Pharmacology and Phytochemistry of underexploited tuber crops: A review

Abstract

Tuber crops play an important role in food security, nutritional security and climate change adaptation. These crops are essential components of stable daily diet in many under developed and developing countries around the globe and comprises of major and underexploited minor tuber species. Among these crops, the major edible species include cassava, sweet potato, yams, Chinese potato, canna, arrowroot, starchy Curcuma and aroids and minor non-edible medicinal crops include Coleus forskohlii, wild Dioscorea, wild amorphophallus species etc. These medicinally important tuber crops possess pharmacologically active principles and possess important medicinal properties. Over the past few decades, there has been observed significant revival of interest among the people on various natural products as powerful antioxidants, bioactive compounds and natural drugs, therefore current research on natural products remains the main means of discovering potential principle bioactive health compounds in the existing unexplored tuber species. The main objective of this review is to cover the details of local and traditional uses of the tuber species which includes pharmacology, photochemistry and toxicology of medicinally important minor underexploited tuber crops.