Ethnopharmacological investigations on Thalictrum plants in China.
Thalictrum (Ranunculaceae) is an extremely abundant medicinal plant source. Due to their marked ethnopharmacological usages in folk medicine of China and the large number of potentially active chemical constituents, they may be a rich source for new chemicals for drug R&D. Here, an investigation on traditional functions and folk therapeutic uses of Thalictrum plants from China, as well as their main chemical constituents, was undertaken. It showed that 43 Thalictrum plants have long been used as folk medicine to treat many diseases in different races of China. In addition, the correlation between folk therapeutic effects and chemical constituents, and the modem pharmacological activities, are discussed as well as the prospect of isolation and development of new drugs from this genus of plants.
Chen
Si-Bao
SB
Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100094, China. chensibao@hotmail.com
Chen
Shi-Lin
SL
Xiao
Pei-Gen
PG
D002681:China; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D020834:Ethnopharmacology; D006801:Humans; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional; D008517:Phytotherapy; D031949:Thalictrum
D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal