A Comprehensive Review on the Nutritional and Nutraceutical Aspects of Garden Cress (Lepidium sativum Linn.)

Studies revealed that garden cress (Lepidium sativum) has been used in India for medicinal purposes since Vedic era. A systematic literature review was conducted to summarize and quantify the past and current evidence for garden cress. Relevant papers up to 2015 in various databases were searched to collect the review on garden cress. Garden cress, a native of Egypt and south west Asia, is a small perennial edible herb that has been used to treat many diseases for centuries. The seeds, leaves as well as roots have medicinal properties. The seeds are rich in protein, fat, calcium, iron and have high nutritional value. They are considered to be galactogogue, anticarcinogenic, antidiabetic, antiasthmatic and antidiarrheal. The article also emphasized on the nutritional composition of the leaves which showed that these are good source of macroelements like potassium, sodium, calcium and trace minerals like iron, magnesium and zinc. The food products developed by using garden cress seed powder have also been highlighted in the present review. © 2016, The National Academy of Sciences, India.