title: Chemical constituents and pharmacologic actions of Cynomorium plants.
abstract: The stem of Cynomorium songaricum is a traditional Chinese medicine reputed to have tonic effects. C. coccineum growing in northern Africa and the Mediterranean region is regarded in Arabian medical practice as the "treasure of drugs". The major constituents of Cynomorium plants have been revealed to be phenolic compounds, steroids, triterpenes, etc. Pharmacologic studies showed that the Cynomorium plants had antioxidant, immunity-improving, anti-diabetic, neuroprotective, and other bioactivities. Some chemical constituents in Cynomorium plants are unstable, implying that the chemical components of the herbal medicines produced under different conditions may be variable. This review covers the literature published until December, 2011 and describes the pharmacologic effects and secondary metabolites of Cynomorium species.
authors.affiliation: College of Life Sciences, Inner Mongolia University, Huhhot, Inner Mongolia 010021, China.
authors.forename: Hao-Cong
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.forename: Shuo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Yuan-Yuan
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Kuang
authors.forename: Chao-Mei
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Ma
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D031482:Cynomorium / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000145:classification / Q000378:metabolism; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal
keywords: Anti-diabetes; Antioxidant; Cynomorium; Phenolics; Triterpenes