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Ethnopharmacological relevance Areca catechu L. (Arecaceae), widely distributed in South and Southeast Asia, is a popular traditional herbal medicine that can be chewed for the purpose of dispersing accumulated fluid in the abdominal cavity and killing worms. The present paper aims to provide an up-to-date review on the traditional uses and advances in the botany, phytochemistry, pharmacology and toxicology of this plant. Furthermore, the possible trends and a perspective for future research of this plant are also discussed. Materials and methods A literature search was performed on A. catechu based on classic books of herbal medicine, PhD. and MSc. dissertations, government reports, the state and local drug standards, scientific databases including Pubmed, SciFinder, Scopus, the Web of Science, Google Scholar, and others. Various types of information regarding this plant are discussed in corresponding parts of this paper. In addition, perspectives for possible future studies of A. catechu are discussed. Results The seeds of A. catechu (areca nut) have been widely used in clinical practice in China, India and other South and Southeast Asian Countries. Currently, over 59 compounds have been isolated and identified from A. catechu , including alkaloids, tannins, flavones, triterpenes, steroids, and fatty acids. The extracts and compounds isolated from A. catechu have many pharmacological activities. These include antiparasitic effects, anti-depressive effects, anti-fatigue effects, antioxidant effects, antibacterial and antifungal effects, antihypertensive effects, anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects, anti-allergic effects, the promotion of digestive functions, suppression of platelet aggregation, regulatory effects on blood glucose and lipids, etc . Although arecoline is the primary active constituent of A. catechu , it is also the primary toxic compound. The main toxicities of arecoline are the promotion of oral submucosal fibrosis (OSF) and cytotoxic effects on normal human cells, which involve inducing apoptosis. Conclusion As an important herbal medicine, A. catechu has potential for the treatment of many diseases, especially parasitic diseases, digestive function disorders, and depression. Many traditional uses of A. catechu have now been validated by current investigations. However, further research should be undertaken to investigate the clinical effects, toxic constituents, target organs, and pharmacokinetics and to establish criteria for quality control for A. catechu- derived medications. In addition, it will be interesting to investigate the active macromolecular compounds and active constituents other than alkaloids in both raw and processed products of A. catechu . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ethnopharmacological reference The use of medicinal plants in the treatment of infections is ancient. A wide variety of ethnotherapeutic properties and pharmacological actions has been attributed to Terminalia sericea . Studies by various groups of investigators reveal that it is a multipurpose medicinal plant used mostly in the treatment of diarrhoea, sexually transmitted infections, skin rashes, tuberculosis and other infections. The current paper is aimed at providing an overview of the ethnomedicinal uses, toxicology, pharmacology and the phytochemistry of Terminalia sericea . Materials and methods Information was retrieved using various search engines, including Pubmed, Science Direct, Google Scholar, Scielo, SciFinder and Scopus. The key words used included Terminalia sericea , secondary metabolites, phytochemistry, biological activity, pharmacology, ethnobotanical survey, medicinal uses, safety, toxicology and other related words. Results Terminalia sericea is an important medicinal plant which possesses anti-HIV, anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, anticancer, lipolytic, wound healing, antiparasitic, anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant activity, as the most valuable biological activities, thus lending pharmacological support to the plant's folkloric uses in indigenous medicine. Toxicologically, the extracts and isolated compounds from the plant species may have mild toxic effects. Phytochemically, the plant species possesses valuable compounds including triterpenes, alkaloids and flavonoids which may well contribute to its biological activity. Conclusions Terminalia sericea contains secondary metabolites which are valuable in the treatment of a variety of human infections, including community acquired infections which may be prevalent in developing countries. The degree of toxicity reported in various extracts warrants further exploration of the cytotoxicity of the plant species, both against normal human cell lines and in vivo . Moreover, the acetylcholinesterase inhibitory and anti-inflammatory effects also need to be further investigated as there are only a few reports from the literature on these aspects. There is also a need to further understand the mode of action of the extracts against various enzymes relating to inflammation. Antioxidant activity of the plant extracts against various forms of free radicals needs to be investigated. Although T. sericea is reported to be used for ethnoveterinary infections, there are no scientific reports on the anti-parasitic activity of the plant species against common animal parasites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ethnopharmacological relevance Seven species from the genus Dictamnus are distributed throughout Europe and North Asia and only two species grow in China. One is Dictamnus dasycarpus Turcz., which could be found in many areas of China and has been recorded in Chinese Pharmacopoeia . The other is Dictamnus angustifolius G. Don ex Sweet, which is only present in Xinjiang province and has been used as an alternative for Dictamnus dasycarpus in the local for the treatment of rheumatism, bleeding, itching, jaundice, chronic hepatitis and skin diseases. The present paper reviewed the traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology and toxicology of the genus Dictamnus . Materials and methods Information on the Dictamnus species was collected from classic books about Chinese herbal medicine and globally accepted scientific databases including PubMed, Elsevier, ASC, Scopus, Google Scholar, Web of Science, CNKI and others. Results About 170 chemical compounds, which include quinoline alkaloids, limonoids, sesquiterpenes, coumarins, flavonoids and steroids, have been isolated from the genus Dictamnus . The characteristic and active constituents of Dictamnus species are considered to be quinoline alkaloids and limonoids, which exhibited a broad spectrum of biological activities such as anti-cancer, anti-inflammation, anti-microbe, anti-platelet-aggregation, vascular-relaxation, anti-insect, anti-HIV, anti-allergy and neuroprotection. Moreover, quinoline alkaloids and limonoids could be used as quality control markers to distinguish different species from the genus Dictamnus . However, there were also some reports on the toxic hepatitis and phototoxic effect of Dictamnus species, and the related research needs to be further studied. Conclusion In this review, we summarized the chemical constituents, pharmacology, quality control and toxicology of the species from genus Dictamnus . Phytochemical investigations indicated that quinoline alkaloids and limonoids were the major bioactive components with potential cytotoxic, neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anti-platelet-aggregation and vascular relaxing activities. These two kinds of compounds have attracted great interests in the past few years and may have great potential to be new drug lead compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ethnopharmacological relevance The processed lateral root of Aconitum carmichaelii Debeaux (Ranunculaceae), an extensively used traditional Chinese medicine, is known as Fuzi in China (Chinese: 附子), “bushi” in Japan, “Kyeong-Po Buja” in Korea, Chinese aconite, monkshood or Chinese wolfsbane. It has been used to treat shock resulting from acute myocardial infarction, low blood pressure, coronary heart disease, chronic heart failure, etc. Aim of the review The present paper aims to provide an up-to-date review at the advancements of the investigations on the ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry, pharmacological effect and toxicity of Fuzi. Besides, the possible tendency and perspective for future research of this plant are discussed, as well. Materials and methods All available information on Fuzi was collected via electronic search (using Elsevier, PubMed, ACS, CNKI, Google Scholar, Baidu Scholar, and Web of Science), books and classic works about Chinese herb. Results 122 chemical constituents, among which C 19 -diterpenoid alkaloids and C 20 -diterpenoid alkaloids are the predominant groups, have been isolated and identified from Fuzi. Fuzi with its active compounds is possessed of wide-reaching biological activities, including effects on cardiovascular system, anti-inflammation and analgesic action, anti-tumor activity, effect on the immune system, hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic effects, anti-aging effect, effect of protecting kidney and effect on energy metabolism. Conclusions Nearly all of compounds were found from the roots of the plant, so further phytochemical studies should focus more on the other parts of the plant, such as the leaves, flowers or stems. Besides, a majority of the pharmacological studies were carried out using crude and poorly characterized extracts. Thus, more bioactive components particularly cardiotonic and analgesic compounds should be identified through bioactivity-guided isolation strategies. Moreover, investigations on how to develop Fuzi׳s new clinical usage on the basis of its pharmacological effects are in requirement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Ethnopharmacological relevance: Leonurus japonicus Houtt. (Labiatae), commonly called Chinese motherwort (▪▪▪), is an herbaceous flowering plant native to Asia. For thousands of years in China, the aerial part of Leonurus japonicus has been used to treat menoxenia, dysmenorrhea, amenorrhea, lochia, edema of the body, oliguresis, sores, ulcerations and other diseases in women. Now, Leonurus japonicus is listed in the Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China. The present paper reviewed the ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry, biological actions and toxicology of Leonurus japonicus. Materials and methods: Information on Leonurus japonicus was gathered via the Internet (using Elsevier, ACS, Medline Plus, CNKI, VIP, Web of Science, Google Scholar and Baidu Scholar) and libraries. Results: Approximately 140 chemical compounds have been isolated from Leonurus japonicus, and the major components have been determined to be alkaloids, diterpenes and flavones. Among these active compounds, the effects of leonurine and stachydrine have been widely investigated. The primary active components in Leonurus japonicus possess wide pharmacological actions, such as effects on the uterus as well as cardioprotective, anti-oxidative, neuroprotective and anti-cancer activities. Conclusions: Modern pharmacological studies have demonstrated that Leonurus japonicus has marked bioactivities, especially on the uterus and as a cardioprotective agent. These activities are related to its traditional use and provide prospects for the development of novel drugs, therapeutics and health care products for women. However, the toxicity of Leonurus japonicus will require further study, and the nomenclature for Leonurus japonicus will require additional clarification. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]