Ligustri Lucidi Fructus, a traditional Chinese Medicine: Comprehensive review of botany, traditional uses, chemical composition, pharmacology, and toxicity.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Ligustri Lucidi Fructus (LLF) is one of the usual Chinese herbs that has long been used with high therapeutic and condition value. LLF is used for the treatment of dizziness and tinnitus, soreness and weakness of the waist and knees, premature greying of the hair, the darkness of the eyes, internal heat and thirst, bone steam and hot flashes and other symptoms. AIM OF THE STUDY: This review reviews botany, traditional uses, processing, phytochemistry, quality control, pharmacology, toxicity and pharmacokinetics to better understand its therapeutic potential. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The literature on LLF was obtained from Google Scholar and Baidu Scholar, PubMed, ScienceDirect, SciFinder, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), WAN FANG DATA and libraries. Some local books, official websites, PhD or MS's dissertations were also included. Phytochemical constituents' structures were drawn by ChemDraw software. RESULTS: So far, Multiple chemical components were isolated and identified from LLF, mainly including terpenoids and flavonoids. Modern studies have shown that LLF extracts and compounds have a wide range of pharmacological effects, including antitumor, liver protection, blood glucose, lipid-lowering, immune regulation, and other aspects. CONCLUSIONS: LLF occupies an important position in the traditional medical system. It is cost-effective and is a significant plant with therapeutic applications in modern medicine. However, further in-depth studies are needed to determine the medical use of this plant and its chemical composition, pharmacological activity, quality control, toxicity and pharmacokinetics.

Crataegus pinnatifida: A botanical, ethnopharmacological, phytochemical, and pharmacological overview.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Crataegus pinnatifida belongs to the Rosaceae family and extensively distribute in North China, Europe, and North America. Its usage was first described in "Xinxiu Ben Cao." The dried fruits of Crataegus pinnatifida Bunge or Crataegus pinnatifida var. major N. E. Br., also known as "Shanzha," is a famous medicine and food homology herb with a long history of medicinal usage in China. C. pinnatifida has the functions for digestive promotion, cardiovascular protection, and lipid reduction. It was traditionally used to treat indigestion, cardiodynia, thoracalgia, hernia, postpartum blood stagnation, and hemafecia. In recent years, C. pinnatifida has attracted worldwide attention as an important medicinal and economical crop due to its multiple and excellent health-promoting effects on cardiovascular, nervous, digestive, endocrine systems, and morbigenous microorganisms of the human body due to its medicinal and nutritional values. AIM OF THE REVIEW: The current review aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of the geographical distribution, traditional usage, phytochemical components, pharmacological actions, clinical settings, and toxicities of C. pinnatifida. Moreover, the connection between the claimed biological activities and the traditional usage, along with the future perspectives for ongoing research on this plant, were also critically summarized. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We collected the published literature on C. pinnatifida using a variety of scientific databases, including Web of Science, ScienceDirect, PubMed, Wiley, Springer, Taylor & Francis, ACS Publications, Google Scholar, Baidu Scholar, CNKI, The Plant List Database, and other literature sources (Ph.D. and MSc dissertations) from 2012 to 2022. RESULTS: In the last decade, over 250 phytochemical compounds containing lignans, phenylpropanoids, flavonoids, triterpenoids, and their glycosides, as well as other compounds, have been isolated and characterized from different parts, including the fruit, leaves, and seeds of C. pinnatifida. Among these compounds, flavonoids and triterpenoids were major bioactive components of C. pinnatifida. They exhibited a broad spectrum of pharmacological actions with low toxicity in vitro and in vivo, such as cardiovascular protection, neuroprotection, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antibacterial, antiviral, anti-diabetes, anti-cancer, anti-mutagenic, anti-osteoporosis, anti-aging, anti-obesity, and hepatoprotection and other actions. CONCLUSION: A long history of traditional uses and abundant pharmacochemical and pharmacological investigations have demonstrated that C. pinnatifida is an important medicine and food homology herb, which displays outstanding therapeutic potential, especially in the digestive system and cardiovascular disease. Nevertheless, the current studies on the active ingredients or crude extracts of C. pinnatifida and the possible mechanism of action are unclear. More evidence-based scientific studies are required to verify the traditional uses of C. pinnatifida. Furthermore, more efforts must be paid to selecting index components for quality control research and toxicity and safety studies of C. pinnatifida.

Genus Lonicera: New drug discovery from traditional usage to modern chemical and pharmacological research.

BACKGROUND: Lonicera Linn. belonging to the family Caprifoliaceae, the largest genus in the plant family, includes about more than 200 species, which are mainly distributed in northern Africa, North America, Europe and Asia. Some species of this genus have been usually used in traditional Chinese medicine as well as functional foods, cosmetics and other applications, such as L. japonica Thunb. Bioactive components and pharmacological activities of the genus Lonicera plants have received an increasing interest from the scientific community. Thus, a comprehensive and systematic review on their traditional usage in China, chemical components, and their pharmacological properties of their whole plants, bioactive extracts, and bioactive isolates including partial structure-activity relationships from the genus is indispensable. METHODS: Information on genus Lonicera of this systematic electronic literature search was gathered via the published articles, patents, clinical trials website (https://clinicaltrials.gov/) and several online bibliographic databases (PubMed, Sci Finder, Research Gate, Science Direct, CNKI, Web of Science and Google Scholar). The following keywords were used for the online search: Lonicera, phytochemical composition, Lonicerae japonica, Lonicera review articles, bioactivities of Lonicera, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antimicrobial, anticancer, hepatoprotective, antioxidant, neuroprotective, anti-diabetic, and clinical trials. This review paper consists of a total of 225 papers covering the Lonicera genus from 1800 to 2021, including research articles, reviews, patents, and book chapters. RESULTS: In this review (1800s-2021), about 420 components from the genus of Lonicera Linn. including 87 flavonoids, 222 terpenoids, 51 organic acids, and other compounds, together with their pharmacological activities including anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antimicrobial, anticancer, hepatoprotective, antioxidant, neuroprotective, antidiabetic, anti-allergic, immunomodulatory effects, and toxicity were summarized. CONCLUSION: The relationship is discussed among their traditional usage, their pharmacological properties, and their chemical components, which indicate the genus Lonicera have a large prospect in terms of new drug exploitation, especially in COVID-19 treatment.

Chemoinformatic analysis of alkaloids isolated from Peganum genus.

Peganum genus is rich with its high phytochemical and botanical variability. Peganum species have been used as a sedative, antitumor, analgesic and antidepressant. This paper aims to study the molecular diversity of Peganum genus and to shed more light on the structure-activity relationship of the alkaloids isolated from Peganum genus. All Peganum alkaloids were grouped according to their structural properties. A chemoinformatic approach (SwissTargetPrediction) was used to determine the molecular targets of these alkaloids. To analyze and visualize the results, R software was used to generate hierarchical clustering heatmaps. The results of this study can help researchers to better understand the structure-activity relationship of Peganum alkaloids and how substitution can affect the biological activity of those alkaloids.

Triterpenoids from the genus Gynostemma: Chemistry and pharmacological activities.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: G. pentaphyllum, also known as Jiao-Gu-Lan, has been used traditionally as folk remedies for many diseases, including diabetes mellitus, metabolic syndrome, aging, and neurodegenerative diseases in China and some countries in East and Southeast Asia. It is considered as an "immortality herb" in Guizhou Province, because it was consumed regularly by the elderly native inhabitants. Other species of the same genus Gynostemma such as G. longipes and G. laxum have been used as alternatives to G. pentaphyllum in ethno-medicine in Vietnam and other Asian countries. AIM OF THE REVIEW: The review aims to summarize up-to-date study results on Gynostemma species, including traditional usage, phytochemical profile, pharmacological activities, and toxicological studies, in order to suggest future research orientation and therapeutic applications on acute and chronic diseases. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The relevant literature on the genus Gynostemma was gathered from secondary databases (Web of Science and PubMed), books, and official websites. The latest literature cited in this review was published in February 2020. RESULTS: The genus Gynostemma has been widely used in traditional medicine, mainly for treatment of diabetes, hypertension, obesity, and hepatosteatosis. To date, 328 dammarane-type saponins were isolated and structurally elucidated from Gynostemma species. Crude extracts, saponin-rich fractions (gypenosides), and pure compounds were reported to show a wide range of pharmacological activities in both in vitro and in vivo experiments. The most notable pharmacological effects were anti-cancer, cardioprotective, hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, anti-diabetic, anti-obesity, and anti-inflammatory activities. Toxicological studies were conducted only on G. pentaphyllum, showing that the plant extracts were relatively safe in both acute and long-term toxicity experiments at the given dosage while no toxicological studies were reported for the other species. CONCLUSIONS: The review summarizes current studies on traditional uses, phytochemistry, biological properties, and toxicology of medicinal Gynostemma species. Till now, the majority of publications still focused only on G. pentaphyllum. However, the promising preliminary data of other Gynostemma species indicated the research potential of this genus, both in phytochemical and pharmacological aspects. Furthermore, clinical data are required to evaluate the efficacy and undesired effects of crude extracts, standard saponin fractions, and pure compounds prepared from Gynostemma medicinal plants.

A review on traditionally used South African medicinal plants, their secondary metabolites and their potential development into anticancer agents.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Approximately 70% of anticancer drugs were developed or derived from natural products or plants. Southern Africa boasts an enormous floral diversity with approximately 22,755 plant species with an estimated 3000 used as traditional medicines. In South Africa more than 27 million individuals rely on traditional medicine for healthcare. The use of South African plants for the treatment of cancer is poorly documented, however there is potential to develop anticancer agents from these plants. Limited ethnobotanical studies report the use of plants for cancer treatment in traditional medicine. Plants growing in tropical or subtropical regions, such as in South Africa, produce important secondary metabolites as a protective mechanism, which could be used to target various factors that play a key role in carcinogenesis. AIMS: The aim was to collate information from primary ethnobotanical studies on South African plants traditionally used for the treatment of cancer. Evaluation of literature focused on traditionally used plants that have been tested for their in vitro activity against cancer cells. Secondary metabolites, previously identified within these plant species, were also included for discussion regarding their activity against cancer. The toxicity was evaluated to ascertain the therapeutic potential in further studies. Additionally, the aim was to highlight where a lack of reports were found regarding plant species with potential activity and to substantiate the need for further testing. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A review of ethnobotanical surveys conducted in South Africa for plants used in the treatment of cancer was performed. Databases such as Science Direct, PubMed and Google Scholar, university repositories of master's dissertations and PhD theses, patents and books were used. Plant species showing significant to moderate activity were discussed regarding their toxicity. Compounds identified within these species were discussed for their activity against cancer cells and toxicity. Traditionally used plants which have not been scientifically validated for their activity against cancer were excluded. RESULTS: Twenty plants were documented in ethnobotanical surveys as cancer treatments. Numerous scientific reports on the potential in vitro activity against cancer of these plants and the identification of secondary metabolites were found. Many of the secondary metabolites have not been tested for their activity against cancer cells or mode of action and should be considered for future studies. Lead candidates, such as the sutherlandiosides, sutherlandins, hypoxoside and pittoviridoside, were identified and should be further assessed. Toxicity studies should be included when testing plant extracts and/or secondary metabolites for their potential against cancer cells to give an indication of whether further analysis should be conducted. CONCLUSION: There is a need to document plants used traditionally in South Africa for the treatment of cancer and to assess their safety and efficacy. Traditionally used plants have shown promising activity highlighting the importance of ethnobotanical studies and traditional knowledge. There are many opportunities to further assess these plants and secondary metabolites for their activity against cancer and their toxic effects. Pharmacokinetic studies are also not well documented within these plant extracts and should be included in studies when a lead candidate is identified.

Toona sinensis: a comprehensive review on its traditional usages, phytochemisty, pharmacology and toxicology

Abstract Toona sinensis (Juss.) M.Roem, Meliaceae, a deciduous plant native to eastern and southeastern Asia, is widely used in Traditional Chinese Medicine. This paper was aimed to summarize the current advances in traditional usage, phytochemistry, pharmacology and toxicology of T. sinensis. In this review, various types of data of T. sinensis are discussed in the corresponding parts of this paper, and perspectives for possible future studies of this plant are discussed. The main constituents of T. sinensis are terpenoids, phenylpropanoids and flavonoids, etc., and its pharmacological activities include anti-tumor effects, antioxidant activities, anti-diabetic effects and anti-inflammatory effects. Although a series of phytochemical and pharmacological researches of this plant have been conducted, the active constituents and action mechanism of these activities should be also further explored. Furthermore, the present review also indicates that T. sinensis has potentials to develop into drugs for treating various diseases with high efficacy and low toxicity, particularly in cancer, diabetes and inflammatory disorders. In conclusion, the paper provides a full-scale profile of the traditional usage, phytochemistry, pharmacology and toxicology of T. sinensis, and also provides potential therapeutic uses and drug development prospects of this plant.

Toona sinensis: a comprehensive review on its traditional usages, phytochemisty, pharmacology and toxicology.

Toona sinensis (Juss.) M.Roem, Meliaceae, a deciduous plant native to eastern and southeastern Asia, is widely used in Traditional Chinese Medicine. This paper was aimed to summarize the current advances in traditional usage, phytochemistry, pharmacology and toxicology of T. sinensis. In this review, various types of data of T. sinensis are discussed in the corresponding parts of this paper, and perspectives for possible future studies of this plant are discussed. The main constituents of T. sinensis are terpenoids, phenylpropanoids and flavonoids, etc., and its pharmacological activities include anti-tumor effects, antioxidant activities, anti-diabetic effects and anti-inflammatory effects. Although a series of phytochemical and pharmacological researches of this plant have been conducted, the active constituents and action mechanism of these activities should be also further explored. Furthermore, the present review also indicates that T. sinensis has potentials to develop into drugs for treating various diseases with high efficacy and low toxicity, particularly in cancer, diabetes and inflammatory disorders. In conclusion, the paper provides a full-scale profile of the traditional usage, phytochemistry, pharmacology and toxicology of T. sinensis, and also provides potential therapeutic uses and drug development prospects of this plant.

Melissa officinalis L: A Review Study With an Antioxidant Prospective.

Melissa officinalis is a plant cultivated in some parts of Iran. The leaves of lemon balm, Melissa officinalis L (Lamiaceae), are used in Iranian folk medicine for their digestive, carminative, antispasmodic, sedative, analgesic, tonic, and diuretic properties, as well as for functional gastrointestinal disorders. This review article was aimed not only to introduce Melissa officinalis (its growth condition, its chemical compounds, and its traditional usages) but also to overview its antioxidant properties in detail. This review was carried out by searching studies in PubMed, Medline, Web of Science, and IranMedex databases up to 2016. The search terms used were " Melissa officinalis L," "antioxidant properties," oxidative stress," "oxidative damage", "ROS." Articles whose full texts were not available were excluded from the study. In this study, firstly, traditional usage of this herb was reviewed, including antimicrobial activity (antiparasitic, antibacterial, antiviral, etc), antispasmodic, and insomnia properties. Then, its antioxidant properties were overviewed. Various studies have shown that Melissa officinalis L possesses high amount of antioxidant activity through its chemical compounds including high amount of flavonoids, rosmaric acid, gallic acid, phenolic contents. Many studies confirmed the antioxidative effects of Melissa officinalis; thus, its effect in preventing and treating oxidative stress-related diseases might be reliable.