Active Components and Pharmacological Effects of Cornus officinalis: Literature Review

Abstract

Cornus officinalis Sieb. et Zucc. (Shanzhuyu), a herb and food plant in east Asia, has the properties of tonifying the liver and kidney, and nourishing the essence according to the theory of traditional Chinese medicine. C. officinalis has been commonly used to treat asthenia diseases, liver, and kidney diseases, and reproductive system diseases since ancient times. The objectives of this article were to review the pharmacological effects and phytochemistry of C. officinalis. We conducted a literature review of the pharmacological effects of C. officinalis by different systems and compared the effects with the traditional usages, discussed the research status and potential blanks to be filled. The experimental studies showed that C. officinalis extract and its active components had various pharmacological effects such as anti-oxidation, anti-apoptosis, anti-inflammation, anti-diabetes, anti-osteoporosis, immunoregulation, neuroprotection, and cardiovascular protection, but clinical studies are still needed to assess whether the reported pharmacological activities have confirmed efficacy.

Potential Therapeutic Targets of Rehmannia Formulations on Diabetic Nephropathy: A Comparative Network Pharmacology Analysis

“…The CM used in these cohorts mostly contained a classical CM formulation, namely, Rehmannia-6 complex (R-6, Liu-wei-di-huang-wan) with variations according to the symptom-based diagnosis. R-6 contains Rehmanniae Radix (Di-huang) ( Yokozawa et al, 2004 ), Corni Fructus (Shan-zhu-yu) ( Gao et al, 2021 ), Dioscoreae Rhizoma (Shan-yao) ( Luo, 2008 ), Poria (Fu-ling) ( Sun, 2014 ), Moutan Cortex (Mu-dan-pi) ( Wang et al, 2017b ), and Alismatis Rhizoma (Ze-xie) ( Zhang et al, 2017a ). According to classical CM theory, R-6 replenishes the kidney and clears the waste including fluid retention.…”

Optimizing Processing Technology of Cornus officinalis: Based on Anti-Fibrotic Activity

“…Cornus officinalis ( C. officinalis ), the dry mature fruit of C. officinalis Siebold & Zucc, is redefined as a class of herb and edible plant and has been commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) ( 1 ). C. officinalis with mild warm nature, belongs to the meridians of the liver and kidney according to TCM theory; thus, it is commonly used in the prevention and treatments of liver and kidney diseases ( 2 ). Moreover, it can be found in foodstuff, such as medicinal dishes, healthcare products, and drinks due to its various pharmacological activities, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-apoptotic ( 3 ).…”

Preparation and Evaluation of Antioxidant Activities of Bioactive Peptides Obtained from Cornus officinalis

“…is classified as a tonic in traditional Chinese medicine. There are various biologic active compounds, including iridoids, tannins, flavonoids, polysaccharides, triterpenoids, ursolic acid and organic acid esters, are present in Cornus officinalis [1][2][3]. Pharmacological studies have revealed that the Cornus officinalis possesses the effects of being anti-neoplastic, hypoglycemic, enhancing sperm motility, antioxidation and being anti-inflammatory [4][5][6][7][8].…”