A REVIEW ON PHARMACOGNOSTIC AND PHARMACOLOGICAL APPROACH OF DIFFERENT SPECIES OF HEDYCHIUM

Kapur kachari is commonly known as “spiked ginger lily”, “white butterfly lily”. Botanically it is called as Hedychium coronarium belonging to family Zingebereceae. The Hedychium genus recorded more than 80 different species. Medicinally Hedychium spicatum & Hedychium coronarium species have reported pharmacological activities viz. anti-diabetic, anti-microbial and anti-fungal, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory etc. Hedychium coronarium is found in Himalaya region in India, and tropical and subtropical region of Asia and Africa. Hedychium coronarium mainly contains 93% - 99% of volatile oil viz. 1, 8‐cineole, β-pinene, and α-terpineol, linalool. The present review is designed to evaluate phytopharmacological screening and different traditional uses of Kapur kachari. Both flowers and rhizomes of Hedychium coronarium have been used traditionally to cure cough, asthma, nausea, local inflammation as well as used in modern medicine. The medicinal importance of this plant is mentioned in Ayurveda, Charaka Samhita and Sushruta Samhita. Hedychium is perennial rhizomatous herbs, light greyish-green externally. Leafy shoot 20–50 cm high, slanting with erect inflorescence. Flowers are long and white, orange-red or creamy colored. Keywords: Hedychium coronarium, Ayurveda, Volatile oil, Zingebereceae, phytopharmacological