ABSTRACT
Poria cocos,Cortex Poriae,Polyporusumbellatusand Alisma orientalisare common tra-ditionaI Chinese diuretic medicines. According to reported Iiterature,P.cocostriterpenes and poIysaccha-rides,steroids and tetracycIic triterpenes are the main chemicaI components of P.cocos,its epidermis, Pol.umbellatusand A.orientalis,respectiveIy. most of these diuretic drugs contain tetracycIic triterpenes and steroids,which have a simiIar structure to aIdosterone nucIeus structure. Therefore,this characteris-tic may reveaI their diuretic mechanisms. The tetracycIic triterpenes and steroids may exert diuretic effect through competitive inhibition of aIdosterone receptors in different parts of tubuIar reabsorption to increase urine output. The present articIe reviewed the chemicaI components of these diuretic Chinese medicines. Furthermore,their bioactive components and action mechanisms were aIso anaIyzed and discussed.