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Review
. 2011 Mar;63(3):305-21.
doi: 10.1111/j.2042-7158.2010.01170.x. Epub 2010 Nov 16.

Genus Bupleurum: a review of its phytochemistry, pharmacology and modes of action

Mohamed L Ashour  1 , Michael Wink
Affiliations
Review

Genus Bupleurum: a review of its phytochemistry, pharmacology and modes of action

Mohamed L Ashour et al. J Pharm Pharmacol. 2011 Mar.

Abstract

Objectives: Radix Bupleuri represents one of the most successful and widely used herbal drugs in Asia for treatment of many diseases over the past 2000 years. Thorough studies have been carried out on many species of this genus and have generated immense data about the chemical composition and corresponding biological activity of extracts and isolated secondary metabolites. In this work, we review the chemistry and pharmacology of the genus Bupleurum and explore the relationships between the pharmacological effects and the chemical composition of these drugs.

Key findings: Early studies on the genus Bupleurum had focused only on the traditional uses of the plants in the treatment of inflammatory disorders and infectious diseases. After chemical profiling, several groups of secondary metabolites were characterized with relevant biological activity: triterpene saponins (saikosaponins), lignans, essential oils and polysaccharides. As a result, present interest is now focused on the bioactivity of the isolated triterpene saponins acting as immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory and antiviral agents, as well as on the observed ant-iulcer activity of the polysaccharides and anti-proliferative activity of different lignans. Many saikosaponins exhibited very potent anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective and immunomodulatory activities both in vivo and in vitro.

Conclusions: Further investigations and screenings are required to explore other Bupleurum species, to evaluate the clinical safety and possible interactions with other drugs or herbs. Standardization of Bupleuri extracts is crucial for them being integrated into conventional medicine due to large chemical and biological variations between different species and varieties.

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Conflict of interest statement

The Author(s) declare(s) that they have no conflicts of interest to disclose.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Representatives from different classes of compounds isolated from Bupleurum spp.
Figure 1
Figure 1
Representatives from different classes of compounds isolated from Bupleurum spp.
Figure 2
Figure 2
The main molecular targets of many secondary metabolites in the mammalian cell. ER, endoplasmic reticulum.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Interactions of some representatives compounds from Bupleurum with the cell membrane and membrane proteins.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Possible protein conformational changes due to formation of covalent bonds with plant secondary metabolites.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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