Int. J. Pharm. Sci. Rev. Res., 54(2), January - February 2019; Article No. 10, Pages: 51-57 ISSN 0976 – 044X International Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences Review and Research Available online at www.globalresearchonline.net © Copyright protected. Unauthorised republication, reproduction, distribution, dissemination and copying of this document in whole or in part is strictly prohibited. 51 Flowerlet Mathew 1* , Bimi Varghese 2 1. Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmaceutics, Nirmala College of Pharmacy, Kerala, India. 2. Department of Pharmaceutics, Nirmala College of Pharmacy, Muvattupuzha P.O, Kerala, India. *Corresponding author’s E-mail: flowerletmathew@gmail.com Received: 10-12-2018; Revised: 22-01-2019; Accepted: 05-02-2019. ABSTRACT Costus igneus (or insulin plant) is a traditionally used medicinal herb which is native to Southeast Asia. The plant has been recently introduced into India and it is grown as an ornamental plant in south India. Insulin plant contains various phytochemical constituents like steroid, alkaloid, flavonoid, triterpene, glycoside, and saponins. Its leaves are being used as a dietary supplement in the treatment of diabetes mellitus. The catchphrase of the plant is: "a leaf a day keeps diabetes away". Various pharmacological activities include antidiabetic effect, antiproliferative potential, antimicrobial activity, antiurolithiatic property anti-inflammatory potential, its effect on learning and memory, antioxidant activity, neuroprotective role, hypolipidemic activity etc. The present review article attempts to explore various medicinal properties of Costus igneus (insulin plant) for research purposes and its suitable formulation development in the future for the welfare of mankind. Keywords: Costus igneus, Insulin plant, Leaf, Phytoconstituents, Ayurvedic use, Pharmacological activities, Marketed products. INTRODUCTION ostus belongs to the family Costaceae, commonly known as insulin plant in India because its leaves help to build up insulin in the human body 1 . Since oral hypoglycemic agents possess various side effects, there is a growing demand for herbal remedies for the treatment of diabetes mellitus. Many plant preparations are used in folklore and traditional system of medicine to manage diabetes mellitus. Investigation on new oral hypoglycemic compounds from medicinal plants will set a milestone for the development of pharmaceutical entities or as a dietary adjunct to existing therapies in the future. Insulin plant is one such traditional plant which is getting global acceptance nowadays and is now widely used as an ayurvedic medicinal herb. Consumption of the leaves are believed to lower blood glucose levels, and diabetics who consumed the leaves of this plant said to have a fall in their blood glucose levels. Insulin plant is native to Southeast Asia, especially on the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is relatively a new entrant to India and is being grown as an ornamental plant in Kerala. In the Ayurvedic system of medicine, diabetes is traditionally treated by chewing the plant leaves for a period of one month to get a controlled blood glucose level 1 . Plant Description Figure 1: Insulin Plant Costus igneus N.E. Br. is a perennial, upright, tropical evergreen plant belongs to the family Costaceae. Possesses evergreen leaves which are simple, alternate, entire and oblong, having 4-8 inches length with parallel venation. The large, smooth, dark greens leaves possess light purple undersides and are spirally arranged around stems, forming attractive, arching clumps arising from underground rootstocks. It reaches a height of about 60cm with the tallest stems falling over and lying on the ground. Beautiful orange flowers are produced in the warm months having a 2.5-12.5cm diameter, appears on cone-like heads at the tips of branches 2 . Propagation of insulin plant is by stem cutting 1 . Common names: Fiery Costus, Spiral flag, Insulin plant, Step ladder 3 Table 1: Vernacular names 4 Languages Names English Spiral Ginger, Spotted Spiral Ginger, Painted Spiral Ginger Telugu Peddavesiga, Yeangesha Urdu Bijasar, Dam al akhwain Bengali Piasal Hindi Banda, Bija-sal, Peisar , jarul, Keukand Kannada Kempu honne Malayalam Honne, Karintakara, Vengai, Venna-maram Marathi Honi , Pushkarmula Sanskrit Asana, Bandhukapushpa Tamil Neyccarikamaram, Venkai-c-ciray , Kostam Gujarati Pakarmula A Review on Medicinal Exploration of Costus igneus: The Insulin plant C Review Article