Clitoria Ternatea: A Multifaceted Plant Having Potential in Bioremediation, Cosmeceuticals and Food Engineering Applications

Clitoria ternatea is a perennial climbing legume that grows well at the equatorial and sub-tropical regions of Asia[1]. It is commonly used as an ornamental plant, a revegetation species, forage for livestock, ingredient in culinary arts, nitrogen fixation in soil and as medicine since antiquity. It has been described in ayurvedic texts under the name, Aparajita. Its medical significance derives from the existence of abundant bioactive compounds such as Polyphenols, Alkaloids, Cyclotides and especially Anthocyanins, a class of Flavonoids. The immense medicinal value of this plant has led to key studies on its antimicrobial properties, and subsequent studies were also conducted to assess the feasibility of nanoparticle formation. However, the full potential of this plant remains unexplored. In this review, we aim to impress upon the reader the relatively underexplored potential of C. ternatea in three different yet significant industries to mankind: Bioremediation, Cosmeceuticals and Food Engineering. The excellent photocatalytic activity of C. ternatea proves to be a promising solution for the degradation of organic dyes which pose a substantial threat to the ecological balance. Its high anthocyanin content chiefly contributes to its rich antioxidant property. This makes it a sustainable alternative to harmful, synthetic chemicals for cosmeceuticals production, and also adds to its applications as a natural food colorant and spoilage indicator in Food Engineering processes.