J Ethnopharmacol. 2015 Aug 22;172:44-60. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2015.06.033. Epub 2015 Jun 23.
Chik WI1,
Zhu L1,
Fan LL2,
Yi T3,
Zhu GY4,
Gou XJ5,
Tang YN1,
Xu J1,
Yeung WP1,
Zhao ZZ1,
Yu ZL1,
Chen HB6.
- 1School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China.
- 2Guangxi Botanical Garden of Medicinal Plant, Nanning, Guangxi 530023, China.
- 3School
of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong Special
Administrative Region, China. Electronic address: yitao@hkbu.edu.hk.
- 4The State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macau, China.
- 5Sichuan Industrial Institute of Antibiotics, Chengdu University, Chengdu 610051, China.
- 6School
of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong Special
Administrative Region, China. Electronic address: hbchen@hkbu.edu.hk.
Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE:
Saussurea
involucrata Matsum. & Koidz. is an endangered species of the
Asteraceae family, growing in the high mountains of central Asia. It has
been, and is, widely used in traditional Uyghur, Mongolian and Kazakhstan
medicine as well as in Traditional Chinese Medicine as Tianshan Snow
Lotus (Chinese: ). In traditional medical theory, S. involucrata can
promote blood circulation, thereby alleviating all symptoms associated
with poor circulation. It also reputedly eliminates cold and dampness
from the body, diminishes inflammation, invigorates, and strengthens Yin
and Yang. It has long been used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, cough
with cold, stomach ache, dysmenorrhea, and altitude sickness in Uyghur
and Chinese medicine.
AIM OF THE REVIEW:
To
comprehensively summarize the miscellaneous research that has been done
regarding the botany, ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry, biological
activity, and toxicology of S. involucrata.
METHOD:
An
extensive review of the literature was carried out. Apart from
different electronic databases including SciFinder, Chinese National
Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), ScienceDirect that were sourced for
information, abstracts, full-text articles and books written in English
and Chinese, including those traditional records tracing back to the
Qing Dynasty. Pharmacopoeia of China and other local herbal records in Uighur, Mongolian and Kazakhstan ethnomedicines were investigated and compared for pertinent information.
RESULTS:
The
phytochemistry of S. involucrata has been comprehensively investigated.
More than 70 compounds have been isolated and identified; they include
phenylpropanoids, flavonoids, coumarins, lignans, sesquiterpenes,
steroids, ceramides, polysaccharides. Scientific studies on the
biological activity of S. involucrata are equally numerous. The herb has
been shown to have anti-neoplastic, anti-inflammatory, analgesic,
anti-oxidative, anti-fatigue, anti-aging, anti-hypoxic, neuroprotective
and immunomodulating effects. Many have shown correlations to the
traditional clinical applications in Traditional Chinese Medicine and
medicines. The possible mechanisms of S. involucrata in treating various
cancers are revealed in the article, these include inhibition of cancer
cells by affecting their growth, adhesion, migration, aggregation and
invasion, inhibition of epidermal growth factor receptor signaling in
cancer cells, hindrance of cancer cell proliferation, causing
cytotoxicity to cancer cells and promoting expression of tumor
suppressor genes. Dosage efficacy is found to be generally
concentration- and time-dependent. However, studies on the correlation
between particular chemical constituents and specific bioactivities are
limited.
CONCLUSION:
In
this review, we have documented the existing traditional uses of S.
involucrata and summarized recent research into the phytochemistry and
pharmacology of S. involucrata. Many of the traditional uses have been
validated by phytochemical and modern pharmacological studies but there
are still some areas where the current knowledge could be improved.
Although studies have confirmed that S. involucrata has a broad range of
bioactivities, further in-depth studies on the exact bioactive
molecules and the mechanism of action are expected. Whether we should
use this herb independently or in combination deserves to be clarified.
The exact quality control as well as the toxicology studies is necessary
to guarantee the stability and safety of the clinic use. The
sustainable use of this endangered resource was also addressed. In
conclusion, this review was anticipated to highlight the importance of
S. involucrata and provides some directions for the future development
of this plant.
Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
KEYWORDS:
Ethnopharmacology;
Phytochemistry; Rheumatoid arthritis; Saussurea involucrata;
Traditional Chinese Medicine; Uyghur local medicine
- PMID:
- 26113182
- [PubMed - in process]
