Astragalus is one of the largest genera in the family Leguminosae and is widely distributed in temperate and arid regions as annual and perennial shrubs and subshrubs. It is estimated that the genus Astragalus contains more than 3000 species. [1][2][3] In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), the roots of Astragalus are one of the major constituents of many herbal formulations. The Astragali Radix or "Huang Qi" is the dried roots of Astragalus membranaceus (A. membranaceus), which is a major component in tonic formulations used in TCM and is also popular worldwide. [1][2][3][4] The medicinal use of Astragalus boasts a history of over 2000 years and was first recorded in the Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing (《神农本草经》 Shennong's Classic of Materia Medica) in 200 A.D. This book was the first recorded document concerning herbal medicine in TCM. [5] In TCM, Huang Qi is commonly used to treat anemia, wounds, fever, allergies, fatigue, loss of appetite, and abnormal menstrual bleeding. [6][7][8] Nowadays, Astragalus is used to treat a broad spectrum of diseases, such as diabetes, hypertension, cirrhosis, leukemia, nephritis, viral infections, and cancer. Most importantly, it does not show any toxicity. [1][2][3][4][5] In addition, Astragalus enhances immunity, protects the liver, and possesses anti-aging, anti-stress, diuretic, anti-hypertensive, and antibacterial activity. [1][2][3][4][5][6] Owing to its medicinal importance and applications, Astragalus is included in the Grade-III National Protected Plant List in China. [7] There have been many review articles published over the past few years and they highlight the importance of Astragalus