A review on Sterculia urens Roxb.: a boon to the livelihood for tribal people and industry

Sterculia urens Roxb., has been vastly used in pharma, health care, food, cosmetics, waste management, paper textile, composite fiber, and leather industries, for a long period of time. Gum exudate of this tree is of high market value, therefore, in the name of its exudate, plant is commonly known as 'Karaya Gum' tree. Polymers of karaya gum are ideal choice over synthetic ones because of its natural availability, cost effectiveness, nonhazardous nature, easy recovery, and physicochemical properties. Moreover, the tree is widely used in tribal populations for its indigenous remedies against various ailments like oligospermia, leucorrhoea, constipation, body swelling, throat infection, wound healing, etc. Biochemical analysis authenticates photophysical, photochemical as well as pharmacological uses, and validates ethnobotanical applications by tribal communities up to some extent. The main purpose of this review is to highlight the potential of Sterculia teens, based on its ethnobotanical uses, industrial potential and perspectives of conservation and sustainable management. A comprehensive survey of literature was done to further explore various growth constraints, conservation strategies, and wide industrial applications. Sterculia urens has embraced significant values in international trade market due to its exceptional properties. Also the presence of diverse bioactive compounds has made this plant of interest for scientific research. Owing to the wide range of commercial applications and lack of knowledge regarding the scientific gum tapping methods, the plant has been exploited extensively for its highly valued products, while the propagation in natural habitat has been declining over the past few years. Excessive consumption of karaya gum has resulted in critically low abundance and thus this plant is now considered as endangered plant species in some states of India. Keeping in view its endangered status, conservation, and mass scale production through biotechnological approaches are fruitful towards maintaining its biological abundance.