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Botanical illustration of Ketaki
MedicinalSourced entry

Ketaki

Cheilocostus speciosus

Crepe ginger, an Indian plant with red cone-like flower spikes, long used in traditional medicine. It eased pain and fever in rats.

Safety at a glance

  • PregnancyNothing recorded
  • BreastfeedingNothing recorded
  • MedicinesNothing recorded
  • Who should avoid itNothing recorded
  • AllergiesNothing recorded
  • ToxicityNothing recorded

Tap a box to read the safety notes below. “Nothing recorded” means our sources don't cover it, not that it's safe.

What is Ketaki?

Plant family
Costaceae, the spiral ginger family
Parts used
The rhizome, leaves and above-ground parts
Where it grows
South and Southeast Asia
Genus
Cheilocostus
Species
speciosus

Also called

Crepe Ginger

Regional names

Keu

Older scientific names

Costus speciosus

Traditionally used for

  • Pain
  • Fever (traditional)

Traditionally described as

  • Medicinal rhizome

What does the research say?

Traditional use

These are traditional uses, not proven treatments.

  • Crepe ginger (keu) is an Indian ornamental plant that has long been used in traditional medicine.[1]Study

Laboratory & animal research

Lab and animal results show what might be worth studying in people. They don't show that the herb has these effects in humans.

  • In rats, an extract of the above-ground parts reduced swelling, eased pain and brought down fever.[1]Study

  • In lab tests, a leaf extract blocked enzymes that break down starch and sugar, and slowed glycation, a sugar-driven process that damages proteins in diabetes.[2]Study

In short

No human or safety studies were found.

Sources

  1. [1] Antiinflammatory, Analgesic and Antipyretic Activities of Aerial Parts of Costus speciosus Koen. · DOI: 10.4103/0250-474X.113532Peer-reviewed study
  2. [2] α-glucosidase and glycation inhibitory effects of costus speciosus leaves · DOI: 10.1186/s12906-015-0982-zPeer-reviewed study

This information is educational and traditional in nature, and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Unfamiliar word? See what these words mean.