The tuber is toxic when fresh due to the presence of saponins and calcium oxalate raphides, so it must be processed prior to consumption, typically by finely slicing into thin strips, placing in a sack or net, and leaving in a stream for a few days until the toxins have leached out.

Grated gadung tubers are utilized in Indonesia and China for the treatment of early-stage leprosy, warts, calluses, and fish eyes (Source: [1]).

In Thailand, slices of gadung root are applied to alleviate stomach spasms, colic, and to extract pus from wounds.

Furthermore, in the Philippines and China, it is used to provide relief from arthritis and rheumatism, as well as to cleanse wounds on animals.

[2] Dioscorea tubers, the main component of gadung, possess a thick mucilage consisting of water-soluble glycoproteins and polysaccharides.