Bioactive components, pharmacological effects, and drug development of traditional herbal medicine Hu (Fu-Pen-Zi).

Hu (Chinese Raspberry), known as Fu-Pen-Zi in Chinese, a woody perennial plant of the genus Rubus in the Rosaceae family, has specific nutritional and medicinal values, which is considered food-medicine herb in China for thousands of years to treat impotence, premature ejaculation, enuresis, frequent urination, and other diseases. This review aims to summarize recent advances in the bioactive components, pharmacological effects, and drug development and utilization of Hu, hoping to provide useful support for its further research and clinical application. The bioactive components in Hu contain mainly terpenoids, flavonoids, alkaloids, phenolic acids, polysaccharides, and steroids. The main pharmacological effects are their anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-tumor capacity on human health. Hu is a very valuable food-medicine herb. The development of Hu-related drugs is relatively single, which is limited to traditional Chinese medicine and prescriptions. Therefore, it is vital to pay interest to Hu and its bioactive components in the future and extend its scientific application.