Advances in Chemical Constituents, Clinical Applications, Pharmacology, Pharmacokinetics and Toxicology of Erigeron breviscapus

Abstract

Dengzhanxixin (DZXX), the dried whole plant of Erigeron breviscapus (Vaniot) Hand.-Mazz., belonging to Compositae and first published in Materia Medica of South Yunnan by Lan Mao in the Ming Dynasty (1368 AD–1644 AD), is included in Medicinal Materials and Decoction Pieces of the 2020 edition of the Pharmacopeia of the People’s Republic of China. Its main chemical components are flavonoids that mainly include flavonoid, flavonols, dihydroflavones, flavonol glycosides, flavonoid glycosides, coffee acyl compounds, and other substances, such as volatile oil compounds, coumarins, aromatic acids, pentacyclic terpenoids, phytosterols, and xanthones. Among them, scutellarin and 1,5-dicoffeoylquininic acid are the main active components of DZXX. DZXX has pharmacological effects, such as improving cerebral and cerebrovascular ischemia, increasing blood flow, inhibiting platelet aggregation, promoting antithrombotic formation, improving microcirculation, reducing blood viscosity, protecting optic nerves, exhibiting anti-inflammatory properties, scavenging free radicals, and eliciting antioxidant activities. It is widely used in the treatment of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular ischemic diseases, kidney diseases, liver diseases, diabetic complications, and glaucoma. Pharmacokinetic studies have shown that the active components of DZXX have a low bioavailability and a high elimination rate in vivo. Nevertheless, its utilization can be improved through liposome preparation and combination with other drugs. Acute and subacute toxicity studies have shown that DZXX is a safe medicinal material widely used in clinical settings. However, its target and drug action mechanism are unclear because of the complexity of its composition. In this paper, the clinical application and pharmacological toxicology of DZXX are reviewed to provide a reference for further studying its active components and action mechanism.

EbMYBP1, a R2R3-MYB transcription factor, promotes flavonoid biosynthesis in Erigeron breviscapus

“…Flavonoids and flavonoid glycosides are abundant active components in E. breviscapus ( Wu et al, 2021 ). However, the regulatory mechanism underlying flavonoid and flavonoid glycoside metabolism remains unknown.…”

“…Erigeron breviscapus ( E. breviscapus ) is a medicinal plant in the Compositae family with great medicinal potential, comprised of 25 kinds of flavonoids, 46 kinds of caffeoyl compounds, 78 kinds of volatile oils, and nearly 40 kinds of other compounds ( Wu et al, 2021 ). Previously, a total of 108 R2R3-MYB transcription factors have been identified in the E. breviscapus genome ( He et al, 2021 ; Song et al, 2021 ).…”

Erigeron breviscapus (Vant.) Hand-Mazz.: A Promising Natural Neuroprotective Agent for Alzheimer’s Disease

“…EBHM accounts for more than 95% of the total resources in China and is becoming the main source of natural medicinal material in Yunnan Province. The therapeutic properties of EBHM include detoxification ( Mo et al, 2018 ), blood circulation activation ( Liu et al, 2021 ), channel and collateral activation ( Shi et al, 2015 ), inflammation reduction ( Zhu et al, 2018 ), and pain relief ( Wu et al, 2021 ). A variety of dosage forms, such as tablets, capsules, oral liquids, and injections, have been developed based on the different doses and delivery routes of EBHM extracts.…”

Advances in Anti-Diabetic Cognitive Dysfunction Effect of Erigeron Breviscapus (Vaniot) Hand-Mazz

“…Clinically, EBHM and its preparations are mainly used for the treatment of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases and various types of inflammation. In recent years, studies have found that it has a good therapeutic effect on diabetes, kidney disease, glaucoma, liver damage and other diseases [ 17 ].…”

“…The major ingredient of commercially accessible preparations of EBHM is scutellarin, which is the glycosyloxyflavone with a molecular weight of 462.36 [ 17 , 19 ]. Scutellarin has been demonstrated to ameliorate cognitive impairment, anti-amyloid β-peptide (Aβ) toxicity, energy metabolism, suppress oxidative stress and neuroinflammation, stimulate astrocytes, increase the proliferation and differentiation of brain cells, and prevent apoptosis [ 20 ].…”