title: Hovenia dulcis--an Asian traditional herb.
abstract: Hovenia dulcis Thunb., known as Japanese raisin tree, is commonly found in East Asia. It has a long history as a food supplement and traditional medicine in Japan, China and Korea, but is little known and used in Western countries so far. This minireview summarizes traditional uses and current knowledge on the pharmacology and phytochemistry of H. duclcis and covers, in particular, literature from specialized Asian journals that are not readily accessible. Extracts from H. dulcis accelerate detoxification of ethanol, and possess hepatoprotective, antioxidative, antimicrobial and antidiabetic properties. Although the underlying molecular mechanisms are not fully understood, free radical scavenging and enhancement of ethanol catabolism have been reported.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Plant Sciences, Karl Franzens-University of Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: Tae Kyung
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Hyun
authors.forename: Seung Hee
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Eom
authors.forename: Chang Yeon
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Roitsch
mesh_terms: D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000431:Ethanol / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008518:Medicine, East Asian Traditional; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D027823:Rhamnaceae
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D010936:Plant Extracts; D000431:Ethanol