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Zhong J, Tan L, Chen M, He C. Pharmacological activities and molecular mechanisms of Pulsatilla saponins. Chin Med 2022; 17:59. [PMID: 35606807 PMCID: PMC9125917 DOI: 10.1186/s13020-022-00613-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2022] [Accepted: 04/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Saponins are found in a variety of higher plants and display a wide range of pharmacological activities, including expectorant, anti-inflammatory, vasoprotective and antimicrobial properties. Pulsatilla chinensis (P. chinensis, Bai Tou Weng, ) has been used medically in China for thousands of years for the treatment of diseases caused by bacteria, and it is rich in triterpenoid saponins. In recent decades, anemoside B4 (Pulchinenoside C) is well studied since it has been used as a quality control marker for P. chinensis. At the same time, more and more other active compounds were found in the genus of Pulsatilla. In this review, we summarize the pharmacological activities of Pulsatilla saponins (PS) and discuss the cellular or molecular mechanisms that mediate their multiple activities, such as inducing cancer cell apoptosis, inhibiting tumor angiogenesis, and protecting organs via anti-inflammatory and antioxidant measures. We aim to provide comprehensive analysis and summary of research progress and future prospects in this field to facilitate further study and drug discovery of PS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinmiao Zhong
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, 999078, Macao SAR, China.,Department of Pharmaceutical Science, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, 999078, Macao SAR, China.,Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Joint Lab on Chinese Medicine and Immune Disease Research, University of Macau, Taipa, 999078, Macao SAR, China
| | - Lihua Tan
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, 999078, Macao SAR, China.,Department of Pharmaceutical Science, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, 999078, Macao SAR, China.,Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Joint Lab on Chinese Medicine and Immune Disease Research, University of Macau, Taipa, 999078, Macao SAR, China
| | - Meiwan Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, 999078, Macao SAR, China.,Department of Pharmaceutical Science, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, 999078, Macao SAR, China
| | - Chengwei He
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, 999078, Macao SAR, China. .,Department of Pharmaceutical Science, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, 999078, Macao SAR, China. .,Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Joint Lab on Chinese Medicine and Immune Disease Research, University of Macau, Taipa, 999078, Macao SAR, China.
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