College of Pharmacy, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, 250355, Shandong Province, PR China.
College of Pharmacy, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, 250355, Shandong Province, PR China.
J Ethnopharmacol. 2022 Oct 5;296:115462. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2022.115462. Epub 2022 Jun 15.
Tapinanthus species are hemiparasites that grow on diverse hosts in African regions. Tapinanthus species are locally known as "all purpose herbs" as they are traditionally used to treat various diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, cancer, inflammation, malaria, anemia, anxiety, itching, and so on.
A comprehensive review on research outcomes and future perspectives of Tapinanthus species are presented to provide a reference for relevant researchers.
The references regarding Tapinanthus species were retrieved from Google Scholar, Web of Science, Sci-finder, PubMed, Elsevier, Wiley, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Open Access Library, and SpringerLink between 1963 and 2022. Scientific plant names were provided by "The Plant List" (www.theplantlist.org) and "The world Flora Online" (www.worldfloraonline.org).
Even though Tapinanthus species are regarded as notorious pests that can undermine various hosts, they are, as omnipotent herbs in folklore, meaningful for the development of potential phytomedicine sources. Phytochemistry screening has revealed the presence of glycosides, triterpenoids, flavonoids, alkaloids, tannins, steroids, anthraquinones. Among them, the chemical structures of 40 compounds have been elucidated by phytochemical methods without alkaloids and anthraquinones. These secondary metabolites might be responsible for ethnomedical uses and bioactivities of Tapinanthus species. Current research has provided scientific evidence for traditional uses of Tapinanthus species, especially unraveling hypoglycemic, hepatoprotective, antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-anxiety, anti-depression, anti-inflammatory, and other pharmacological properties. Given the fact that ethnomedical uses served as a valuable reference for pharmacology, however, some records to treat arthritis, fever, itching, dysentery, stomach pain, and anemia, have not been confirmed in current research. Furthermore, the toxic effects of Tapinanthus species were susceptible to the dosages, with relative safety across a wide range.
To reasonably yield Tapinanthus species, artificial culture might be a promising method to develop in the future. The discrepancies between phytochemistry screening and structure elucidation, as well as between ethnomedical uses and current pharmacology, need to be further clarified. The identification of bioactive compounds in crude extracts and fractions, the illustration of the underlying mechanisms of pharmacology, along with the addition of cytotoxicity, genotoxicity, and clinical trials of toxic tests, should be carried out in depth. This review highlights that Tapinanthus species can be considered promising phytomedicine sources as long as we adhere to digging more deeply into their potential role.
垂花泡叶珊瑚是一种半寄生植物，生长在非洲地区的多种宿主上。垂花泡叶珊瑚在当地被称为“万能药草”，因为它们被传统上用于治疗各种疾病，如糖尿病、高血压、癌症、炎症、疟疾、贫血、焦虑、瘙痒等。
本研究旨在全面综述垂花泡叶珊瑚属植物的研究成果和未来展望，为相关研究人员提供参考。
通过谷歌学术、Web of Science、SciFinder、PubMed、Elsevier、Wiley、中国知网、Open Access Library 和 SpringerLink 检索了 1963 年至 2022 年期间关于垂花泡叶珊瑚属植物的参考文献。科学植物名称由“植物名录”（www.theplantlist.org）和“世界植物在线”（www.worldfloraonline.org）提供。
尽管垂花泡叶珊瑚属植物被认为是破坏各种宿主的有害害虫，但作为民间传说中的万能药草，它们对开发潜在的植物药源具有重要意义。植物化学筛选表明，存在糖苷、三萜类、类黄酮、生物碱、单宁、甾体、蒽醌等化合物。其中，通过植物化学方法阐明了 40 种化合物的化学结构，而没有生物碱和蒽醌。这些次生代谢产物可能是垂花泡叶珊瑚属植物的民族医学用途和生物活性的原因。目前的研究为垂花泡叶珊瑚属植物的传统用途提供了科学依据，特别是揭示了其降血糖、保肝、抗氧化、抗菌、抗焦虑、抗抑郁、抗炎等药理学特性。鉴于民族医学用途是药理学的宝贵参考，但目前的研究尚未证实一些用于治疗关节炎、发热、瘙痒、痢疾、胃痛和贫血的记录。此外，垂花泡叶珊瑚属植物的毒性作用易受剂量影响，在较宽的范围内相对安全。
为了合理利用垂花泡叶珊瑚属植物，人工栽培可能是未来有前途的方法。植物化学筛选和结构解析之间以及民族医学用途和当前药理学之间的差异需要进一步澄清。应深入开展粗提取物和馏分中生物活性化合物的鉴定、药理学作用机制的阐明以及细胞毒性、遗传毒性和毒性试验的临床试验。本综述强调，只要我们深入挖掘垂花泡叶珊瑚属植物的潜在作用，就可以将其视为有前途的植物药源。
