Common Names: Alocasia dussii, Alocasia illustris, Aron colocasium, Arum chinense, and more.
Local Names: ede (Igbo), koko (Yoruba), Gwaza (Hausa)

Species ID: NMP-022, wfo-0000917419, NCBI:txid4460

Kingdom: Plantae

Clade: Tracheophytes

Clade: Angiosperms

Clade: Monocots

Order: Alismatales

Family: Araceae

Genus: Colocasia

Species: C. esculenta

Synonyms: Arum esculentum, Caladium esculentum, Colocasia antiquorum, and others.

Colocasia esculenta, commonly known as taro, is a perennial herbaceous plant that can grow up to 2 meters tall. It features heart-shaped leaves and underground corms covered with fibrous skin. The plant's spadix inflorescence is cream to golden yellow, typical of the Araceae family. Its versatility makes it a significant agricultural crop in tropical and subtropical regions.

Native to Southeast Asia and India, Colocasia esculenta is now cultivated globally, thriving in tropical and subtropical climates. It prefers moist or wet soils and is widely grown in southern and central Nigeria. The plant adapts well to wetland environments, making it ideal for areas with heavy rainfall.

·       Antioxidant Activity: Rich in polyphenols, the plant neutralizes free radicals and reduces oxidative stress (Amujoyegbe & Olubode, 2014).

·       Anti-inflammatory Properties: Extracts from corms and leaves show significant anti-inflammatory effects (Ogunlabi & Abiodun, 2016).

·       Anticancer Effects: Polysaccharides from the plant enhance immunity and inhibit tumor growth (Okereke & Chukwuma, 2018).

·       Antihypertensive and Diuretic Effects: Promotes vascular relaxation and diuresis, helping to manage hypertension (Adepoju & Ijaya, 2015).

·       Neuropharmacological Activity: Exhibits antidepressant, sedative, and anxiolytic effects (Fasuyi & Afolayan, 2013).

·       Aqueous extracts manage hypertension and oxidative stress.

·       Ethanolic extracts exhibit antifungal activity against pathogens like Candida albicans (Nwosu & Anyaehie, 2017).

⚠  Toxicity Profile

Colocasia esculenta contains calcium oxalate crystals, which can irritate the oral mucosa if ingested raw. Proper cooking methods effectively neutralize these toxic effects (NC State Extension, 2024).

·       Culinary Use: A staple carbohydrate source, with leaves rich in vitamins.

·       Versatility: Used in soups, stews, and traditional African cuisines.

·       Seed Varieties: Cultivated for various climates and soil types.

1. Amujoyegbe, A. O., & Olubode, O. O. (2014). Antioxidant properties of Colocasia esculenta. Journal of Tropical Medicine, 8(2), 120–129.
2. Ogunlabi, A. A., & Abiodun, T. A. (2016). Anti-inflammatory effects of taro leaf extracts. Phytotherapy Research, 30(1), 45–52.
3. Okereke, E. O., & Chukwuma, S. N. (2018). Anticancer and immunomodulatory benefits of taro corm. Cancer Biology & Therapy, 19(3), 300–309.
4. Adepoju, M. O., & Ijaya, A. E. (2015). Antihypertensive potential of taro. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 14(2), 200–210.
5. Fasuyi, A. O., & Afolayan, T. (2013). Neuropharmacological activities of taro. Research Journal of Biological Sciences, 9(1), 1–9.Nwosu, O. I., & Anyaehie, B. U. (2017). Antifungal properties of taro corm extracts. African Journal of Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicines, 14(3), 90–97.
6. NC State Extension. (2024). Toxicity of Colocasia esculenta. Retrieved from https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/colocasia-esculenta/

1. Wikipedia - Taro
2. Plant Atlas
3. NParks - Flora Fauna Web
4. Tropical Ferns Database
5. Feedipedia
6. Missouri Botanical Garden
7. Lucid Central Key Server

• Octadecanoic acid
• Hexanedioic acid, bis(2-ethylhexyl)ester
• Methyl palmitate
• 9,12-Octadecadienoyl chloride
• 3,5-Di-tert-butylphenol
• 9-Octadecenoic acid

Eleazu, C. O. (2016). Characterization of the natural products in cocoyam (Colocasia esculenta) using GC–MS. Pharmaceutical biology, 54(12), 2880-2885.