Zhu Yinghuan, Li Zehao, Wu Shuang, Zhang Tianlei, Zhao Shicheng, Bing Yifan, Liu Kaili, Sun Shilin, Qu Zhongyuan, Zou Xiang
School of Pharmacy, Harbin University of Commerce, Harbin, 150076, China.
Engineering Research Center on Natural Antineoplastic Drugs, Ministry of Education, Harbin University of Commerce, Harbin, 150076, China.
J Ethnopharmacol. 2025 Aug 25;354:120475. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2025.120475.
Bupleurum scorzonerifolium Willd. (commonly referred to as Nan Chai Hu in China, BS) is a widely cultivated herb in several Asian countries, including China, Russia, Mongolia, North Korea and Japan. For more than 2000 years, BS has been a cornerstone of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Historically, both the roots and aerial parts of BS have been extensively utilized to treat a variety of ailments, such as fever, liver disorders, inflammatory conditions, and emotional imbalances such as depression. To date, it remains a commonly used herbal medicine in clinical practice.
This comprehensive review aims to provide an in-depth overview of the botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology, processing and quality evaluation of BS, thereby offering novel insights and robust scientific evidence to inform future research endeavors.
Information on BS was systematically gathered from a wide range of sources, including TCM literature and electronic databases such as Web of Science, PubMed, Google Scholar, CNKI and Wanfang Data.
BS is an herb with a long-standing history of medicinal use. Phytochemical investigations have thus far identified approximately 289 compounds from this plant, including triterpenoid saponins, flavonoids, volatile oils, polysaccharides, lignans, polyacetylenes, and other constituents. Among these compounds, saikosaponins, a class of pentacyclic triterpenoid saponins, have garnered significant attention because of their diverse pharmacological activities and are currently a focal point of pharmacological research. Extensive pharmacological studies have confirmed the antidepressant, anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, analgesic, antitumor, antioxidant, hepatoprotective, lipid-lowering, antibacterial, antiviral and immunomodulatory properties of BS. Traditional processing methods have been shown to increase the therapeutic efficacy of its active components. Moreover, evaluating the quality of BS is of paramount importance to ensure the safe and effective use of this herbal medicine in clinical settings.
The chemical constituents of BS are highly diverse and exhibit a broad spectrum of biological activities. Modern pharmacological studies have provided compelling evidence supporting its traditional therapeutic effects, which include relieving the exterior and reducing fever, as well as soothing the liver and relieving depression. However, further in-depth investigations of the pharmacodynamic material basis, pharmacological mechanisms, development of a Q-marker-based quality evaluation system, optimization of cultivation techniques, and conservation of germplasm resources for BS are needed. Additionally, fundamental studies on and the utilization of BS aerial parts represent essential research directions. It is anticipated that BS will contribute more effectively to clinical practice in the future.
狭叶柴胡（在中国通常被称为南柴胡，BS）是一种在包括中国、俄罗斯、蒙古、朝鲜和日本在内的几个亚洲国家广泛种植的草本植物。两千多年来，狭叶柴胡一直是传统中医（TCM）的基石。历史上，狭叶柴胡的根和地上部分都被广泛用于治疗各种疾病，如发热、肝脏疾病、炎症以及情绪失衡如抑郁症。迄今为止，它在临床实践中仍然是一种常用的草药。
本全面综述旨在深入概述狭叶柴胡的植物学、传统用途、植物化学、药理学、炮制和质量评价，从而提供新的见解和有力的科学证据，为未来的研究工作提供参考。
从广泛的来源系统收集有关狭叶柴胡的信息，包括中医文献以及电子数据库，如科学网、PubMed、谷歌学术、中国知网和万方数据。
狭叶柴胡是一种有着悠久药用历史的草药。植物化学研究迄今已从该植物中鉴定出约289种化合物，包括三萜皂苷、黄酮类、挥发油、多糖、木脂素、聚乙炔和其他成分。在这些化合物中，柴胡皂苷，一类五环三萜皂苷，因其多样的药理活性而备受关注，目前是药理学研究的重点。广泛的药理学研究证实了狭叶柴胡具有抗抑郁、抗炎、解热、镇痛、抗肿瘤、抗氧化、保肝、降脂、抗菌、抗病毒和免疫调节特性。传统炮制方法已被证明可提高其活性成分的治疗效果。此外，评估狭叶柴胡的质量对于确保这种草药在临床环境中的安全有效使用至关重要。
狭叶柴胡的化学成分高度多样，具有广泛的生物活性。现代药理学研究提供了令人信服的证据支持其传统治疗效果，包括解表退热以及疏肝解郁。然而，需要对狭叶柴胡的药效物质基础、药理机制进行进一步深入研究，并建立基于Q-标志物的质量评价体系，优化栽培技术，保护种质资源。此外，对狭叶柴胡地上部分的基础研究和利用是重要的研究方向。预计狭叶柴胡未来将更有效地应用于临床实践。
