Tianjin Key Laboratory for Modern Drug Delivery & High-Efficiency, School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China.
National Resource Center for Chinese Materia Medica, Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China.
J Ethnopharmacol. 2018 Mar 25;214:274-291. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2017.12.006. Epub 2017 Dec 12.
The genus Polygonatum (Asparagaceae) comprises 71 species distributed throughout the temperate Northern Hemisphere. The medicinal plants of Polygonatum have been traditionally used as tonics in China, India, Pakistan, Iran and Japan, and have been demonstrated to be highly effective in clinical practice for treating age-related diseases, diabetes, lung diseases, fatigue, feebleness and indigestion.
This paper aims to provide the links among traditional uses, chemical constituents, pharmacological effects and toxicity to support their therapeutic potential and uncover opportunities for future research.
The relevant information on the genus Polygonatum was gathered from scientific databases (Google Scholar, Web of Science, SciFinder, ScienceDirect, ACS Publications, PubMed, Wiley Online Library, CNKI). Information was also obtained from online databases, books, Ph.D. dissertations and M.Sc. theses. The literature cited in this review dates from 1917 to June 2017.
At least 37 species and 1 variety of Polygonatum plants have been used as traditional medicine and functional food. The major chemical constituents of Polygonatum plants are steroidal saponins, triterpenoid saponins, homoisoflavanones, polysaccharides and lectins. A putative biosynthetic pathway of steroidal saponins and triterpenoid saponins has been established based on the compounds isolated from Polygonatum plants. The crude extracts and certain pure compounds from Polygonatum plants have shown a wide range of pharmacological effects such as anti-aging, anti-diabetic, anti-fatigue, and anticancer effects. The rhizomes of Polygonatum plants have a low degree of toxicity after processing.
Based on this review, some traditional uses of Polygonatum species have been confirmed by pharmacological studies, such as its anti-osteoporosis, neuroprotective, immunomodulatory, anti-diabetic and anti-fatigue effects. Most of the pharmacological effects of this genus can be attributed to its polysaccharides, saponins and lectins. However, to clarify the chemical differences that lead to the different traditional uses between "Huangjing" (derived from P. sibiricum, P. kingianum, P. cyrtonema) and "Yuzhu" (derived from P. odoratum), a systematic comparison of the small molecule compositions and polysaccharides of these four species is needed. In addition to these four species, other locally used medicinal Polygonatum species should be the subject of research, and the chemical and pharmacological relationships of these species should be investigated to expand the medicinal resources and standardize the use of Polygonatum species.
黄精属（天门冬科）包括分布在北温带的 71 种物种。黄精属的药用植物在中国、印度、巴基斯坦、伊朗和日本一直被用作补品，并且在临床实践中已被证明对治疗与年龄相关的疾病、糖尿病、肺部疾病、疲劳、虚弱和消化不良非常有效。
本文旨在提供传统用途、化学成分、药理作用和毒性之间的联系，以支持其治疗潜力，并为未来的研究提供机会。
从科学数据库（谷歌学术、Web of Science、SciFinder、ScienceDirect、ACS 出版物、PubMed、Wiley Online Library、CNKI）中收集了有关黄精属的相关信息。还从在线数据库、书籍、博士论文和硕士论文中获取了信息。本综述中引用的文献可追溯到 1917 年至 2017 年 6 月。
至少有 37 种和 1 种黄精植物被用作传统药物和功能性食品。黄精植物的主要化学成分是甾体皂苷、三萜皂苷、异黄酮、多糖和凝集素。根据从黄精植物中分离得到的化合物，建立了甾体皂苷和三萜皂苷的假定生物合成途径。黄精植物的粗提取物和某些纯化合物表现出广泛的药理作用，如抗衰老、抗糖尿病、抗疲劳和抗癌作用。黄精植物的根茎经过加工后毒性较低。
基于本综述，一些黄精属植物的传统用途已被药理研究证实，如抗骨质疏松、神经保护、免疫调节、抗糖尿病和抗疲劳作用。该属的大多数药理作用可归因于其多糖、皂苷和凝集素。然而，为了阐明导致“黄精”（源自黄精、黄精、黄精）和“玉竹”（源自黄精）不同传统用途的化学差异，需要对这四个物种的小分子成分和多糖进行系统比较。除了这四个物种外，还应该对其他当地使用的药用黄精属物种进行研究，并对这些物种的化学成分和药理关系进行研究，以扩大药用资源并规范黄精属物种的使用。
