Traditional use, phytochemistry and pharmacology of Viticis Fructus

Xiangqing Meng; Hongrui Wang; Zhixuan Kuang; Yujie Wu; Xiaohui Su; Jinyi Wang; Ling Li; Chang Liu; Min Jia

doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e19144

Traditional use, phytochemistry and pharmacology of Viticis Fructus

Heliyon. 2023 Aug 30;9(9):e19144. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e19144. eCollection 2023 Sep.

Authors

Xiangqing Meng¹, Hongrui Wang¹, Zhixuan Kuang¹, Yujie Wu¹, Xiaohui Su¹, Jinyi Wang¹, Ling Li¹, Chang Liu¹, Min Jia¹

Affiliation

¹ Department of Chinese Medicine Authentication, Faculty of Pharmacy, Naval Medical University, 325 Guohe Road, Shanghai, 200433, China.

Abstract

Ethnopharmacological relevance: Viticis Fructus (called Manjingzi in China) is the dried ripe fruits of the plant species Vitex trifolia subsp. litoralis Steenis and Vitex trifolia L. in the family Lamiaceae. Viticis Fructus has been used as a traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years to treat illness such as colds, headache, vertigo, anesthesia, and hyperkinesias. More chemical constituents and medicinal effects have been discovered in Viticis Fructus with the development of modern technology.The aim of the review: This review aims to analyze the research progress of Viticis Fructus from the aspects of botany, ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry, and pharmacological activity, as well as to provide an outlook on the research and use prospects of Viticis Fructus.

Material and methods: A comprehensive literature search using online databases such Science Direct, CNKI, Wiley online library, Spring Link, Web of Science, PubMed, Wanfang Data and SCI-Finder. In addition, information was obtained from local and foreign books on ethnobotany and ethnomedicine.

Results: The application of Viticis Fructus as a medicine can be traced back to around 480 AD. So far, more than 190 compounds have been isolated from Viticis Fructus, including flavonoids, sterols, cyclic enol ether terpenoids, and diterpenoids. Modern pharmacological studies have shown that the extracts of Viticis Fructus have various pharmacological effects, such as anti-allergic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, and anti-bacterial effects.

Conclusion: As a widely used traditional medicine, Viticis Fructus is rich in chemical compositions and has an obvious biological activity. However, the application and pharmacological activity of Viticis Fructus have not been scientifically evaluated or convincing due to poor methodology, unclear results and lack of clinical data. Systematic and comprehensive research evaluations are needed to verify its pharmaceutical activity, clinical therapeutic efficacy and safety. As an important herbal medicine, it should be further explored to facilitate the development of new medicines and treatments for a variety of diseases.

Keywords: Anti-allergic; Anti-cancer; Traditional applications; Viticis fructus.

Publication types

Review