Abstract

• Costus speciosus (Koen.) Sm. is locally known as Phalan-taung-hmwe and belongs to the family Costaceae. In this research, the plant was collected from Hpa-an Township, Kayin State during June to October, 2017. In this study, atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS) analysis, nutritional values and antimicrobial activity of rhizome of Costus speciosus (Koen.) Sm. were undertaken. The content of heavy metals was analyzed by using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer(AAS). In according to the results of atomic absorption spectrophotometer, only cadmium (0.004 ppm) is found among heavy metals. Therefore, the level of cadmium in Costus speciosus (Koen.) Sm. was below the standard limit considered safe for human consumption and did not give harmful effect on human health. The experiment for the nutritional values of Costus speciosus (Koen) Sm. was carried out at the Food Industries Development Supporting Laboratory (FIDSL), Yangon. According to the results, the carbohydrate content in rhizome was higher percentage than others. In antimicrobial activities, the different solvent extracts were investigated with six types of microorganisms by using agar well diffusion method. According to this experiment, ethyl acetate extract showed most significant antimicrobial activity against Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bacillus pumalis and Candida albicans.