Baotou Medical College, Baotou, Inner Mongolia, 014040, China.
Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, 010110, China.
J Ethnopharmacol. 2020 Dec 5;263:113154. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2020.113154. Epub 2020 Aug 5.
The genus Orobanche consists of annual, biennial or perennial fleshy parasitic herb species, many of which are in use as traditional medicines and wild gathered foods since a long time. Recently, Orobanche spp. are increasingly accepted as edible medicines with nourishing properties. However, there is a lack of comprehensive understanding of their ethnopharmacological background.
This review focuses on the advancements in botanical classification, and summary of traditional use, phytochemistry, pharmacology and toxicology of Orobanche species, in order to check for scientific support of their traditional uses and the safe treatment of human ailments and diseases.
In this review, the results of a systematic and comprehensive literature survey about Orobanche spp over the past 60 years (from 1960 to 2020) is presented. The selected literature includes periodicals, doctoral dissertations, master dissertations conference papers and various books. The literature was identified through search engine websites and a cross-checked with the Chinese pharmacopeia, classic Chinese and European herbals, regional medicinal monographs, and online ethnobotanical databases.
The literature about the traditional uses revealed that Orobanche spp. were used as medicine and food in many regions of the world, but mainly in China and North America while in Europe they were primarily used as food items. Phenylpropanoid derivatives and alkaloids, were reported as their main bioactive compounds, showing antioxidant, immune system enhancing, androgenic, antibacterial and antiviral properties.
Orobanche spp. are increasingly being used for tonic purposes in China. Their ethnopharmacological background suggests potential usages as healthy foods and food supplements. They have the potential to be developed into herbal medicines for tonifying the kidney, against impotence and spermatorrhea, dermatological problems and wounds, as well as infantile diarrhoea. However, the pharmacological studies conducted with extracts derived from Orobanche spp. were not useful for rationally explaining the traditional uses. More investigations are required to provide a pharmacological basis for the traditional claims and the relationship between traditional uses, clinical uses, phytochemistry and pharmacological properties. Additionally, quality control should be emphasized to ensure the safe and effective use of Orobanche derived products.
列当属植物是一年生、二年生或多年生肉质寄生草本植物，其中许多种作为传统药物和野生食用植物已有很长时间的应用历史。最近，列当属植物被越来越多地认为是具有滋补特性的可食用药物。然而，对于它们的民族药理学背景，人们的了解还不够全面。
本综述重点介绍了列当属植物的植物分类学进展，以及对其传统用途、植物化学、药理学和毒理学的总结，以检查其传统用途和安全治疗人类疾病的科学依据。
在本综述中，展示了过去 60 年来（1960 年至 2020 年）关于列当属植物的系统和全面文献调查的结果。所选文献包括期刊、博士论文、硕士论文、会议论文和各种书籍。通过搜索引擎网站和与中国药典、经典中西方草药、地区药用专着和在线民族植物学数据库的交叉核对来识别文献。
关于传统用途的文献表明，列当属植物在世界许多地区被用作药物和食物，但主要在中国和北美，而在欧洲，它们主要被用作食物。苯丙素衍生物和生物碱被报道为其主要的生物活性化合物，具有抗氧化、增强免疫系统、雄激素、抗菌和抗病毒特性。
列当属植物在中国越来越多地被用作滋补品。它们的民族药理学背景表明它们具有作为健康食品和食品补充剂的潜在用途。它们有可能被开发成用于补肾、治疗阳痿和遗精、皮肤病和伤口以及婴幼儿腹泻的草药。然而，从列当属植物中提取的提取物进行的药理学研究并不能合理地解释传统用途。需要进行更多的研究，为传统说法提供药理学依据，并探讨传统用途、临床用途、植物化学和药理学特性之间的关系。此外，应强调质量控制，以确保列当属产品的安全有效使用。
