Recent Progress of Research on Herbal Products Used in Traditional Chinese Medicine: the Herbs belonging to The Divine Husbandman's Herbal Foundation Canon ( Shén Nóng Běn Cǎo Jīng)

Abstract

This article will review selected herbal products from Chinese Materia Medica that are used in Traditional Chinese Medicine. The herbs come from the upper, middle, and lower class medicines as listed in The Divine Husbandman's Herbal Foundation Canon ( Shén Nóng Běn Cǎo Jīng). The review will focus on the active constituents of the herbs and their bioactivities, with emphasis on the most recent progress in research for the period of 2003 to 2011.

Keywords: Chinese Materia Medica (CMM) (中藥 zhōng yào); Herbal products; Shén Nóng Běn Cǎo Jīng (神農本草經 The Divine Husbandman's Herbal Foundation Canon by Shen Nong); Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).

Figure 1

Structure of astragaloside IV from Astragalus membranaceus

Figure 2

Structures of active phthalides in Angelica sinensis

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Structures of iridoids in Eucommia ulmoides

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Structures of selected compounds found in Ziziphus jujuba

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Structures of selected compounds found in Lycium barbarmu

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Structures of phenolic acids found in Salvia miltiorrhiza

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Structures of tanshinones found in Salvia miltiorrhiza and a synthetic analog

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Structures of lead compounds developed based on the structure of neo-tanshinlactone

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Structure of coixenolide found in Coix

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Structures of selected compounds found in Ligusticum chuanxiong

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Structures of representative nortriterpenoids and lignans found in Schisandra chinensis

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Structures of representative gingerols and shogaols found in Zingiber officinale

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Structures of common isoflavones found in Puerariae lobata

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Structures of ingenols and a triterpene found in Euphorbia kansui

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Structures of diterpenoids alkaloids found in Aconitum

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Structures of diterpenes found in Stellera chamaejasme

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Structure of prostratin found in Euphorbia fischeriana

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Structures of podophyllotoxin found in Podophyllum emodi and semisynthetic analogs used as anticancer agents

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Structures of selected triterpenoids and rosmarinic acid found in Prunella vulgaris