Phytochemicals with pharmacological potentials from Hedychium coronarium plant: a concise review

Hedychium coronarium J. Koeing also referred as “white butterfly flower” or “butterfly ginger” belong to family of ginger (Zingiberaceae) which species from the genus Hedychium are distributed throughout tropical and subtropical regions in Asia, Pacific, South America and Africa. In folk medicine, H. coronarium is considered as analgesic, carminative, diuretic, stimulant, demulcent among others. For almost four decades, researchers have isolated chemical constituents with various pharmacological activities including anticancer, antidiabetic, antimicrobial, antirheumatic, anti-inflammatory and antihypertensive from different parts of the plant. This review explores one hundred and twenty-five (125) phytochemicals identified and isolated from H. coronarium from the year 1988 to date along with their pharmacological activities including the coronarins; labdane diterpenoids that are largely reported isolated from the plant. Other phytochemicals such as the essential oil constituents and extracts with biological activities are also reported in this review. This study presents an up-to-date of the phytochemistry and pharmacological activities of the H. coronarium plant with an insight into its therapeutic potentials.