Ibrahim Muhammad, Rehman Kanwal, Hussain Iqbal, Farooq Tahir, Ali Bisharat, Majeed Irum, Akash Muhammad Sajid Hamid
Department of Applied Chemistry, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan.
Institute of Pharmacy, Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan.
Crit Rev Eukaryot Gene Expr. 2017;27(2):113-150. doi: 10.1615/CritRevEukaryotGeneExpr.2017019193.
The genus Cuscuta, of the family Cuscutaceae, is present in plants and has been traditionally used medicinally against many diseases and conditions, notably depression, mental illness, headache, spleen disease, jaundice, diabetes mellitus, and hypertension. Large numbers of phytochemical constituents such as alkaloids, flavonoids, lignins, oxygen heterocyclic compounds, steroids, fatty acids, phenolic acids, resin glycosides, and polysaccharides have been isolated from different species of Cuscuta. Ethnopharmacological studies conducted on such constituents have also been shown Cuscuta to possess anticancer, antiviral, antispasmodic, antihypertensive, anticonvulsant, antibacterial, antioxidant, diuretic, and hair-growth activity. Many tribes and traditional communities have long used the different forms of Cuscuta for treatment and prevention of many diseases. In this article, we comprehensively summarize relevant data regarding the phytochemical, ethnopharmacological, and traditional therapeutic uses of Cuscuta. In addition, we review the parts of the plants that are used as traditional therapeutic agents, their regions of existence, and their possible modes of action. To conclude, we provide evidence and new insights for further discovery and development of natural drugs from Cuscuta. We show that further studies are needed to investigate the mechanism of action and safety profile of phytochemical constituents isolated from Cuscuta.
菟丝子属属于菟丝子科，存在于植物中，传统上被用于治疗多种疾病和病症，尤其是抑郁症、精神疾病、头痛、脾脏疾病、黄疸、糖尿病和高血压。从不同种类的菟丝子中已分离出大量植物化学成分，如生物碱、黄酮类化合物、木质素、含氧杂环化合物、甾体、脂肪酸、酚酸、树脂糖苷和多糖。对这些成分进行的民族药理学研究也表明菟丝子具有抗癌、抗病毒、解痉、降压、抗惊厥、抗菌、抗氧化、利尿和促进头发生长的活性。许多部落和传统社区长期以来一直使用不同形式的菟丝子来治疗和预防多种疾病。在本文中，我们全面总结了有关菟丝子植物化学成分、民族药理学和传统治疗用途的相关数据。此外，我们还综述了用作传统治疗剂的植物部位、它们的存在区域以及可能的作用方式。最后，我们为进一步从菟丝子中发现和开发天然药物提供证据和新见解。我们表明，需要进一步研究来调查从菟丝子中分离出的植物化学成分的作用机制和安全性。
