Exploring the Ethnomedicinal Uses, Phytochemical Constituents and Biological Activities of Caladium Bicolor: A Review

Abstract

Caladium bicolor (Aiton) Vent is a genus of flowering plants in the family Araceae. The plant is occasionally gathered from the wild and used as a food source by local folks. It is often grown as an ornamental plant in tropical gardens, where it is valued particularly for its attractive foliage. Various parts of the plant have been used in traditional medicine to manage conditions such as convulsion in children, facial paralysis, tumours, sore throats, toothache, constipation, wounds, flu symptoms, as an antiseptic, emetic, laxative and insecticide. This is the first review that summarizes the botanical description, plant ecology, geographical distribution, traditional uses, phytochemical screening, biological activities and toxicity of Caladium bicolor. The information that are contained in this review article, being the first article that addresses this topic were gotten from online databases and published literatures on traditional uses and various research studies conducted on Caladium bicolor in various countries from 1985-2021.Phytochemical screening of extracts from different parts of Caladium bicolor showed the presence of tannins, flavonoids, alkaloids and saponins in its leaves, tubers, stem and roots, and cardiac glycosides in the leaves and tubers of the plant. Carbohydrates, lignin, starch, mucilage, cellulose, cutin and suberin were also found to be present in the methanolic extracts of its leaves with absence of calcium oxalate. Various studies have discovered its antimicrobial, antioxidant, antidiarrheal, antiproliferative, antiangiogenic, anti-inflammatory, mitogenic, cytotoxic and thrombolytic activities. This review therefore summarizes reports on Caladium bicolor plant in order to provide sufficient information for further and future research which are needed to complement these findings. 

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