Abstract
ChlorophytumborivilianumSantapauFernandes(Liliaceae)alsoknownasSafedMusliisatraditionalrareIndianmedicinalherbwhichhasmanytherapeuticapplicationsinAyurvedic,Unani,HomeopathicandAllopathicsystemofmedicine.Itsroots(tubers)arewidelyusedforvarioustherapeuticapplications.Itisusedtocurephysicalillnessandweakness,asanaphrodisiacagentandrevitalizer,asgeneralsextonic,remedyfordiabetes,arthritisandincreasingbodyimmunity,curativefornatalandpostnatalproblems,forrheumatismandjointpains,increaselactationinfeedingmothers,asantimicrobial,anti-inflammatory,antitumoragent,alsousedindiarrhea,dysentery,gonorrhea,leucorrheaetc.Ithasspermatogenicpropertyandisfoundusefulincuringimpotency,nowitisconsideredasanalternativeViagra.Itsrootcontainssteroidalandtriterpenoidalsaponins,sapogeninsandfructanswhichactastherapeuticagentsandplayvitalroleinmanytherapeuticapplications.Itisarichsourceofover25alkaloids,vitamins,proteins,carbohydrates,steroids,saponins,potassium,calcium,magnesium,phenol,resins,mucilage,andpolysaccharidesandalsocontainshighquantityofsimplesugars,mainlysucrose,glucose,fructose,galactose,mannoseandxylose.Thecommercialexploitationofthisplantandtheirsecondarymetabolites,germplasmconservationandinvitroproductionofsecondarymetabolitesforqualitycontrolaresomeofthemajorprospectsofthisraremedicinalherb.Thefocusofthepresentreviewistogalvanizethepotentialoftherapeuticandnutritivevaluesofthisherbandproductionoftheirsecondarymetabolites.Theinvitrotuberinduction,extraction,purificationandcharacterizationofsaponinsarealsodiscussedinthepresentreview.

PMID:19751181[Pubmed-MEDLINE]