Costaceae
Costus igneus
Insulin Plant
Location
JNU Nursery
Traditional use
Leaves are traditionally consumed by some people with diabetes, with self-reported reductions in blood glucose levels — this is a folk/anecdotal use, not a clinically established effect. Also traditionally used for rashes, fever, bronchitis, and intestinal worms.
Evidence status: Experimentally demonstrated
Alloxan-induced diabetic rat studies found the leaf extract lowered blood glucose comparably to the standard drug glibenclamide; a 2025 review identifies beta-sitosterol, corosolic acid, diosgenin, and quercetin as the compounds likely responsible.
Evidence base: animal (rat) models
Yadav et al. (2025). Costus igneus: A Versatile Herbal Remedy for Multiple Health Conditions. Chemistry & Biodiversity. doi:10.1002/cbdv.202402220
Find it on campus
Loading map…
Test what you learned
Insulin Plant Quiz
Enter your name to start — you'll get a certificate at the end.
QR code
Generated at build time — scans to this page.