Pharmocological Potential of Calocasia an Edible Plant

Colocasia esculenta Schott belongs to the family Aracea and is grown for its edible corms as a staple food throughout subtropical and tropical regions of the world Colocasia esculent (family: Araceae), In India, it is known as "arbi" or "arvi". In Indonesia, it is called talas or keladi .is widely grown throughout India.  Stem of this plant are used as vegetable in Indian traditional food system from many decades. Besides stems, other parts of the plant, such as leaves and roots, have also been used in the traditional system of medicine. The leaves of the plant are reported to possess huge vitamin C content and the root is rich in starch and essential nutrient such as thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, oxalic acid. This plant was also used to reduce fever and pain. Furthermore, Manisha et al.(2010) claimed that the leaf of C . esculenta exhibits neuropharmacological activity. Tarro or dasheen corms provide healthy amounts of some important minerals like zinc, magnesium, copper, iron, and manganese. In addition, the root has very good amounts of potassium. Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids that help regulate heart rate and blood pressure. The leaves are used as vegetable and as a ingredients of soup, Curry, stew or eaten fried as a side dish for rice. The present review describes morphological and pharmacological aspects of Colocasia esculenta. KEY WORDS: Colocasia esculenta, Pharmacology, Aracea, Flavanoids