Plants from the genus
Pyrola are widely distributed in North
Temperate zone. The
quinones,
phenol glycosides,
terpenoids,
flavonoids and
volatile oil compounds have been identified from these
plants. The in vivo and
in vitro studies have shown that the genus
Pyrola plants exhibit a wide range of pharmacological properties, including
antioxidant, antitumor, antibacterial, anti-
ischemia and anti-inflammatory activities. Based on
analysis of the
literature of the genus
Pyrola plant, this
review summarized the
research on chemical constituents,
pharmacology and
quality control in recent years which can provide evidences for further investigation on the genus
Pyrola plants.