Cyathulae radix: A comprehensive review of botany, ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry, pharmacological effects, pharmacokinetics, safety and toxicity, processing methods, analysis methods, and quality control.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Cyathulae Radix (CR) is a traditional Chinese medicine with a long history of application. CR is mainly used to treat amenorrhea with masses, retained placenta, contusions and injuries, rheumatic arthralgia, foot atrophy and muscle cramps, hematuria, and bloody dysuria.

AIM OF THE REVIEW: This study aimed to provide a comprehensive review of CR in terms of botany, ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry, pharmacological effects, pharmacokinetics, safety and toxicity, processing methods, analytical methods, and quality control, aiming to establish a foundation for further exploration on this topic.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

CR-related information was sourced from scientific databases, including Baidu Scholar, CNKI, Google Scholar, PubMed, Web of Science, SciFinder Scholar, Chinese Herb Classics, and Chinese Pharmacopoeia, as well as PhD and MSc dissertations.

RESULTS

The chemical constituents of CR include steroids, saponins, flavonoids, alkaloids, and others. Among these, steroids and saponins are its main active components. CR regulates hemorheology and exerts anticoagulant, antihypertensive, and estrogen-like effects. It also has anti-inflammatory, antioxidative, immunomodulatory, and antitumor effects.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite advances made in the research on the phytochemical components and pharmacological effects of CR, its pharmacological mechanism remains unclear. Moreover, the investigation on the pharmacokinetics of CR needs to be promoted to guide its clinical application. In addition, scientific and reliable quality control standards should be established based on the correlation between active components and pharmacological effects to effectively develop and use CR, thereby laying the foundation for the modern application of CR.