A review of the botany,traditional uses,phytochemistry and pharmacology of Nepeta tenuifolia Briq.

Phytochemistry Reviews - Nepeta tenuifolia (N. tenuifolia) is a common aromatic herb that is widespread in East Asia. The aerial parts and spikes can be used as the traditional phytomedicines for...     

Laurel,Laurus nobilis L.: a review of its botany,traditional uses,phytochemistry and pharmacology

Phytochemistry Reviews - Laurus nobilis L. (Lauraceae), commonly known as laurel, is an evergreen and edible tree that possess biological properties positively correlated with human health. It is a...     

Corn poppy,Papaver rhoeas L.: a critical review of its botany,phytochemistry and pharmacology

Phytochemistry Reviews - Papaver rhoeas L. (Papaveraceae), commonly known as corn poppy, is a cosmopolitan weed and edible plant capable of possessing biological properties, thus positive...     

Paeonia emodi Royle: Ethnomedicinal uses,phytochemistry and pharmacology

Paeonia emodi (Peony) is a well known Himalayan medicinal plant used in the treatment of hypertension, palpitations, asthma, uterine diseases, colic, bilious obstructions and has also been used as an anticoagulant. Many of these ethnomedicinal properties have been experimentally proven in different animal models. The present work reviews the ethnopharmacology, therapeutic potential and phytochemistry of P. emodi. Different classes of natural products like triterpenoids, monoterpenoids, phenolics and tannins have been isolated from the species. These compounds possess wide therapeutic profile like cardiovascular and airway relaxant, lipoxygenase and β-Glucuronidase inhibitory and free radical scavenging properties.     

Echinacea in hepatopathy: A review of its phytochemistry,pharmacology, and safety

BackgroundEchinacea, one of the most popular herbs with double function of immunity and anti-inflammatory activity, has now attracted much interest for a possible alternative for the treatment of hepatopathy. This review is aimed at providing a comprehensive overview of Echinacea regarding its chemical composition, pharmacological action against various hepatopathy, and safety.MethodsA comprehensive search of published articles was conducted to focus on original publications related to Echinacea and hepatopathy till the end of 2020 using various literature databases, including China National Knowledge Infrastructure, PubMed, and Web of Science database.ResultsEchinacea exhibited excellent activities in resisting a variety of hepatopathy induced by different causes in preclinical experiments and clinical trials by regulating cell proliferation and apoptosis, antioxidant defense mechanism, voltage-gated sodium channels, lipid metabolism, circadian rhythm, p38 MAPK signaling pathway, JNK signaling pathway, Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway, PI3K/AKT signaling pathway, and Akt/GSK3 beta signaling pathways. The high efficacy of Echinacea is related to its immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory activities. The main ingredients of Echinacea include caffeic acid derivatives, alkylamides, and polysaccharides, which have been well established in preclinical studies of liver diseases. Studies on acute and subacute toxicity show that Echinacea preparations are well-tolerated herbal medicines.ConclusionEchinacea may offer a novel potential strategy for clinical prevention and treatment of liver diseases and related diseases. Extensive studies are necessary to identify the underlying mechanisms and establish future therapeutic potentials of this herb. Well-designed clinical trials are still warranted to confirm the safety and effectiveness of Echinacea for hepatopathy.     

An updated review of genus Cistus L. since 2014: traditional uses,phytochemistry, and pharmacological properties

Phytochemistry Reviews - Genus Cistus L. (Cistaceae) occurs mainly in the Mediterranean region. Many plants of this genus have been used in different folk medicines since ancient times, mainly...     

Aurantii Fructus: a systematic review of ethnopharmacology,phytochemistry and pharmacology

Phytochemistry Reviews - Aurantii Fructus (called Zhiqiao, ZQ in Chinese), the dried unripe fruit of Citrus aurantium L. or its cultivated variety, is a common traditional edible-medicinal herb in...     

A review of the ethnomedicinal uses,phytochemistry and pharmacology of the <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pleiocarpa</Emphasis> genus

Pleiocarpa genus is a flowering plant from the Apocynaceae family which are rich sources of phytochemicals and have been reported to be useful in the treatment of gastrointestinal ailments, fever, malaria, pain, diabetes and cancer. The aim of this review is to present the past and current ethnomedicinal uses, phytochemistry and the pharmacology of Pleiocarpa genus which are underexploited as revealed through this review in order to enhance its potential source of phytochemical leads in medicine. Some pharmacological activities of these plants based on their acclaimed ethnomedicinal uses have been investigated by various researchers. The chemical profile of the genus is limited to alkaloids and triterpenoids, where indole alkaloids may be considered as important taxonomical markers.     

The traditional uses,secondary metabolites,and pharmacology of Eleutherococcus species

Phytochemistry Reviews - Plants of genus Eleutherococcus belong to Araliaceae family, which mainly distributed in Asia. Several Eleutherococcus species have been used as ancient medicinal plants...     

Lancea tibetica as the Tibetan herb: A review of its phytochemistry and pharmacology

This review, based on nearly 25 literary sources, discusses the chemical nature and biological effects of the whole plant of Lancea tibetica Hook. f. et Thoms (Scrophulariaceae). Several types of chemical constituents have been isolated from Lancea tibetica (LT) including 34 phenolpropanoids (16 lignans, 5 neolignans, 5 nonanones, 4 phenylpropanoid glycosides, and 4 propanediols), 9 flavones, 6 triterpenoids, and 11 amino acids. Various extracts and individual compounds derived from this species have been determined to possess a variety of pharmacological effects, such as anti-tumour and antioxidant functions. The results of data analysis on the chemical and pharmacological characteristics of LT support the view that this plant has many therapeutic properties, suggesting its potential as an effective herbal remedy. Finally, suggestions for further avenues of research on the chemical and pharmacological properties of LT and ways in which to further exploit LT are presented in this review.     

Lonicerae japonicae flos and Lonicerae flos: a systematic review of ethnopharmacology,phytochemistry and pharmacology

Phytochemistry Reviews - Lonicerae japonicae flos (called Jinyinhua, JYH in Chinese), flowers or flower buds of Lonicera japonica Thunberg, is an extremely used traditional edible-medicinal herb....     

Ethnobotany, phytochemistry and pharmacology of Uncaria (Rubiaceae)

The Uncaria genus is an important source of medicinal natural products, particularly alkaloids and triterpenes. The collected information is an attempt to cover the more recent developments in the ethnobotany, pharmacology and phytochemistry of this genus. During the past 20 years, alkaloids, terpenes, quinovic acid glycosides, flavonoids and coumarins have been isolated from Uncaria. Fifty-three novel structures are reported in this review. The species in which the largest number of compounds has been identified is the Peruvian Uncaria tomentosa or 'cat's claw.' Pharmacological studies are described according to cytotoxicity, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, immunostimulation, antioxidant, CNS-related response, vascular, hypotensive, mutagenicity and antibacterial properties. The potential for development of leads from Uncaria continues to grow, particularly in the area of immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory and vascular-related conditions. The information summarized here is intended to serve as a reference tool to practitioners in the fields of ethnopharmacology and natural products chemistry.     

Genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Retama</Emphasis>: a review on traditional uses,phytochemistry, and pharmacological activities

Plants of the genus Retama (Fabaceae) are used in traditional medicine of the Mediterranean Basin as an emetic, purgative, and vermifuge. Certain Retama species are also employed to treat a multitude of disorders, including diabetes, hepatitis, jaundice, sore throat, skin diseases, joint pain, rheumatism, fever, and inflammation. This review deals with updated information on the distribution, botanical characteristics, ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry, pharmacological activities, and toxicity of the Retama species in order to support their therapeutic potential and to provide an input for future research prospects. The Retama species are mainly employed as ethnomedicinal remedies in Mediterranean countries, including Algeria, Egypt, Italy, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, and Spain. Previous phytochemical studies show a complex composition, rich in carbohydrates (galactomannans), polyols (pinitol), fatty acids, phenolic compounds (genistein, daidzein) and alkaloids (retamine, lupanine). The pharmacological activity of their various extracts has been widely studied, revealing, among others, the anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory, and anti-diabetic effects of these species. The potential toxicity of these medicinal plants has also been discussed. Although recent experimental evidence confirms the pharmacological interest of this genus, further studies are necessary.     

Recent progress in phytochemistry,pharmacology and biotechnology of Astragalus saponins

Saponins are widely distributed among plant kingdom and possess a wide range of pharmacological properties. Genus Astragalus is the largest in the Fabaceae family, comprising more than 2,200 species spread over the Globe. Astragalus species have been used in traditional medicine of many countries as well as in the modern one. The main use in the folk medicine of the species is due to their saponin content. The paper is focused on the above mentioned group of compounds. Details on their structure, distribution, recent information on the pharmacological properties and biotechnology of Astragalus saponins will be summarized and thoroughly discussed.     

Ethnopharmacological uses,phytochemistry, biological activities,and biotechnological applications of Eclipta prostrata

Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology - Eclipta prostrata belongs to a family of medicinal plants (Asteraceae) and plays a role in the treatment of several diseases, including infectious...     

A comprehensive review on the phytochemistry,pharmacokinetics, and antidiabetic effect of Ginseng

BackgroundRadix Ginseng, one of the well-known medicinal herbs, has been used in the management of diabetes and its complications for more than 1000 years.PurposeThe aim of this review is devoted to summarize the phytochemistry and pharmacokinetics of Ginseng, and provide evidence for the antidiabetic effects of Ginseng and its ingredients as well as the underlying mechanisms involved.MethodsFor the purpose of this review, the following databases were consulted: the PubMed Database (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov), Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (http://www.cnki.net), National Science and Technology Library (http://www.nstl.gov.cn/), Wanfang Data (http://www.wanfangdata.com.cn/) and the Web of Science Database (http://apps.webofknowledge.com/).ResultsGinseng exhibits glucose-lowering effects in different diabetic animal models. In addition, Ginseng may prevent the development of diabetic complications, including liver, pancreas, adipose tissue, skeletal muscle, nephropathy, cardiomyopathy, retinopathy, atherosclerosis and others. The main ingredients of Ginseng include ginsenosides and polysaccharides. The underlying mechanisms whereby this herb exerts antidiabetic activities may be attributed to the regulation of multiple signaling pathways, including IRS1/PI3K/AKT, LKB1/AMPK/FoxO1, AGEs/RAGE, MAPK/ERK, NF-κB, PPARδ/STAT3, cAMP/PKA/CERB and HIF-1α/VEGF, etc. The pharmacokinetic profiles of ginsenosides provide valuable information on therapeutic efficacy of Ginseng in diabetes. Although Ginseng is well-tolerated, dietary consumption of this herb should follow the doctors’ advice.ConclusionGinseng may offer an alternative strategy in protection against diabetes and its complications through the regulations of the multi-targets via various signaling pathways. Efforts to understand the underlying mechanisms with strictly-controlled animal models, combined with well-designed clinical trials and pharmacokinetic evaluation, will be important subjects of the further investigations and weigh in translational value of this herb in diabetes management.     

红景天属（RhodiolaL．）植物化学及药理研究进展

综述了红景天属（ＲｈｏｄｉｏｌａＬ．）植物的植物化学和药理方面的研究进展及其开发应用前景。     

The botany,uses and production ofWasabia japonica (Miq.) (Cruciferae) Matsum

Wasabi (Wasabia japonica) is a unique native plant and a traditional condiment crop of Japan. It is used in traditional Japanese raw fish and noodle dishes and in several modern foods for its hot taste and tangy flavor. Japanese farmers grow the crop in wet upland orchard soils for leaves, petioles and small enlarged stems, and in flooded gravel and sand fields along streams or near springs to produce whole plants and large succulent green enlarged stems. Recent studies in Japan have demonstrated numerous enzymatic and biocidal properties of the plant. This review of Japanese and other literature details the history, uses, botany, cultivars, ecological requirements, production techniques, insect pests and diseases of wasabi.     

Ethnobotany,phytochemistry and pharmacology of Podocarpus sensu latissimo (s.l.)

The genus Podocarpus sensu latissimo (s.l.) was initially subdivided into eight sections. However, based on new information from different morphological and anatomical studies, these sections were recognised as new genera. This change in nomenclature sometimes is problematic when consulting ethnobotanical data especially when selecting plants for pharmacological screening, thus there is a need to clear any ambiguity with the nomenclature. Species of Podocarpus s.l. are important timber trees in their native areas. They have been used by many communities in traditional medicine and as a source of income. Podocarpus s.l. is used in the treatment of fevers, asthma, coughs, cholera, distemper, chest complaints and venereal diseases. Other uses include timber, food, wax, tannin and as ornamental trees. Although extensive research has been carried out on species of Podocarpus s.l over the last decade, relatively little is known about the African species compared to those of New Zealand, Australia, China and Japan. Phytochemical studies have led to the isolation and elucidation of various terpenoids and nor- and bis-norditerpenoid dilactones. Biflavonoids of the amentoflavone and hinokiflavone types have also been isolated. Nor- and bis-norditerpenes are said to be taxonomic markers for this genus. Recent in vitro and in vivo studies have shown antitumor, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, larvicidal, plant and insect growth regulation activities. Various studies have yielded important natural bioactive products and two of them are worth mentioning. Taxol, a significant anticancer agent has been isolated from Podocarpus gracilior and totarol, a diterpenoid isolated from various species and now commercially produced as a potent antibacterial and antioxidant agent. Findings from this review supports the use of an ethnobotanical and chemotaxonomical approach in selecting plants for pharmacological screening since most of the species in the different morphological groups have similar uses. Also the isolated compounds have chemotaxonomic value amongst the groups. Some of the biological activities identified from extracts and compounds isolated from Podocarpus s.l. support the rationale behind the medicinal uses of these species.