AUTHOR=Zhou Ping , Li Jingyan , Chen Qi , Wang Long , Yang Jing , Wu Anguo , Jiang Nan , Liu Yuanzhi , Chen Jianping , Zou Wenjun , Zeng Jing , Wu Jianming 

TITLE=A Comprehensive Review of Genus Sanguisorba: Traditional Uses, Chemical Constituents and Medical Applications

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Pharmacology

VOLUME=12

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2021.750165

DOI=10.3389/fphar.2021.750165

ISSN=1663-9812

ABSTRACT=<p>Genus <italic>Sanguisorba</italic> (family: Rosaceae) comprises nearly 148 species, distributed widely across the temperate and subtropical regions of the Northern Hemisphere. <italic>Sanguisorba officinalis</italic> L. (<italic>S. officinalis</italic>) has been used as a hemostatic and scald treating medicine in China for a long time. Numerous studies have demonstrated that plant extracts or monomers from <italic>S. officinalis</italic> exhibit several pharmacological effects, such as anti-cancer, anti-virus, anti-inflammation, anti-bacteria, neuroprotective and hepatoprotective effects. The other species of genus <italic>Sanguisorba</italic> are also being studied by researchers worldwide. <italic>Sanguisorba minor</italic> Scop. (<italic>S. minor</italic>), as an edible wild plant, is a common ingredient of the Mediterranean diet, and its young shoots and leaves are often mixed with traditional vegetables and consumed as salad. Reports on genus <italic>Sanguisorba</italic> available in the current literature were collected from Google Scholar, Web of Science, Springer, and PubMed. The Plant List (<ext-link ext-link-type="uri" xlink:href="http://www.theplantlist.org./tpl1.1/search?q=Sanguisorba" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">http://www.theplantlist.org./tpl1.1/search?q=Sanguisorba</ext-link>), International Plant Name Index (<ext-link ext-link-type="uri" xlink:href="https://www.ipni.org/?q=Sanguisorba" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">https://www.ipni.org/?q=Sanguisorba</ext-link>) and Kew Botanical Garden (<ext-link ext-link-type="uri" xlink:href="http://powo.science.kew.org/" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">http://powo.science.kew.org/</ext-link>) were used for obtaining the scientific names and information on the subspecies and cultivars. In recent years, several <italic>in vivo</italic> and <italic>in vitro</italic> experiments have been conducted to reveal the active components and effective monomers of <italic>S. officinalis</italic> and <italic>S. minor</italic>. To date, more than 270 compounds have been isolated and identified so far from the species belonging to genus <italic>Sanguisorba</italic>. Numerous reports on the chemical constituents, pharmacologic effects, and toxicity of genus <italic>Sanguisorba</italic> are available in the literature. This review provides a comprehensive understanding of the current traditional applications of plants, which are supported by a large number of scientific experiments. Owing to these promising properties, this species is used in the treatment of various diseases, including influenza virus infection, inflammation, Alzheimer’s disease, type 2 diabetes and leukopenia caused by bone marrow suppression. Moreover, the rich contents and biological effects of <italic>S. officinalis</italic> and <italic>S. minor</italic> facilitate these applications in dietary supplements and cosmetics. Therefore, the purpose of this review is to summarize the recent advances in the traditional uses, chemical constituents, pharmacological effects and clinical applications of genus <italic>Sanguisorba</italic>. The present comprehensive review may provide new insights for the future research on genus <italic>Sanguisorba</italic>.</p>