Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Gazi University, 06330 Ankara, Turkey.
Curr Med Chem. 2018;25(37):4854-4865. doi: 10.2174/0929867323666160919095519.
Crataegus oxyacantha L. (syn. C. rhipidophylla Gand.) (Rosac-eae) is one of the two medicinally recognized hawthorn species in European Pharmacopeia. Standardization of the extract prepared from the berry and flowers of the plant is required according to its oligomeric procyanidins. C. oxyacantha is well-known for its use in the treatment of various heart problems particularly, including heart failure in cases of declining cardiac performance equivalent to stages I and II of the New York Heart Association classification, angina pectoris, hypertension with myocardial insufficiency, mild alterations of cardiac rhythm, and atherosclerosis. C. oxyacantha has been reported to exert several other pharmacological activities such as hypotensive, antihyperlipidemic, antihyperglycemic, anxiolytic, immunomodulatory, and antimutagenic. Oligomeric procyanidins and flavone/flavonol types of flavonoids, which are considered to be the chief groups of active substances, phenolic acids, triterpenes, fatty acids, and sterols are present in the plant. The present review aims mainly to outline cardiotonic effect of C. oxyacantha as well as its brief phytochemistry. Numerous experiments and clinical studies have underlined cardiovascular efficacy of the plant through various mechanisms including positive inotropic and negative chronotropic effects, escalation in coronary blood flow and exercise tolerance, inhibition of the enzymes such as angiotensinconverting enzyme (ACE) and phosphodiesterase, anti-inflammatory and antihyperlipidemic effects, improving status of antioxidant enzymes, etc., which support its cardioactive efficacy. The plant possesses several other bioactivities for human health usually concomitant to its rich polyphenolic content.
山楂（Crataegus oxyacantha L.）（蔷薇科）是欧洲药典中两种药用山楂之一。根据其低聚原花青素的含量，需要对其果实和花朵提取物进行标准化。山楂以其在治疗各种心脏问题方面的应用而闻名，特别是在心力衰竭方面，包括心脏功能下降相当于纽约心脏协会分类的 I 期和 II 期、心绞痛、心肌功能不全伴高血压、轻度心律失常和动脉粥样硬化。山楂还被报道具有其他几种药理活性，如降压、抗高血脂、降血糖、抗焦虑、免疫调节和抗突变。低聚原花青素和类黄酮/黄酮醇类黄酮，被认为是主要的活性物质群，以及酚酸、三萜、脂肪酸和固醇存在于植物中。本综述旨在概述山楂的强心作用及其简要的植物化学。大量实验和临床研究通过各种机制强调了该植物的心血管疗效，包括正性肌力和负性变时作用、增加冠状动脉血流量和运动耐量、抑制血管紧张素转换酶（ACE）和磷酸二酯酶等酶的作用、抗炎和抗高血脂作用、改善抗氧化酶的状态等，这些都支持其心脏活性功效。该植物具有其他几种对人类健康的生物活性，通常与其丰富的多酚含量有关。
