A review of the botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry, and pharmacology of the Flos Inulae.

Plants of the genus Inula have long been used as an ethnomedicine in Asia, Europe, and North America for its high medicinal value and health benefits. Inula japonica Thunb. (I. japonica) and Inula britanica L. (I. britanica) are included in Chinese Pharmacopoeia (2020 edition) as the traditional Chinese medicine Flos inulae (FI). In TCM, FI tastes bitter, pungent, and salt, with warm nature and has the functions of water removal, reduction in nausea, and prevention of vomiting and is often used for cold-related coughs, sputum, wheezing coughs, vomiting, belching and other related diseases. In addition, Inula japonica Thunb is used as a botanical medicine in Korea and Inula britannica L. is also used as a traditional plant medicine in Iran. This paper collects the relevant research literature (1970-2021) and provides a systematic summary of the botany, ethnopharmacology, processing, phytochemistry, pharmacology, toxicity, analytical methods and quality control of FI to explore its potential and expand its scope for better clinical application. Information on Inula japonica Thunb. and Inula britanica L. was collected from scientific databases (1970-2021), including Google Scholar, Baidu Scholar, Springer, PubMed, CNKI and Wan Fang DATA. Information was also collected from classic books of Chinese herbal medicine and Ph.D. and M.Sc. theses. More than 200 chemical compounds have been isolated from Inula japonica Thunb. and Inula britanica L., including sesquiterpenes, flavonoids, volatile oils, triterpenoids, diterpenoid glycosides, monoterpenoids, polysaccharides, steroid and small molecule acids. Based on a wide variety of chemically active ingredients, FI has a wide range of pharmacological effects. Modern pharmacological research has proven that the pharmacological effects of FI include anti-inflammatory, antitumor, antioxidant, antiallergy, antidiabetic, blood lipid reduction, skin whitening, liver protection, anticonstipation, and antinociceptive effects. FI is a very important traditional Chinese herbal medicine with anti-inflammatory antitumor, antioxidant, antiallergy, antidiabetic and other pharmacological effects that can treat a variety of related diseases. This paper summarizes the botany, ethnopharmacology, processing, phytochemistry, pharmacology, toxicity, analytical methods, and quality control of FI. However, the research on the processing, toxicity and quality control of FI is currently too shallow, especially concerning the relationship between the changes in active components before and after processing and the changes in its pharmacological action, which remains unclear. There are few toxicity experiments conducted with FI, so it is impossible to evaluate the safety of FI objectively and impartially. There are also few studies on the material basis and doses of FI causing toxicity and side effects, and more in-depth and concrete researches should be carried out in the future regarding these aspects. Furthermore, to ensure effective and safe clinical medication, we should also pay attention to the mixed use of FI in various regions of China to control the quality of the FI plant.

Yang L ，Wang X ，Hou A ，Zhang J ，Wang S ，Man W ，Yu H ，Zheng S ，Wang Q ，Jiang H ，Kuang H ... -  《-》

Local and traditional uses, phytochemistry, and pharmacology of Sophora japonica L.: A review.

Sophora japonica (Fabaceae), also known as Huai (Chinese: ), is a medium-sized deciduous tree commonly found in China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, and other countries. The use of this plant has been recorded in classical medicinal treatises of ancient China, and it is currently recorded in both the Chinese Pharmacopoeia and European Pharmacopoeia. The flower buds and fruits of S. japonica, also known as Flos Sophorae Immaturus and Fructus Sophorae in China, are most commonly used in Asia (especially in China) to treat hemorrhoids, hematochezia, hematuria, hematemesis, hemorrhinia, uterine or intestinal hemorrhage, arteriosclerosis, headache, hypertension, dysentery, dizziness, and pyoderma. To discuss feasible trends for further research on S. japonica, this review highlights the botany, ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry, biological activities, and toxicology of S. japonica based on studies published in the last six decades. Information on the S. japonica was collected from major scientific databases (SciFinder, PubMed, Elsevier, SpringerLink, Web of Science, Google Scholar, Medline Plus, China Knowledge Resource Integrated (CNKI), and "Da Yi Yi Xue Sou Suo (http://www.dayi100.com/login.jsp)" for publications between 1957 and 2015 on S. japonica. Information was also obtained from local classic herbal literature, government reports, conference papers, as well as PhD and MSc dissertations. Approximately 153 chemical compounds, including flavonoids, isoflavonoids, triterpenes, alkaloids, polysaccharides, amino acids, and other compounds, have been isolated from the leaves, branches, flowers, buds, pericarps, and/or fruits of S. japonica. Among these compounds, several flavonoids and isoflavonoids comprise the active constituents of S. japonica, which exhibit a wide range of biological activities in vitro and in vivo such as anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiviral, anti-osteoporotic, antioxidant, radical scavenging, antihyperglycemic, antiobesity, antitumor, and hemostatic effects. Furthermore, flavonoids and isoflavonoids can be used as quality control markers for quality identification and evaluation of medicinal materials and their preparations. Information on evaluating the safety of S. japonica is very limited, so further study is required. To enable safer, more effective, and controllable therapeutic preparations, more in-depth information is urgently needed on the quality control, toxicology data, and clinical value of crude extract and active compounds of S. japonica. S. japonica has long been used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) due to its wide range of biological activities, and is administered orally. Phytochemical and pharmacological studies of S. japonica have increased in the past few years, and the extract and active components of this plant can be used to develop new drugs based on their traditional application as well as their biological activities. Therefore, this review on the ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry, biological activities, and toxicity of S. japonica offers promising data for further studies as well as the commercial exploitation of this traditional medicine.

He X ，Bai Y ，Zhao Z ，Wang X ，Fang J ，Huang L ，Zeng M ，Zhang Q ，Zhang Y ，Zheng X ... -  《-》

Traditional uses, botany, phytochemistry, pharmacology, separation and analysis technologies of Euonymus alatus (Thunb.) Siebold: A comprehensive review.

Euonymus alatus (Thunb.) Siebold (E. alatus), a well-known medicinal plant, has been widely used thousands of years in China for the treatment of various diseases such as urticaria, dysmenorrhea, wound, dysentery, blood stasis, rheumatism and arthritis. Due to the extensive application of E. alatus in the fields of ethnopharmacological usage, the pharmaceutical researches of E. alatus keeps deepening. This paper reviewed and summarized the integrated research progress of this medicinal plant. A comprehensive summary and comparison of traditional usages, botany, phytochemistry, pharmacology, toxicology, separation and analysis technologies of the E. alatus highlight recent scientific advances, which provides new insights into the research and development of this medicinal plant and would be helpful to promote the research situation of underlying pharmacological mechanisms and further utilizations of E. alatus. Literature survey was carried out via classic books of herbal medicine, PhD. and MSc. Dissertations. Online scientific databases including Pubmed, SciFinder, Science Direct, Scopus, the Web of Science, Google Scholar, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) and others were searched up to February 2020 to identify eligible studies. All literatures of the research subject are analyzed and summarized in this review. The E. alatus has been widely used in traditional practice in China, Korea and other Asian Countries. In the study of phytochemistry, more than 230 chemical constituents have been isolated and identified from E. alatus, including sesquiterpenoids, diterpenoids, triterpenoids, flavonoids, phenylpropanoids, lignans, steroids, alkaloids and other compounds. Among them, literature reports show that flavonoids and steroids are the most important bioactive substances found in this plant. A number of researches also have shown that extracts and compounds from E. alatus exert a wide spectrum of pharmacological effects, including antidiabetic effect, anti-tumor effects, anti-inflammatory effects, hepatoprotective effects, antioxidant effects, antibacterial effects, as well as other effects. However, most of the studies without clinical research. Research into plant's toxicological effects has also been limited. In addition, this review also summarizes and compares the separation and analysis technologies of E. alatus. E. alatus has potential for the treatment of many diseases, especially tumors and diabetes. But many traditional uses of E. alatus have not been validated by current investigations. Additionally, modern studies haven't gone far enough into its pharmacological effects and the corresponding chemical constituents, more efforts should be made to illuminate the underlying mechanisms of E. alatus for treatment of tumors and diabetes. Moreover, the toxicological effects of this plant can be further studied. Currently, there are limited studies on its side effects and toxicological effects, which should provide further guidance for the safety of clinical use.

Fan L ，Zhang C ，Ai L ，Wang L ，Li L ，Fan W ，Li R ，He L ，Wu C ，Huang Y ... -  《-》

The genus Inula and their metabolites: from ethnopharmacological to medicinal uses.

The genus Inula comprises more than one hundred species widespread in temperate regions of Europe and Asia. Uses of this genus as herbal medicines have been first recorded by the Greek and Roman ancient physicians. In the Chinese Pharmacopoeia, from the 20 Inula spp. distributed in China, three are used as Traditional Chinese medicines, named Tumuxiang, Xuanfuhua and Jinfeicao. These medicines are used as expectorants, antitussives, diaphoretics, antiemetics, and bactericides. Moreover, Inula helenium L. which is mentioned in Minoan, Mycenaean, Egyptian/Assyrian pharmacotherapy and Chilandar Medical Codex, is good to treat neoplasm, wound, freckles and dandruff. Many other Inula spp. are used in Ayurvedic and Tibetan traditional medicinal systems for the treatment of diseases such as bronchitis, diabetes, fever, hypertension and several types of inflammation. This review is a critical evaluation of the published data on the more relevant ethnopharmacological and medicinal uses of Inula spp. and on their metabolites biological activities. This study allows the identification of the ethnopharmacological knowledge of this genus and will provide insight into the emerging pharmacological applications of Inula spp. facilitating the prioritirization of future investigations. The corroboration of the ethnopharmacological applications described in the literature with proved biological activities of Inula spp. secondary metabolites will also be explored. The major scientific databases including ScienceDirect, Medline, Scopus and Web of Science were queried for information on the genus Inula using various keyword combinations, more than 180 papers and patents related to the genus Inula were consulted. The International Plant Name Index was also used to confirm the species names. Although the benefits of Inula spp. are known for centuries, there are insufficient scientific studies to certify it. Most of the patents are registered by Chinese researchers, proving the traditional use of these plants in their country. Although a total of sixteen Inula species were reported in the literature to have ethnopharmacological applications, the species Inula cappa (Buch.-Ham. ex D.Don) DC., Inula racemosa Hook.f., Inula viscosa (L.) Aiton [actually the accepted name is Dittrichia viscosa (L.) Greuter], Inula helenium, Inula britannica L. and Inula japonica Thunb. are the most frequently cited ones since their ethnopharmacological applications are vast. They are used to treat a large spectrum of disorders, mainly respiratory, digestive, inflammatory, dermatological, cancer and microbial diseases. Fifteen Inula spp. crude extracts were investigated and showed interesting biological activities. From these, only 7 involved extracts of the reported spp. used in traditional medicine and 6 of these were studied to isolate the bioactive compounds. Furthermore, 90 bioactive compounds were isolated from 16 Inula spp. The characteristic compounds of the genus, sesquiterpene lactones, are involved in a network of biological effects, and in consequence, the majority of the experimental studies are focused on these products, especially on their cytotoxic and anti-inflammatory activities. The review shows the chemical composition of the genus Inula and presents the pharmacological effects proved by in vitro and in vivo experiments, namely the cytotoxic, anti-inflammatory (with focus on nitric oxide, arachidonic acid and NF-κB pathways), antimicrobial, antidiabetic and insecticidal activities. Although there are ca. 100 species in the genus Inula, only a few species have been investigated so far. Eight of the sixteen Inula spp. with ethnopharmacological application had been subjected to biological evaluations and/or phytochemical studies. Despite Inula royleana DC. and Inula obtusifolia A. Kerner are being used in traditional medicine, as far as we are aware, these species were not subjected to phytochemical or pharmacological studies. The biological activities exhibited by the compounds isolated from Inula spp., mainly anti-inflammatory and cytotoxic, support some of the described ethnopharmacological applications. Sesquiterpene lactone derivatives were identified as the most studied class, being britannilactone derivatives the most active ones and present high potential as anti-inflammatory drugs, although, their pharmacological effects, dose-response relationship and toxicological investigations to assess potential for acute or chronic adverse effects should be further investigated. The experimental results are promising, but the precise mechanism of action, the compound or extract toxicity, and the dose to be administrated for an optimal effect need to be investigated. Also human trials (some preclinical studies proved to be remarkable) should be further investigated. The genus Inula comprises species useful not only in medicine but also in other domains which makes it a high value-added plant.

Seca AM ，Grigore A ，Pinto DC ，Silva AM ... -  《-》

Artemisia anomala S. Moore: A review of botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology and quality control.

Artemisia anomala S. Moore (family: Asteraceae) is a traditional herb that has been used for medicinal purposes in China for more than 1300 years. In traditional and local medicine, A. anomala is widely used in the treatment of rheumatic, dysmenorrhea, enteritis, hepatitis, hematuria and burn injury, and it is also considered as a natural botanical supplement in some areas, a traditional herb with both medicinal and edible properties. The paper aims to provide a comprehensive overview of A. anomala, covering its botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacological activity, and quality control, and to summarize the current research status in order to better understand the application value of A. anomala as a traditional herbal medicine and provide references for its further development and utilization. The relevant information on A. anomala was collected by searching a range of literature and electronic databases using "Artemisia anomala" as the key search term. These sources included both ancient and modern books, the Chinese Pharmacopoeia, as well as various online databases such as PubMed, ScienceDirect, Wiley, ACS, CNKI, Springer, Taylor & Francis, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and Baidu Scholar. At present, 125 compounds have been isolated from A. anomala, including terpenoids, triterpenoids, flavonoids, phenylpropanoids, volatile oils and other compounds. Modern studies have confirmed that these active components have significant pharmacological activities, including anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, hepatoprotective, anti-platelet aggregation and anti-oxidation. In modern clinic, A. anomala is widely used in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, dysmenorrhea, irregular menstruation, traumatic bleeding, hepatitis, soft tissue contusion, burn and scald. Long-term traditional medicinal history and a large number of modern in vitro and in vivo studies have confirmed that A. anomala has a wide range of biological activities, which can provide rich resources for the discovery of promising drug candidates and the development of new plant supplements. However, the research on the active components and molecular mechanism of A. anomala is insufficient, and more mechanism-based pharmacological evaluation and clinical research should be carried out to provide a more powerful scientific basis for its traditional use. In addition, the index components and determination standards of A. anomala should be established as soon as possible, so as to establish a systematic and effective quality control system.

Liu J ，Xiong P ，Huang L ，Zhang W ，Song L ，Hu H ，Jia B ，Liu X ... -  《-》