title: Traditional uses, botany, phytochemistry, pharmacology and toxicology of Panax notoginseng (Burk.) F.H. Chen: A review.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Panax notoginseng (Burk.) F.H. Chen is a widely used traditional Chinese medicine known as Sanqi or Tianqi in China. This plant, which is distributed primarily in the southwest of China, has wide-ranging pharmacological effects and can be used to treat cardiovascular diseases, pain, inflammation and trauma as well as internal and external bleeding due to injury.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This paper provides up-to-date information on investigations of this plant, including its botany, ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry, pharmacology and toxicology. The possible uses and perspectives for future investigation of this plant are also discussed.
  
  
  METHODS
  The relevant information on Panax notoginseng (Burk.) F.H. Chen was collected from numerous resources, including classic books about Chinese herbal medicine, and scientific databases, including Pubmed, SciFinder, ACS, Ebsco, Elsevier, Taylor, Wiley and CNKI.
  
  
  RESULTS
  More than 200 chemical compounds have been isolated from Panax notoginseng (Burk.) F.H. Chen, including saponins, flavonoids and cyclopeptides. The plant has pharmacological effects on the cardiovascular system, immune system as well as anti-inflammatory, anti-atherosclerotic, haemostatic and anti-tumour activities, etc.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Panax notoginseng is a valuable traditional Chinese medical herb with multiple pharmacological effects. This review summarizes the botany, ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry, pharmacology and toxicology of P. notoginseng, and presents the constituents and their corresponding chemical structures found in P. notoginseng comprehensively for the first time. Future research into its phytochemistry of bio-active components should be performed by using bioactivity-guided isolation strategies. Further work on elucidation of the structure-function relationship among saponins, understanding of multi-target network pharmacology of P. notoginseng, as well as developing its new clinical usage and comprehensive utilize will enhance the therapeutic potentials of P. notoginseng.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Science, No. 16, Nanxiaojie, Dongzhimennei Ave., Beijing 100700, China.
authors.forename: Ting
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Science, No. 16, Nanxiaojie, Dongzhimennei Ave., Beijing 100700, China.
authors.forename: Rixin
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Science, No. 16, Nanxiaojie, Dongzhimennei Ave., Beijing 100700, China.
authors.forename: Guohong
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Science, No. 16, Nanxiaojie, Dongzhimennei Ave., Beijing 100700, China.
authors.forename: Xidan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Science, No. 16, Nanxiaojie, Dongzhimennei Ave., Beijing 100700, China.
authors.forename: Zhenzhen
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Kou
authors.affiliation: Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Science, No. 16, Nanxiaojie, Dongzhimennei Ave., Beijing 100700, China.
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sui
authors.affiliation: Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Science, No. 16, Nanxiaojie, Dongzhimennei Ave., Beijing 100700, China.
authors.forename: Chun
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Science, No. 16, Nanxiaojie, Dongzhimennei Ave., Beijing 100700, China. Electronic address: bjtangliying@163.com.
authors.forename: Liying
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.affiliation: Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Science, No. 16, Nanxiaojie, Dongzhimennei Ave., Beijing 100700, China. Electronic address: wangzhuju@sina.com.
authors.forename: Zhuju
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D019448:Ethnobotany; D020834:Ethnopharmacology; D006801:Humans; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional; D005894:Panax / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000737:chemistry*; D064209:Phytochemicals / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D018570:Risk Assessment; D018675:Toxicity Tests
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; C519374:Panax notoginseng extract; D064209:Phytochemicals
keywords: Botany and ethnopharmacology; Panax notoginseng (Burk.) F.H. Chen; Pharmacological activities; Phytochemistry; Toxicity