AUTHOR=Wu Zhao , Deng Xinyu , Hu Qichao , Xiao Xiaolin , Jiang Jing , Ma Xiao , Wu Mingquan 

TITLE=Houttuynia cordata Thunb: An Ethnopharmacological Review

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Pharmacology

VOLUME=12

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2021.714694

DOI=10.3389/fphar.2021.714694

ISSN=1663-9812

ABSTRACT=<p><italic>Houttuynia cordata</italic> Thunb (<italic>H. cordata</italic>; Saururaceae) is widely distributed in Asian regions. It plays an important role in traditional health care and disease treatment, as its aboveground stems and leaves have a long medicinal history in China and are used in the treatment of pneumonia and lung abscess. In clinical treatment, it can usually be combined with other drugs to treat dysentery, cold, fever, and mumps; additionally, <italic>H. cordata</italic> is an edible plant. This review summarizes detailed information on the phytochemistry and pharmacological effects of <italic>H. cordata</italic>. By searching the keywords “<italic>H. cordata</italic> and lung”, “<italic>H. cordata</italic> and heart”, “<italic>H. cordata</italic> and liver”, and “<italic>H. cordata</italic> and inflammation” in PubMed, Web of Science and ScienceDirect, we screened out articles with high correlation in the past ten years, sorted out the research contents, disease models and research methods of the articles, and provided a new perspective on the therapeutic effects of <italic>H. cordata</italic>. A variety of its chemical constituents are characteristic of medicinal plants, the chemical constituents were isolated from <italic>H. cordata</italic>, including volatile oils, alkaloids, flavonoids, and phenolic acids. Flavonoids and volatile oils are the main active components. In pharmacological studies, <italic>H. cordata</italic> showed organ protective activity, such as reducing the release of inflammatory factors to alleviate lung injury. Moreover, <italic>H. cordata</italic> regulates immunity, enhances the immune barriers of the vagina, oral cavity, and intestinal tract, and combined with the antibacterial and antiviral activity of its extract, effectively reduces pathogen infection. Furthermore, experiments <italic>in vivo</italic> and <italic>in vitro</italic> showed significant anti-inflammatory activity, and its chemical derivatives exert potential therapeutic activity against rheumatoid arthritis. Antitumour action is also an important pharmacological activity of <italic>H. cordata</italic>, and studies have shown that <italic>H. cordata</italic> has a notable effect on lung tumour, liver tumour, colon tumour, and breast tumour. This review categorizes the biological activities of <italic>H. cordata</italic> according to modern research papers, and provides insights into disease prevention and treatment of <italic>H. cordata</italic>.</p>