Bioactive Compounds and Biological Activities of Hedychium Species

The genus Hedychium J. Koenig (Family: Zingiberaceae) is an important source of traditional folk medicine in India, helpful considering traditional and modern medical practices. The herbs of this genus also have potent antiepileptic, anticonvulsant, and aphrodisiac effects, and are useful in intermittent claudication, atherosclerosis, and chronic active hepatitis. This chapter aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the medicinal and traditional uses of numerous Hedychium species, their endemicity, isolated bioactive constituents, essential oils, and biological activities. Several labdane diterpenes isolated from the genus are highlighted for their potentially extensive bioactivity. The genuine discussion of this detailed and comprehensive comparative analysis presented here provides valuable information on the currently used Hedychium species and paves the way for the study of other useful Hedychium species in terms of ethnobotany, phytochemistry, and the mechanistic approach for new drug discovery and their therapeutic potential.