Potential medicinal benefits of Cosmos caudatus (Ulam Raja): A scoping review

Abstract

Cosmos caudatus is widely used as a traditional medicine in Southeast Asia. C. caudatus has been reported as a rich source of bioactive  compounds such as ascorbic acid, quercetin, and chlorogenic acid. Studies have shown that C. caudatus exhibits high antioxidant capacity and various medicinal properties, including anti-diabetic activity, anti-hypertensive properties, anti-infl ammatory responses, bone-protective eff ect, and anti-microbial activity. This review aims to present the potential medicinal benefi ts of C.caudatus from the available scientific literature. We searched PubMed and ScienceDirect database for articles published from 1995 to January 2015. Overall, 15 articles related to C. caudatus and its medicinal benefits are reviewed. All these studies demonstrated that C. caudatus is effective, having demonstrated its anti-diabetic, anti-hypertensive, anti-inflammatory, bone-protective, antimicrobial, and anti-fungal activity in both in vitro and animal studies. None of the studies showed any negative eff ect of C. caudatus related to medicinal use. Currently available evidence suggests that C. caudatus has beneficial effects such as reducing blood glucose,reducing blood pressure, promoting healthy bone formation, and demonstrating anti-infl ammatory and anti-microbial properties.However, human clinical trial is warranted.

Key words: Anti-diabetic, anti-hypertensive, anti-infl ammatory, anti-microbial, anti-oxidant, bone-protective, Cosmos caudatus,medicinal eff ect