ABSTRACT
As a common medicine and homologous plant, Nelumbo nucifera mainly contains alkaloids, flavonoids, glycosides, terpenes, steroids, fatty acids, proteins, minerals, vitamins and other chemical constituents, with lipid-lowering, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, hemostasis and other pharmacological activities. After reviewing the literatures at home and abroad for nearly 40 years, 385 compounds have been reported from different parts of N. nucifera including lotus leaves, plumula nelumbinis, lotus, lotus seeds, lotus root, lotus seedpod, nelumbinis rhizome node, lotus stem, N. nucifera stamens and lotus seed skins. There are 86 alkaloids, 133 flavonoids, and 166 other compounds. In this review, we summarized the chemical constituents and pharmacological effects reported in N. nucifera, and it provides a reference for further study on the chemical constituents, pharmacological activity and development and utilization of N. nucifera.