Tasty Herb that Heals: A Review of Cosmos caudatus (Ulam Raja) and its Potential Uses in Dentistry
Usman H Uzbek, Wan NS Shahidan
Keywords :
Cosmos caudatus, Pharmacological use, Traditional medicine, Ulam raja
Citation Information :
Uzbek UH, Shahidan WN. Tasty Herb that Heals: A Review of Cosmos caudatus (Ulam Raja) and its Potential Uses in Dentistry. World J Dent 2019; 10 (4):321-324.
Aim: In recent years, there has been an increase in research on herbal derivatives with regards to their medicinal use. This review aims to summarize the scientific reports on one such herb, Cosmos caudatus. Our primary focus is to highlight its pharmacological properties and their potential applications in the field of dentistry.
Background: The vascular plant biodiversity of Southeast Asia is second to that of South America, with many of these plants being used for their traditional medicinal benefits. One such herb that is popular in Malaysia is C. caudatus, locally referred to as ulam raja. It is an edible herb, commonly served in the form of a salad and is also used in traditional medicine practices to boost blood circulation, increase strength of bones, reduce fever, treat infections, and improve skin texture. Recent scientific studies have reported numerous pharmacological benefits of C. caudatus ranging from being an antioxidant agent to having bone-protective properties. These properties are attributed to a rich source of biochemical compounds found in the herb. A PubMed and Science Direct database search was conducted revealing 25 papers relevant to our review of C. caudatus, describing its traditional uses, pharmacological uses, botanical description, and phytochemical description.
Review results: Published studies have reported that C. caudatus has potent antioxidant properties. It has shown both antibacterial and antifungal activities. Extracts of C. caudatus are capable of acting as an antihypertensive and antidiabetic agent, in both human and animal models. It also plays a role as a bone-protective and bone-proliferative agent.
Conclusion:C. caudatus has the potential of being greatly beneficial in treating various dental diseases due to its pharmacological properties.
Clinical significance: There is need for further research into this abundant natural resource in order to explore its potential uses in clinical dentistry.
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