Abstract

A CRITICAL REVIEW OF GLORY LILY: A RARE MEDICINAL PLANT

Tulika Mishra* and Pallavi Sharma

ABSTRACT

Gloriosa superba is an excellent medicinal plant found in Africa and tropical Asian countries. This plant has been used as ethnomedicine in India and several parts of the world. It has shown many pharmacological activities like anti-arthritic, analgesic, uterotonic, anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory, anthelmintic, antioxidant, anti-cancerous, anti-fertility, antithrombotic, anti-diabetic, and anti-anxiety. It can also cure diseases like leprosy, piles, tumor, fistula, gout, gynecological disorders, oral diseases, vitiligo, intestinal disorders, cough, snakebite, cholera, kidney problems, typhus, and many types of endoparasitic diseases. The problems encountered during the cultivation of Gloriosa sp. (Glory lily) include, poor seed set, low tuber propagation, pests, fungal and soil-borne diseases. Due to high demand and low production, it is harvested from the wild at a high rate. This plant species has become endangered in Asian countries hence facing local extinction and it is included in ‘Red Data Book' by the IUCN. Mass propagation and quality planting material can be achieved by exploring tissue culture methods to conserve this plant. The current review covers all the aspects of strategies for the conservation of Gloriosa superba.

Keywords: Gloriosa superba, Pharmaceutical, Colchicine, Conservation, Tissue culture.