title: Belamcanda chinensis (L.) DC-An ethnopharmacological, phytochemical and pharmacological review.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Belamcanda chinensis (L.) DC is the sole species in the genus Belamcanda Adans. (Iridaceae), found mainly in Northeast Asia. Bombus chinensis has long been used in traditional Chinese medicine for its multiple therapeutic uses in the form of antipyretic agents, antidote, expectorant, antiphlogistic and analgesic.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This manuscript comprehensively summarizes the various studies published in recent years on the botany, ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry, biological activity and toxicology of B. chinensis. We hope to provide a foundation for future studies on the mechanism of action and development of better therapeutic agents based on B. chinensis.
  
  
  METHODS
  All information available on B. chinensis was collected using electronic search engines, such as PubMed, SciFinder Scholar, CNKI, TPL (www.theplantlist.org), Google Scholar and Web of Science.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The analysis shown that ethno-medical uses of B. chinensis have been recorded in China, Japan and Korea since a long time. Based on a phytochemical investigation, this plant contains flavonoids, terpenoids, quinones, phenolic compounds, ketones, organic acids, etc. Crude extracts and pure compounds isolated from B. chinensis exhibited various biological effects.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In light of its long traditional use and the modern phytochemical and pharmacological studies summarized here, B. chinensis is known to be a promising medicinal plant with the isolated extracts and chemical components showing a wide range of biological activities. Thus, it is imperative that the necessary programs and value assessment of B. chinensis be established for further studies. It is also important that the synergistic or antagonistic effects of this traditional herbal medicine are investigated in depth to identify more bioactive components by bioactivity-guided isolation strategies, and to illustrate the mechanisms of action targeting on ethnomedical uses. Future clinical studies can also focus on the main therapeutic aspects, toxicity and adverse effects of B. chinensis.
authors.affiliation: Baotou Medical College, Inner Mongolia, Baotou 014060, China; Guangxi key Laboratory of Medicinal Resources Protection and Genetic Improvement, Guangxi Botanical Garden of Medicinal Plants, Nanning 530023, China.
authors.forename: Le
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Guangxi key Laboratory of Medicinal Resources Protection and Genetic Improvement, Guangxi Botanical Garden of Medicinal Plants, Nanning 530023, China.
authors.forename: Kunhua
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.affiliation: Baotou Medical College, Inner Mongolia, Baotou 014060, China; Guangxi key Laboratory of Medicinal Resources Protection and Genetic Improvement, Guangxi Botanical Garden of Medicinal Plants, Nanning 530023, China.
authors.forename: Jianping
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Baotou Medical College, Inner Mongolia, Baotou 014060, China.
authors.forename: Dawei
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Baotou Medical College, Inner Mongolia, Baotou 014060, China.
authors.forename: Chunhong
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77840, USA.
authors.forename: Zhipeng
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Baotou Medical College, Inner Mongolia, Baotou 014060, China; Guangxi key Laboratory of Medicinal Resources Protection and Genetic Improvement, Guangxi Botanical Garden of Medicinal Plants, Nanning 530023, China; Inner Mongolia Research Center of Characteristic Medicinal Plants Cultivation and Protection Engineering Technology, Inner Mongolia, Baotou 014060, China. Electronic address: prof_liminhui@yeah.net.
authors.forename: Minhui
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000700:Analgesics / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D058633:Antipyretics / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D027621:Iridaceae / Q000737:chemistry*; D008519:Medicine, Traditional; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics; D058633:Antipyretics; D010936:Plant Extracts
keywords: 28-deacetylbelamcandal (PubChem CID: 6440311); 4-hydroxy-acetophenone (PubChem CID: 7469); 5,4′-dihydroxy-6,7-methylenedioxy-3′-methoxyflavone (PubChem CID: 91573736); Belamcanda Chinensis; Ethnopharmacology; Pharmacology; Phytochemistry; anhydrobelachinal (PubChem CID: 10742927); apigenin (PubChem CID: 5280443); apocynin (PubChem CID: 9804654); ardisianone A (PubChem CID: 6443649); belachinal (PubChem CID: 10838654); belamcandin (PubChem CID: 15290942); betulin (PubChem CID: 72326); betulone (PubChem CID: 24852171); betulonic acid (PubChem CID: 9933683); cycloartanol (PubChem CID: 313075); daucosterol (PubChem CID: 296119); dichotomitin (PubChem CID: 5316653); epianhydrobelachinal (PubChem CID: 10790466); gallic acid (PubChem CID: 3700); genistein (PubChem CID: 5280961); hispidulin (PubChem CID: 5281628); iridin (PubChem CID: 5281777); irigenin (PubChem CID: 5464170); irilin D (PubChem CID: 10495590); irilone (PubChem CID: 5281779); irisflorentin (PubChem CID: 170569); iristectogenin A (PubChem CID: 5488781); iristectorigenin B (PubChem CID: 5491637); iristectorin A (PubChem CID: 11968629); iristectorin B (PubChem CID: 5318487); isoferulic acid (PubChem CID: 736186); isorhamnetin (PubChem CID: 5281654); kanzakiflavone-2 (PubChem CID: 44258472); luteolin (PubChem CID: 5280445); p-hydroxybenzoic acid (PubChem CID: 135); psi-tectorigenin (PubChem CID: 5353911); rhamnazin (PubChem CID: 5320945); rhamnocitrin (PubChem CID: 5320946); shikimic acid (PubChem CID: 8742); stigmasterol (PubChem CID: 5280794); tectoridin (PubChem CID: 5281810); tectorigenin (PubChem CID: 5281811); ursolic acid (PubChem CID: 64945); vanillic acid (PubChem CID: 8468); β-sitosterol (PubChem CID: 842222)