Astragali radix (Huangqi): a time-honored nourishing herbal medicine

Abstract

Astragali radix (AR, namded Huangqi in Chinese) is the dried root of Astragalus membranaceus (Fisch.) Bge. var. mongholicus (Bge.) Hsiao or Astragalus membranaceus (Fisch.) Bge. As a widely used ethnomedicine, the biological activities of AR include immunomodulatory, anti-hyperglycemic, anti-oxidant, anti-aging, anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, anti-tumor, cardioprotective, and anti-diabetic effects, with minimum side effects. Currently, it is known that polysaccharides, saponins, and flavonoids are the indispensable components of AR. In this review, we will elaborate the research advancements of AR on ethnobotany, ethnopharmacological practices, phytochemicals, pharmacological activities, clinical uses, quality control, production developments, and toxicology. The information is expected to assist clinicians and scientists in developing useful therapeutic medicines with minimal systemic side effects.

Keywords: Astragalus membranaceus; Ethnobotany; Ethnopharmacological uses; Huangqi; Natural products.

Fig. 1

Plant overview (a), dry roots (b), racemes (c), and slices (d) of Astragalus membranaceus (Fisch.) Bge. var. mongholicus (Bge.) Hsiao

Fig. 2

The global distribution of medicinal resources of AR. Data from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility

Fig. 3

Chemical structures of triterpenoid saponins in AR

Fig. 4

Chemical structures of flavonoids in AR

Fig. 5

AR active ingredients exhibit a variety of actions. a Mechanisms of anti-tumour use of CAG in combination with PD-1 antibodies. This figure has been adapted/reproduced from ref [153] with permission from BMJ. b Inhibitory effect of TFA on foam cell and RAW264.7 cells formation using Oil Red O staining. This figure has been adapted/reproduced from ref [78] with permission from Frontiers. c Immunofluorescence images of the dissected midguts of esgGFP in 3-day flies, and 40-day-old flies fed with or without 3 mg/mL APS. This figure has been adapted/reproduced from ref [83] with permission from Elsevier. d Fat index, hepatic steatosis score, and relative expression of pro-inflammatory factors (IL-1β and IL-6) mRNAs in liver tissue (%) of mice fed on high-fat chow supplemented with 4% APS. This figure has been adapted/reproduced from ref. [154] with permission from Taylor & Francis. e Representative WGA staining of mouse myocardial tissue (left) and its quantification (right) in AAV-lnc9456 mice treated with HHQ16. This figure has been adapted/reproduced from ref. [155] with permission from Springer Nature

Fig. 6

AR is used in combination with herbs to produce more diverse clinical efficacies

Fig. 7

Analysis of 38,398 patents browsed on LENS.ORG (https://www.lens.org/) using search terms “Astragalus”. a Patent applications per year; b CPC classification code; c Effectiveness of patents. d Jurisdictions (CN, China; US, United States; WO, World Intellectual property organization; EP, European Patent Office; KR, South Korea; RU, Russia; JP, Japan)