A Review of the Pharmacology, Toxicity, and Pharmacokinetics of Geraniin

Geraniin, a complex tannin compound, was first extracted from Geranium thunbergii. Since its isolation, it has attracted significant scholarly interest due to its diverse biological activities. To facilitate the development of geraniin as a therapeutic agent, this review summarizes current pharmacological research on the compound. The findings indicate that geraniin exhibits a wide range of pharmacological effects, including immunomodulatory, antioxidant, antitumor, antiosteoporosis, anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, antibacterial, antiviral, and antimetabolic syndrome effects. Further investigations have shown that these pharmacological actions are mediated through multiple mechanisms, such as upregulating the expression of endogenous antioxidant enzymes, inhibiting pro-inflammatory factors, inducing apoptosis in cancer cells, suppressing cancer cell migration and invasion, promoting osteoblast proliferation, inhibiting osteoclast proliferation, and reducing blood glucose and lipid levels. In conclusion, geraniin demonstrates considerable potential for the treatment or amelioration of various diseases, meriting further in-depth research.