Saussurea costus: Botanical, chemical and pharmacological review of an ayurvedic medicinal plant

• Published in: Journal of ethnopharmacology 2007-04, Vol.110 (3), p.379-390
• Main Authors: Pandey, Madan Mohan, Rastogi, Subha, Rawat, Ajay Kumar Singh
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: anti-inflammatory agents; anti-ulcer activity; antineoplastic agents; Ayurvedic medicine; Biological and medical sciences; chemical constituents of plants; costunolide; cynaropicrin; dehydrocostus lactone; ethnobotany; General pharmacology; hepatoprotective effect; Lactones - chemistry; Lactones - pharmacology; literature reviews; Medical sciences; medicinal plants; medicinal properties; Medicine, Ayurvedic; Pharmacognosy. Homeopathy. Health food; Pharmacology; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Phytotherapy; Plant Extracts - chemistry; Plant Extracts - pharmacology; Plants, Medicinal - chemistry; Saussurea - chemistry; Saussurea costus; Saussurea lappa; Sesquiterpene lactones; Sesquiterpenes - chemistry; Sesquiterpenes - pharmacology; sesquiterpenoid lactones
• ISSN: 0378-8741; 1872-7573
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2006.12.033

Saussurea costus (Falc.) Lipschitz, syn Saussurea lappa C.B. Clarke is a well known and important medicinal plant widely used in several indigenous systems of medicine for the treatment of various ailments, viz. asthma, inflammatory diseases, ulcer and stomach problems. Sesquiterpene lactones have been reported as the major phytoconstituents of this species. Different pharmacological experiments in a number of in vitro and in vivo models have convincingly demonstrated the ability of Saussurea costus to exhibit anti-inflammatory, anti-ulcer, anticancer and hepatoprotective activities, lending support to the rationale behind several of its traditional uses. Costunolide, dehydrocostus lactone and cynaropicrin, isolated from this plant, have been identified to have potential to be developed as bioactive molecules. Due to the remarkable biological activity of Saussurea costus and its constituents it will be appropriate to develop them as a medicine. The present review is an up-to-date and comprehensive analysis of the botany, chemistry, pharmacology and traditional and folkloric uses of Saussurea costus.