ABSTRACT
Xanthii Fructus (XF) is one of important drugs for the treatment of sinusitis and headache.It is commonly used in the treatment of diseases relating to immune abnormalities,such as rheumatoid arthritis,acute and chronic rhinitis,allergic rhinitis,and skin diseases,with a high medicinal value.Modern pharmacological studies have showed a wide range of pharmacological effect and a high medicinal value in XF.However,due to long-term or excessive intake,and improper processing of medicinal materials,toxic reactions have often occurred.Toxicological studies have shown that XF poisoning can cause substantial damage to organs,such as the liver,heart and kidney,especially to liver.This paper reviews the pharmacological action,toxic substances and hepatotoxicity mechanism of XF by systematically reviewing and summarizing relevant literatures on XF both at home and abroad.It is concluded that XF has anti-hypertension,anti-allergic,anti-bacterial,anti-inflammatory,analgesic,anti-tumor and lipid-decreasing effects.The toxic components are mainly atractyloside,carboxy atractyloside and 4'-desulphate-atractyloside.The mechanism of hepatotoxicity induced by XF is closely related to lipid peroxidation,bile cholestasis and hepatocyte energy metabolism.Meanwhile,the discovery of novel biomarkers of hepatotoxicity,such as miRNA-122,also provides new ideals for medical research.Toxic traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is an important part of TCM.Compatibility or processing can reduce or eliminate toxicity and preserve or increase efficacy.At present,there are few reports on the principle of attenuating the production of XF.The author suggests further strengthening the study on the principle of attenuation of XF,giving full play to the unique curative effect of XF and developing its greater medicinal value.