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Background Conioselinum anthriscoides (H. Boissieu) Pimenov & Kljuykov, also known as Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort. is a perennial Umbelliferae herb, whose dried rhizome commonly called Chuanxiong Rhizoma. Chuanxiong Rhizoma is widely used in TCM, especially for cardiocerebrovascular and gynecological diseases. However, these studies are scattered and there is no review that can centralize the results of these studies. The authors summarized this review by collecting research results on the chemical, pharmacological, and toxicological of Chuanxiong Rhizoma published in various publications over the past 20 years. Aims The purpose of this review is to summarize the current experimental studies on Chuanxiong Rhizoma and explore its mechanism of action. Methods Web of Science, PubMed, CBM, CNKI, Medline, Embase, Elsevier, Springer, Wiley Online Library, Scholar, and other databases were searched, and nearly one hundred experimental studies were collected to summarize this review. Results and Discussion Chuanxiong Rhizoma is composed of essential oil, terpenes, alkaloids, polysaccharide, organic acids, ceramides, and cerebrosides. It has the functions of promoting blood circulation, removing blood stasis, antibacterial, antiviral, and calming the mind to sleep. Now it can be used to treat cardiocerebrovascular and gynecological diseases, neurodegenerative disease, psoriasis, rectal cancer, osteoporosis, and osteoarthritis. Conclusions In the past 20 years, a large number of research data have confirmed that Chuanxiong Rhizoma contains rich effective metabolites, has huge medicinal potential, and has a wide range of effective treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Oxytropis DC is a perennial plant of Fabaceae family, which is widely distributed in the northern temperate zone. It is known as "locoweed" because of its toxic component swainsonine. However, it is widely used in Tibetan medicine and Mongolian medicine, mainly for the treatment of heat-clearing and detoxifying, pain-relieving, anti-inflammatory, hemostasis, and other diseases. To provide a basis for the further development and utilization of Oxytropis DC, the pieces of literature about the application, phytochemistry, pharmacological action, and toxicity of Oxytropis DC were reviewed and analyzed. Key findings: A total of 373 chemical constituents were found from Oxytropis DC, including flavonoids, alkaloids, steroids, terpenoids, and others. Pharmacological actions mainly include antitumor, antioxidation, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antibacterial, antifibrosis, and other pharmacological actions, among them, the antitumor effect is particularly prominent. Summary: At present, studies on its pharmacological effects are mainly concentrated on the extracts, some flavonoids, and alkaloids. In the follow-up studies, research on the pharmacological activities of the other chemical constituents in Oxytropis should be strengthened. It has the potential to pave the way for research and development of novel Oxytropis medicines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]