title: Puerarin: a review of pharmacological effects.
abstract: Puerarin is the major bioactive ingredient isolated from the root of the Pueraria lobata (Willd.) Ohwi, which is well known as Gegen (Chinese name) in traditional Chinese medicine. As the most abundant secondary metabolite, puerarin was isolated from Gegen in the late 1950s. Since then, its pharmacological properties have been extensively investigated. It is available in common foods and is used in alternative medicine. It has been widely used in the treatment of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, diabetes and diabetic complications, osteonecrosis, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, endometriosis, and cancer. The beneficial effects of puerarin on the various medicinal purposes may be due to its wide spectrum of pharmacological properties such as vasodilation, cardioprotection, neuroprotection, antioxidant, anticancer, antiinflammation, alleviating pain, promoting bone formation, inhibiting alcohol intake, and attenuating insulin resistance. However, the direct molecular mechanisms and targets remain unclear. This review provides a comprehensive summary of the pharmacological effects of puerarin.
authors: Key Laboratory of Standardization of Chinese Herbal Medicines of Ministry of Education, Pharmacy College, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 610075, PR China; Department of Medicinal Botany, School of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, 200433, PR China.
authors: Yan-Xi
authors: YX
authors: Zhou
authors: Hong
authors: H
authors: Zhang
authors: Cheng
authors: C
authors: Peng
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D007529:Isoflavones / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000737:chemistry; D029908:Pueraria / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D007529:Isoflavones; C033607:puerarin
keywords: Pueraria lobata; pharmacology; puerarin