Nardostachys jatamansi， A Medicinal Plant from Qinghai-Tibet Plateau： A Review / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ABSTRACT

Nardostachyos Radix et Rhizoma is the dry root and rhizome of Nardostachys jatamansi （Valerianaceae） with a long medical history and a broad range of application， which is effective in regulating Qi， relieving pain， resolving depression， and enlivening spleen， as well as dispelling dampness and relieving swelling by external application. It can be used for the treatment of abdominal distension， loss of appetite， and vomiting. Besides， it can also relieve toothache and treat dermatophytosis and pyogenic infection by external use. Moreover， it serves as a common medicinal material in ancient Ayurveda and Unani medical systems in India and also as an ingredient in spices， foods， and cosmetics. Modern pharmacological studies have shown that Nardostachyos Radix et Rhizoma possesses multiple pharmacological activities， such as sedation， anti-epilepsy， anti-convulsion， anti-depression， anti-arrhythmia， anti-malaria， anti-inflammation， anti-bacteria， anti-oxidation， and blood sugar metabolism improvement due to its multiple compounds contained， including terpenes， flavonoids， coumarins， and lignans. The main active components are sesquiterpenoids represented by nardosinone. The pharmacological activities， chemical compositions， and clinical applications of Nardostachyos Radix et Rhizoma have been investigated， but the research on resources， distribution， quality control， cultivation status， and applications are rarely reported. As an important genuine medicinal material from the Qinghai-Tibet plateau， Nardostachyos Radix et Rhizoma is obtained mainly from wild N. jatamansi. Accordingly， the conservation and sustainable utilization of N. jatamansi have attracted much attention all around the world. Based on the resource survey， cultivation research， and relevant literature available， the present study reviewed resources， geographical distribution， chemical compositions， pharmacological activities， quality control， cultivation， and applications of N. jatamansi， aiming to provide references for the conservation and development of N. jatamansi.