AUTHOR=Gong Xue , Chen Namuhan , Ren Kai , Jia Junying , Wei Kunhua , Zhang Le , Lv Ying , Wang Jianhua , Li Minhui 

TITLE=The Fruits of Siraitia grosvenorii: A Review of a Chinese Food-Medicine

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Pharmacology

VOLUME=10

YEAR=2019

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2019.01400

DOI=10.3389/fphar.2019.01400

ISSN=1663-9812

ABSTRACT=<p><italic>Siraitia grosvenorii</italic> (Swingle) C. Jeffrey, a member of the family Cucurbitaceae, is a unique economic and medicinal plant grown in China. For more than 300 years, <italic>S. grosvenorii</italic> has been used as a natural sweetener and as a traditional medicine for the treatment of pharyngitis, pharyngeal pain, as well as an anti-tussive remedy in China. It is one of the first approved medicine food homology species in China. It has been widely studied as a natural product with high development potential. Therefore, the present paper provides a review of the botanical characterization, traditional uses and ethnopharmacology, food and nutritional values, chemical constituents, pharmacological effects, toxicology, and development direction for the future of <italic>S. grosvenorii</italic>. Phytochemical studies have revealed that the chemical composition of this plant mainly includes iridoid and phenylpropanoid glycosides. Several compounds such as triterpenoids, flavonoids, and amino acids have been isolated from the plant. <italic>S. grosvenorii</italic> and its active constituents possess broad pharmacological properties, such as antioxidant, hypoglycemic, immunologic, anti-tussive and sputum-reducing, hepatoprotective, and antimicrobial activities, etc. By documenting the comprehensive information of <italic>S. grosvenorii</italic>, we hope to establishes the groundwork for further research on the mechanism of action of <italic>S. grosvenorii</italic> and its development as a new health food in the future.</p>