Phytolaccae Radix ( P. Radix ) is a traditional Chinese medicine derived from the roots of Phytolacca acinosa Roxb. and Phytolacca americana L. It was first recorded in the Shennong's Classic of Materia Medica and has important medicinal value. In recent years, research on P. Radix has been gradually deepened. The characteristic chemical component of P. Radix is triterpenoid saponins. In addition, there are flavonoids, phenolic acids, sterols, volatile oils, polysaccharides, amino acids, and other components in it. Modern pharmacological studies have shown that P. Radix has diuretic, antibacterial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and anti-tumor properties. Because P. Radix contains a variety of small molecule active compounds, it is widely used in the clinical treatment of edema, nephritis, hepatitis, psoriasis, and other diseases. P. Radix has outstanding therapeutic effects in clinical use, but due to the toxicity of triterpenoid saponins to the liver, kidneys, and nerves, it needs to be processed before it can be widely used in clinical practice. Of note, pharmacokinetic studies have shown that P. Radix prepared with vinegar has reduced toxicity and shows excellent efficacy. In this paper, we reviewed the ethnopharmacology, active ingredients, modern pharmacology, toxicology, and pharmacokinetics of P. Radix , expecting to promote its clinical application and further research.
Lei et al. (Fri,) studied this question.