A comprehensive review of phytochemistry,pharmacology and clinical applications of Uncariae Ramulus Cum Uncis

ObjectivesUncariae Ramulus Cum Uncis (URCU) belonging to the genus Uncaria is widely distributed in China and used in folk medicine, which has the effect of clearing heat and calming the liver, extinguishing wind and settling convulsion. So, it is used to treat hypertension and neurological diseases. Herein, we reported a review on botany, phytochemistry, pharmacology and clinical applications reported from 1973 up to 2022. All the information and studies concerning URCU were summarized from the library and digital databases (e.g. Sciencedirect, SciFinder, Medline PubMed, Google Scholar, and CNKI).Key findingsA total of 190 articles about URCU have been collected. The phytochemical investigations of URCU revealed the presence of more than 371 chemical components, including alkaloids, terpenoids, flavonoids, phenylpropanoids, phytosterols and phenolics. Moreover, the compounds isolated from URCU possessed a wide spectrum of pharmacology such as anti-hypertension, antiinflammation, anticancer, antioxidant, antiviral, anti-epilepsy, anti-depressant, ischemic brain injury, neuroprotection, anti-Alzheimer's disease, anti-Parkinson's disease and antiasthma.SummaryIn this paper, the botany, phytochemistry, pharmacology and clinical applications of URCU were reviewed. As a source of traditional folk medicine, URCU has high medicinal value and are widely used in medicine. Therefore, we hope our review can help URCU get better development and utilization.