Insight on Phytochemical and Pharmacognostic Review of Cichorium intybus

In today’s growing world herbs are gaining a lot of importance because of their ability to improve human health. One such herb is Cichorium intybus. It is also called as chicory/kasni representing Asteraceae family and cultivated across various parts of the globe. Cichorium intybus grows up to a height of 150 cm having thick, strong, irregularly branched twig like stem, long robust thick brown tapio root, lobed and unlobed leaves, seed like fruits and flowers of various colours. Chicory contains various chemical constituents like cichoric acid, sesquiterpenes, lactones, caffeic acid derivatives, inulin, sugars, proteins, sugars, volatile compounds and many more. The phytochemical composition of chicory exhibits not only various pharmacological activities such as nematicidal, hypotensive, analgesic and hepatoprotective but also used in the treatment of several diseases like diabetes, cancer, viral infections, bacterial infections, allergic reactions and antioxidant property respectively. It also has great importance in the field of Ayurveda, it had various medicinal properties and used as a flavouring agent in different food preparations like soups and salads. Current review aimed to emphasize the botanical characteristics, chemical composition, pharmacological activities and culinary applications of Cichorium intybus.