title: Lonicera japonica Thunb.: ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry and pharmacology of an important traditional Chinese medicine.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Lonicera japonica Thunb. (Caprifoliaceae), a widely used traditional Chinese medicine, was known as Jin Yin Hua (Chinese: ), Ren Dong and Japanese honeysuckle. It was taken to treat the exopathogenic wind-heat, epidemic febrile diseases, sores, carbuncles and some infectious diseases. At the same time, Lonicera japonica could be used as healthy food, cosmetics, ornamental groundcover, and so on.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The present paper reviewed the ethnopharmacology, the biological activities, toxicology and phytochemistry of Lonicera japonica.
  
  
  METHODS
  Information on Lonicera japonica was gathered via the Internet (using Google Scholar, Baidu Scholar, Elsevier, ACS, Medline Plus, CNKI and Web of Science) and libraries. Additionally, information also was obtained from some local books and brilliant scholars on ethnopharmacology.
  
  
  RESULTS
  More than 140 chemical compounds have been isolated, and the main compositions are essential oils, organic acids and flavones, etc. Lonicera japonica and its active principles possess wide pharmacological actions, such as anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiviral, antioxidative and hepatoprotective activities.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  As an important traditional Chinese medicine, further studies on Lonicera japonica can lead to the development of new drugs and therapeutics for various diseases, and how to utilize it better should be paid more attentions.
authors.affiliation: Engineering & Technology Center of Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine of Gansu, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Pharmaceutics Discovery, Ministry of Agriculture, Lanzhou Institute of Husbandry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou 730050, PR China. shangxf928@163.com
authors.forename: Xiaofei
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Shang
authors.forename: Hu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.forename: Maoxing
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Xiaolou
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Miao
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ding
mesh_terms: D020834:Ethnopharmacology; D006801:Humans; D031239:Lonicera / Q000737:chemistry*; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D010936:Plant Extracts