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REVIEW article

Front. Pharmacol.
Sec. Ethnopharmacology
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fphar.2024.1498707
This article is part of the Research Topic Trends in Antifungal Drug-Discovery Using Traditional Medicine View all articles

Radix Codonopsis: a review of anticancer pharmacological activities

Provisionally accepted
Caiyue Liu Caiyue Liu 1Zheng Li Zheng Li 1FanE Cheng FanE Cheng 2Yi Nan Yi Nan 1*Weiqiang Li Weiqiang Li 1*
  • 1 Graduate School of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China
  • 2 The First School of Clinical Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Radix Codonopsis (Dangshen), derived from the dried root of plants in the Campanulaceae family, is a widely used Chinese herbal medicine. It is renowned for its pharmacological effects, including tonifying the middle qi, invigorating the spleen, benefiting the lungs, enhancing immunity, and nourishing the blood. Codonopsis extract is frequently incorporated into health products such as tablets and capsules, making it accessible for daily health maintenance. Additionally, it is commonly used in dietary applications like soups, teas, and porridges to nourish qi, enrich blood, and promote overall vitality. In recent years, increasing attention has been given to the anti-cancer potential of Radix Codonopsis. Studies have identified key active components such as luteolin, stigmasterol, polyacetylenes, lobetyolin, and glycitein, which exhibit anti-tumor properties through mechanisms like inhibiting cancer cell growth and proliferation, suppressing epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and inducing apoptosis. This review highlights the research progress on Radix Codonopsis, including its active constituents, anti-cancer mechanisms, and its role in the convergence of medicine and food in modern life. By doing so, it aims to provide valuable insights and references for future scientific studies and clinical applications of Radix Codonopsis.

    Keywords: Radix Codonopsis, tumor, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Mechanism, Pharmacology

    Received: 11 Oct 2024; Accepted: 12 Dec 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Liu, Li, Cheng, Nan and Li. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence:
    Yi Nan, Graduate School of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China
    Weiqiang Li, Graduate School of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.