Cymbopogon winterianus Jowitt ex Bor, a Hub for Various Industrial and Pharmaceutical Applications

Abstract

Cymbopogon winterianus Jowitt ex Bor is an aromatic grass belonging to the family Poaceae. The essential oil produced from this crop is of immense significance due to its use in perfume, soap, cosmetic, detergent, and flavour industries at low concentration and in pharmaceutical industry. The ethnopharmacological evidence as well as the scientific community has also proved its different biological activities like anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and anticonvulsant activities which is of great help to the pharmaceutical industries. New herbal substitutes without side effects may be formulated with proper dose and concentration. Besides this, it is of great demand in biopesticide industry because of its ability to ward off many insects, ticks, and mosquitoes and destroy weeds. The global production of citronella oil is about 5000 tonnes which is equal to 20 million USD, while in India 350 tonnes of essential oil is produced. Several researches are being carried out in this crop; therefore, we have tried to compile the data altogether and provide the up-to-date information on the different activities of C. winterianus which will be useful to the scientific community for proper exploitation of the resources available. Researchers are also ongoing on the premises of CSIR-NEIST, Jorhat, for the development of high herbage and essential oil-yielding variety of this crop. Moreover, the institute is also maintaining more than 100 number of germplasm collected from different parts of India.