Tibetan medicine Bang Jian: a comprehensive review on botanical characterization, traditional use, phytochemistry, and pharmacology

Abstract

Tibetan medicine Bang Jian refers to a range of botanical drugs within the Gentiana genus. It serves as a prominent traditional Tibetan botanical drug primarily found in the ethnic minority regions of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in China. Traditionally, the dried flowers of Bang Jian, known as “Longdanhua” have been employed in Tibetan medicine to address detoxification, pharyngeal relief, acute and chronic bronchitis, bronchiectasis, lung infections, pulmonary fibrosis, and throat disorders. Surprisingly, there has been no comprehensive review published to date on Tibetan medicine Bang Jian. This passage systematically presents and critically assesses recent advancements in botanical characterization, traditional applications, phytochemistry, pharmacology, and clinical uses of Bang Jian, aiming to provide a scientific foundation for its reasonable use and further exploration. To date, researchers have isolated and identified 92 structurally diverse compounds, with a predominant presence of iridoids, flavonoids, xanthones, and triterpenoids. The crude extracts and metabolites derived from Bang Jian have been found to exhibit a wide range of pharmacological effects, encompassing anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, anti-bacterial, antiviral, antioxidant, hepatoprotective properties, and protect the respiratory system. Nevertheless, detailed data on the biological effects, metabolic activities, and mechanistic research concerning active monomer metabolites remain insufficient. Consequently, there is a pressing need for comprehensive and in-depth research to guide rational clinical drug usage and evaluate the medicinal attributes of Bang Jian.

Traditional Tibetan medicine: therapeutic potential in lung diseases

“…At present, there are scholars have sorted out Tibetan medicine prescriptions for COVID-19, providing important information for the basic research, clinical application, and drug development of traditional medicines for the treatment of COVID-19 or other infectious diseases ( Zhang et al, 2023 ). Biological activities of Gentianeae in Tibetan Medicine ( Chi et al, 2021 ) and Tibetan medicine Bang Jiang ( Li et al, 2023 ) have been compiled. And presented their protective effects on the respiratory system.…”