Taraxacum officinale: The Esculent Dandelion as Herbal Medicine

Abstract

Taraxacum officinale Weber is a perennial herb, which belongs to Family Asteraceae and grows wild in hotter zones of the Northern Hemisphere. The plant is commonly called Dandelion. It is native to Eurasia but also reported in Himalayan region (India), including Alpine meadows. Although, the nature of the plant is weedy, the plant has a great potential to treat a number of ailments. The herb has been utilized as a medicinal herb since ancient times. Dandelion is supposed to be loaded with significant number of bioactive constituents including triterpenes, sesquiterpene lactones, fatty acids, carotenoids, volatile oils, tannins, carbohydrates, phenolic acids, flavonoids, phytosterols, sugars, proteins, calcium, and minerals. Due to the presence of these potent phytoconstituents, it has been traditionally used as a folklore medicine for a vast majority of locals in different parts of the world. Reported literature of the plant available from primary and secondary search engines unveil a number of pharmacological activities of the plant, including hepatoprotective potential, diuretic activity, anti-inflammatory activity, antidepressant activity, hypolipidemic activity, anticancer activity, etc. The aim of this chapter is to provide a detailed review of various therapeutic activities of the plant and phytochemical moieties responsible for the medicinal status of T. officinale.