Background:
Belamcanda chinensis
(L.) DC (Iridaceae), a widely used traditional Chinese medicine known as
She Gan (Chinese: 射干), is a
flowering perennial herb native to East Asia. For thousands of years in China, the rhizome of
Belamcanda chinensis has been used to treat
inflammation, oxyhepatitis, mumps, acute mastitis, and asthma, as well as throat disorders such as cough, tonsillitis and pharyngitis. Belamcanda
chinensis is now listed in the Pharmacopoeia of the People’s Republic of China. The present paper reviews the advancements in the investigation
of botany, ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry, pharmacology and toxicology of
Belamcanda chinensis.
Materials and Methods: Information on
Belamcanda chinensis was collected from scientific journals, books, theses and reports via library and
electronic search (PubMed, CNKI, Elsevier, ACS, Google Scholar, Baidu Scholar,Web of Science and Science Direct).
Results: A number of chemical compounds have been isolated from
Belamcanda chinensis, and the major isolated compounds have been
identified as isoflavonoids, flavonoids and iridal-type triterpenoids. Among these active compounds, the effects of tectoridin and tectorigenin
have been widely investigated. The primary active components in
Belamcanda chinensis possess a wide range of pharmacological activities,
including anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative, anti-tumour, anti-alcohol injury, cardiovascular and oestrogenic activities.
Conclusions: As an important traditional Chinese medicine,
Belamcanda chinensis has been demonstrated to have marked bioactivity, especially
in the respiratory system and as an oestrogenic and hepatoprotective agent. This activity is related to its traditional use and provides
opportunities for the development of novel drugs and therapeutic products for various diseases. However, the toxicity of
Belamcanda chinensis
will require further study, and more attention should be devoted to its better utilization.
