Title: Taro (Colocasia esculenta): Zero wastage orphan food crop for food and nutritional security
Abstract: Taro (Colocasia esculenta) is one of the traditional crops with enormous nutritional and pharmaceutical potential as compared to the other tuber crops. It is evident from the available literature that different plant part of taro contains a combination of bioactive compounds such as tarin, polysaccharides (TPS1 and TPS2), alkaloids, polyphenols, and saponins. Anti-carcinogenic, anti-compulsive, anti-hyperglycemia, anti-hypertensive, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, immunoprotective, and neuroprotective properties have been demonstrated for these bioactive compounds. Taro's unique characteristics, such as the presence of small-sized starch granules, resistant starch type, and hypoallergenic properties, have the potential to elevate its status from underutilized to wonder future crop. Poi is a traditionally processed product of taro that has medicinal properties. Other processed products of taro are taro flour, cookies, noodles, achu and it is also a major constituent of baby food products due to its easily digestible nature. The documentation of traditional uses of taro food products in rural communities, as well as the quantification of bioactive compounds, demonstrate taro's vast potential as functional food products and in drug development. Hence, screening diverse genotypes for bioactive compounds from different continents could aid breeding efforts directed at taro biofortification. Commercialization of taro usage should be considered as a dietary intervention strategy for addressing malnutrition and hidden hunger in poor communities worldwide. In this review, we have comprehensively highlighted the scope of taro as a future food crop with enormous nutritional and antioxidant potential, biotechnological advancements, and the scope for breeding biofortified taro.