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Siraitia siamensis is a traditional Chinese medicinal herb. In this study, using S. siamensis cultivated in vitro, twelve candidate reference genes under various treatments were analyzed for their expression stability by using algorithms such as GeNorm, NormFinder, BestKeeper, Delta CT, and RefFinder. The selected reference genes were then used to characterize the gene expression of cucurbitadienol synthase, which is a rate-limiting enzyme for mogroside biosynthesis. The results showed that CDC6 and NCBP2 expression was the most stable across all treatments and are the best reference genes under the tested conditions. Utilizing the validated reference genes, we analyzed the expression profiles of genes related to the synthesis pathway of mogroside in S. siamensis in response to a range of abiotic stresses. The findings of this study provide clear standards for gene expression normalization in Siraitia plants and exploring the rationale behind differential gene expression related to mogroside synthesis pathways.

Siraitia grosvenorii (Swingle) C. Jeffrey (S. grosvenorii), a perennial indigenous liana from the Cucurbitaceae family, has historically played a significant role in southern China’s traditional remedies for various ailments. Its dual classification by the Chinese Ministry of Health for both medicinal and food utility underscores its has the potential of versatile applications. Recent research has shed light on the chemical composition, pharmacological effects, and toxicity of S. grosvenorii. Its active ingredients include triterpenoids, flavonoids, amino acids, volatile oils, polysaccharides, minerals, vitamins, and other microconstituents. Apart from being a natural sweetener, S. grosvenorii has been found to have numerous pharmacological effects, including alleviating cough and phlegm, preventing dental caries, exerting anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic effects, anti-aging and anti-oxidative, hypoglycemic, lipid-lowering, anti-depression, anti-fatigue, anti-schizophrenic, anti-Parkinson, anti-fibrotic, and anti-tumor activities. Despite its versatile potential, there is still a lack of systematic research on S. grosvenorii to date. This paper aims to address this gap by providing an overview of the main active components, pharmacological efficacy, toxicity, current status of development and application, development dilemmas, and strategies for intensive exploitation and utilization of S. grosvenorii. This paper aims to serve as a guide for researchers and practitioners committed to exploiting the biological resources of S. grosvenorii and further exploring its interdisciplinary potential.

Inflammation is a pivotal factor in the development and advancement of conditions like NAFLD and asthma. Diet can affect several phases of inflammation and significantly influence multiple inflammatory disorders. Siraitia grosvenorii, a traditional Chinese edible and medicinal plant, is considered beneficial to health. Flavonoids can suppress inflammatory cytokines, which play a crucial role in regulating inflammation. In the present experiments, kaempferol 3-O-α-L-rhamnoside-7-O-β-D-xylosyl(1→2)-O-α-L-rhamnoside (SGPF) is a flavonoid glycoside that was first isolated from S. grosvenorii. A series of experimental investigations were carried out to investigate whether the flavonoid component has anti-inflammatory and hepatoprotective effects in this plant. The researchers showed that SGPF has a stronger modulation of protein expression in LPS-induced macrophages (MH-S) and OA-induced HepG2 cells. The drug was dose-dependent on cells, and in the TLR4/NF-κB/MyD88 pathway and Nrf2/HO-1 pathway, SGPF regulated all protein expression. SGPF has a clear anti-inflammatory and hepatoprotective function in inflammatory conditions.

Siraitia grosvenorii (Swingle) C. Jeffrey ex Lu et Z. Y. Zhang is a unique economic and medicinal plant of Cucurbitaceae in Southern China. For hundreds of years, Chinese people have used the fruit of S. grosvenorii as an excellent natural sweetener and traditional medicine for lung congestion, sore throat, and constipation. It is one of the first species in China to be classified as a medicinal food homology, which has received considerable attention as a natural product with high development potential. Various natural products, such as triterpenoids, flavonoids, amino acids, and lignans, have been released from this plant by previous phytochemical studies. Phar- macological research of the fruits of S. grosvenorii has attracted extensive attention, and an increasing number of extracts and compounds have been demonstrated to have antitussive, expectorant, antiasthmatic, antioxidant, hypoglycemic, immunologic, hepatoprotective, antibacte- rial, and other activities. In this review, based on a large number of previous studies, we summarized the related research progress of the chemical components and pharmacological effects of S. grosvenorii, which provides theoretical support for further investigation of its biological functions and potential clinical applications.