have shown that C. latifolia contains high mineral contents of calcium, iron, and magnesium, which are essential components of human health. Moreover, the plant is rich in phytochemicals, which play a prominent role in various pharmacological activities. The most common compounds identified included curculigoside, crassifoside I, nyasicoside, and curculigine. C. latifolia demonstrated high antioxidant activity through its ability to scavenge superoxide anions, 1,1–diphenyl–2–picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2’-azino–bis(3–ethylbenzthiazoline–6–sulfonic acid) (ABTS) radicals, reducing ferric ions to ferrous complexes, iron chelation, and B-carotene bleaching. It was also shown that the roots, stems, and leaves of C. latifolia were effective in exerting antimicrobial activity against several microbial strains, including Bacillus cereus, Bacillus subtillis, Enterobacter aerogenes, Erwinia sp., Klebsiella sp., Pseudomonas sp., Candida albicans, Salmonella choleraesuis and Staphylococcus aureus. Moreover, the root, fruit, leaf, petiole, and rhizome extracts were found to improve glucose uptake and insulin secretion in diabetic rats, suggesting their antidiabetic potential. C. latifolia presents a wide range of medicinal properties that could make it a promising functional food or source of food supplements to prevent nutrition–related or chronic diseases.