全 文 ： 2013 年 7 月 第 11 卷 第 4 期 Chin J Nat Med Jul. 2013 Vol. 11 No. 4 321

Chinese Journal of Natural Medicines 2013, 11(4): 03210329
doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1009.2013.00321
Chinese
Journal of
Natural
Medicines






Chemical constituents and pharmacologic actions of
Cynomorium plants
MENG Hao-Cong, WANG Shuo, LI Ying, KUANG Yuan-Yuan, MA Chao-Mei*
College of Life Sciences, Inner Mongolia University, Huhhot, Inner Mongolia 010021, China
Available online 20 July 2013
[ABSTRACT] The stem of Cynomorium songaricum is a traditional Chinese medicine reputed to have tonic effects. C. coccineum
growing in northern Africa and the Mediterranean region is regarded in Arabian medical practice as the treasure of drugs. The major
constituents of Cynomorium plants have been revealed to be phenolic compounds, steroids, triterpenes, etc. Pharmacologic studies
showed that the Cynomorium plants had antioxidant, immunity-improving, anti-diabetic, neuroprotective, and other bioactivities. Some
chemical constituents in Cynomorium plants are unstable, implying that the chemical components of the herbal medicines produced
under different conditions may be variable. This review covers the literature published until December, 2011 and describes the
pharmacologic effects and secondary metabolites of Cynomorium species.
[KEY WORDS] Cynomorium; Triterpenes; Phenolics; Antioxidant; Anti-diabetes
[CLC Number] R284, R965 [Document code] A [Article ID] 1672-3651(2013)04-0321-009

1 Introduction
Cynomorium songaricum Rupr. and C. coccineum L.,
belong to genus Cynomorium, which is the sole genus within
the Cynomoriaceae family. Cynomorium plants are fleshy,
holoparasitic plants with no leaves. Without chlorophyll they
cannot produce energy by themselves, instead, they parasitize
the roots of other plants, such as those in the Nitrariaceae in
China [1-4].
The species C. songaricum is native to western Asia. The
stem of this plant, “Suo Yang” in Chinese, is an important
herbal medicine for “nourishing kidney” and “strengthening
the yang” [1]. Eaten raw or cooked with meat or flour, the
plant is considered to be a longevity food by the local
Chinese people. Its local name, “Bu Lao Yao”, means “keeps
people from becoming old”.
C. coccineum is found in northern Africa and the Mediter-
ranean region [2], where it has long been known to the Muslim
world as tarthuth, and to Europeans as the Maltese mush-
room [6]. The Arab medical system regarded it as the treasure
of drugs for treatment of apoplexy, venereal disease, high
blood pressure, irregular menstrual periods, etc [7].

[Received on] 10-May-2012
[Research funding] This project was supported by the Science and
Technology Department of Inner Mongolia, China (No. 20100507)
[*Corresponding author] MA Chao-Mei: Prof., Tel: 86-471-4992435;
E-mail: cmma@imu.edu.cn
These authors have no conflict of interest to declare.
Extensive research has been carried out to inves-
tigate the bioactive constituents and pharmacological effects
of Cynomorium plants. Some reviews published four years
ago [8-11], summarized the chemical constituents or pharmaco-
logic effects of C. songaricum. In recent years, more original
research papers about Cynomorium plants covering broader
research areas have been published. This review describes the
pharmacologic effects and secondary metabolites reported for
Cynomorium species until December, 2011.
2 Pharmacologic Activities
Cynomorium plants have traditionally been used to
support the male reproductive function, and there is some
evidence for this effect in animal studies and molecular
pharmacologic studies. In addition, biological studies have
revealed that these plants have anti-oxidative, anti-diabetic,
HIV-1-protease inhibitory, and immunity improving effects.
2.1 Effects on factors related to reproductive function
The aqueous extract of C. coccineum could significantly
increase the sperm count, the percentage of live sperm and
their motility, and decrease the number of abnormal sperm.
The serum interstitial cell stimulating hormone levels was
higher, whereas testosterone and follicle stimulating hormone
levels were lower in treated animals. It was concluded that
the aqueous extract of C. coccineum induced testicular
development and spermatogenesis in immature Wistar rats
through direct spermatogenic influence on the seminiferous
tubules presumably by exerting a testosterone-like effect [12-13].
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322 Chin J Nat Med Jul. 2013 Vol. 11 No. 4 2013 年 7 月 第 11 卷 第 4 期

After administration of C. songaricum to 8-week-old male
Wistar rats for 56 consecutive days (1.0 g·kg−1·day−1, p.o.),
the treated animals showed significant increases in
epididymal sperm count and absolute testes weights
compared to the control group. C. songaricum also increased
the expression of GDNF (Glial cell-derived neurotrophic
factor, which induces the proliferation of undifferentiated
spermatogonia) at both the mRNA and protein levels. The
results suggest that C. songaricum may improve male fertility
by enhancing spermatogenesis and GDNF expression [14].
The effects of C. coccineum on ovarian follicular
development and serum levels of FSH and LH were
investigated. Water extract of C. coccineum was given to the
animals per os in a dose of 47 mg/100 g body weight for 6
days in 25-day-old rats. The extract elicited significant
changes in gonadotrophin levels, and a significant increase in
ovarian weight and profound folliculogenesis. Numerous
primary, secondary, tertiary and antral follicles were found,
while distinct zona pellucida was not seen, and the oocyte
was often detached. The results indicated that the extract of C.
coccineum can modulate the activity of the pituitary
gonadotrophs [15].
Cynomorium plants have traditionally been used as
supportive herbs for male infertility, and the above research
results provided some evidence for this effect in animal
studies and molecular pharmacologic studies. Animal studies
have also shown that Cynomorium plants can significantly
increase ovarian weight and folliculogenesis in young rats,
suggesting that Cynomorium plants may have beneficial
effects on both male and female fertility.
2.2 Anti-oxidant activity and related functions
The tannin-rich fractions and flavan-3-ol oligomers from
the stems of C. songaricum showed potent antioxidant
activity [16]. C. songaricum could enhance the endurance and
antioxidative status of skeletal muscle in trained mice [17].
Flavonoids from C. songaricum could reduce free radical
formation, scavenge free radicals, reduce muscle fatigue and
enhance swimming endurance of rats upon measuring
changes of free radical scavenging enzymes and body weight.
The CuZn-SOD and GSH-px activities in swimming rats
increased, while the levels of malondialdehyde decreased
dose-dependently and significantly after treatment with the
flavonoid extract. Furthermore, significant increases in the
average body weight and the total swimming time were
observed [18]. The above anti-oxidative activity of the
flavonoids in Cynomorium plants agreed with the reported
data that most phenolic compounds are strong antioxidants
[19-20]. In addition to the phenolic compounds, a
polysaccharide from C. songaricum was found to show
strong effects of scavenging free radicals [21].
Antioxidant therapy might be a useful strategy in
insulin-resistant states, such as type 2 diabetes, cancer, obe-
sity, and metabolic syndrome [22]. The constituents of struc-
turally different types of Cynomorium plants have potent
antioxidant activities, suggesting that traditional medicines
based on these plants might be beneficial to people with insu-
lin-resistance disorders.
2.3 Inhibition of virus replication enzymes
Human immunodeficiency virus protease (HIV-PR) and
hepatitis C virus protease (HCV-PR) are essential enzymes
for the replication HIV and HCV. These enzymes are attract-
tive targets for developing therapeutic drugs for AIDS and
type C hepatitis [23-24]. It was found that the extracts of C.
songaricum potently inhibited HIV protease. Bio-activity-
guided fractionation and isolation led to the identification of
triterpenes and flavan-3-ol polymers as the bioactive
components. Among the triterpene compounds, ursolic acid
malonylhemiester was more active than ursolic acid. As for
the activity of flavan-3-ols, the inhibition increased as the
molecular weight increased [25-26]. In addition to the inhibition
on HIV-PR, the water extract of C. coccinneum was found to
be inhibitory on HCV PR upon screening of 71 plants
commonly used as Sudanese traditional medicines [27]. The
triterpene constituents, ursolic acid, acetyl ursolic acid, and
malonyl ursolic acid hemiester, were found to be the active
components. Similar to the case for HIV PR, malonyl ursolic
acid hemiester was the most potent against HCV PR [28]. The
inhibitory activity of Cynomorium triterpenes on HIV PR and
HCV PR suggested that these compounds are worthy of
further study for their potential as leads to develop anti-viral
agents.
2.4 Anti-diabetes activity and the inhibition of diabetes
related enzymes
α-Glucosidase is an essential enzyme for the digestion
and absorption of food polysaccharides. Inhibitors of
α-glucosidase could effectively slow down the increased
glucose level in blood after meal. Thus, α-glucosidase is
regarded as an effective target for developing anti-diabetes
drugs. Some inhibitors of this enzyme have been successfully
developed as clinic drugs, such as acarbose and voglibose
[29-31]. The extract of C. songaricum was found to be
inhibitory on α-glucosidase. Upon fractionation, the tannin-
rich fraction was found to be the most active fraction, from
which flavan-3-ol monomers and oligomers were isolated.
The α-glucosidase inhibitory activity increased as the
molecular weights of the flavan-3-ol oligomers increased [16].
A water-soluble polysaccharide from C. songaricum,
namely CSPA, was purified and investigated for its anti-
diabetes potential. Oral administration of CSPA significantly
decreased blood glucose levels, glutamic oxaloacetic
transaminase, glutamic pyruvic transaminase, blood urea
nitrogen, and creatinine activities. In addition, CSPA
effectively increased serum insulin level and the content
of liver glycogen in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.
Histopathology studies showed that CSPA could restore the
reduced islet cells to near normal level [32].
These results suggested the potential usefulness of C.
songaricum in diabetes patients.
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2013 年 7 月 第 11 卷 第 4 期 Chin J Nat Med Jul. 2013 Vol. 11 No. 4 323

2.5 Effects on the central nervous system and on the aging
process
C. songaricum displayed a multi-spectrum activity
during a high-throughput screening of herb materials for
modulating actions on neurotransmitter transporters. The
chloroform extract showed a strong effect on
up-regulating dopamine/norepinephrine uptake, while the
n-butanol extract potently inhibited γ-aminobutyric
acid/serotoin uptake. The n-butanol extract of C.
songaricum would likely possess antidepressant,
antiepileptic, and anxiolytic actions [33].
C. songaricum was also reported to show strong
anti-anoxia and notable antiepilepsy effects [34]. A fraction of
the water extract could reduce the damage of cerebral and
cardiac muscle tissue induced by altitude low-pressured
hypoxia. The mechanism of action was deduced to be related
to the increase of SOD activity and inhibition of membrane
lipid peroxidation, and to the decrease of the accumulation of
lactic acid in brain tissue and the increase of the protein
contents in cardiac muscle tissue [35].
Studies revealed that C. songaricum exhibits anti-aging
effects. Both natural and cultivated C. songaricum promoted
the serum SOD activity and extended the life span of
drosophila [36]. Another study on Kunming mice in an aging
model revealed that C. songaricum polysaccharide exerted
anti-aging effects by increasing telomere length of
senescence mice [37]. C. songaricum has also been found to
have significant protective effect against progressive memory
deficits in models of Alzheimer’s disease [38].
The methanolic extract of C. songaricum demonstrated
the capability to protect human neuroblastoma cell death
induced by amyloidbetapeptide or by superoxide anions. The
ethyl acetate soluble part showed significant protective
effects at a concentration as low as 0.1 g·mL−1 [39]. The
protective effects of different extracts of C. songaricum on
staurosporine-induced apoptotic cell death in SK-N-SH
neuroblastoma cells were evaluated. The ethyl acetate soluble
part of C. songaricum significantly attenuated
staurosporine-induced cell death at concentrations of 100 and
10 μg·mL−1 [40]. The observation that C. songaricum extracts
showed neuroprotective activity supported the traditional use
of this herbal medicine for alleviating the symptoms of aging.
2.6 Other pharmacologic activities
C. coccineum from Iran was found to possess significant
blood pressure lowering activity in dogs. Further study
revealed that the active components for lowering blood
pressure were mainly in the fresh juice of the plant. The fresh
juice, as well as the water soluble fractions of the fresh juice,
exhibited strong activity, while the extract of the dried
powdered plant lacked significant activity [41].
A fraction from C. songaricum was found to have a
protective effect on immunosuppressed mice. The effect was
deduced to be related to an increase in the humoral
immunity and non-specific immunity [42].
In summary, the antioxidative, α-glucosidase inhibi-
tory, and anti-diabetic activities of Cynomorium plants
suggest the beneficial effects of this plant medicine for
diabetes patients. Reported improvements in immunity,
diminished fatigue, improved physical endurance, neuro-
protection, anti-aging, and anti-stress effects may be some
of the reasons why these plant medicines are traditionally
used as tonics.
3 Chemical Constituents
Triterpenes, steroids, lignans, flavonoids and other
phenolics, n-butyl-fructoside, and other constituents have
been isolated from Cynomorium plants.
3.1 Triterpenoids and steroids
Four triterpene and six steroid compounds were isolated
from C. songaricum. They were identified as ursolic acid (1),
acetyl ursolic acid (2), ursolic acid malonyl hemiester (3),
oleanolic acid malonyl hemiester (4), β-sitosterol (5),
β-sitosteryl oleate (6), β-sitosteryl glucoside (7), β-sitosteryl
glucoside 6-O-aliphatates (8), 5α-stigmast-9(11)-en-3β-ol (9),
and 5α-stigmast-9(11)-en-3β-ol tetracosatrienoic acid ester
(10) (Fig. 1) [26, 43-46]. Ursolic acid and its malonate derivative
showed potent inhibition on HIV PR with IC50 values of 8
and 6 μmol·L−1, respectively. Other dicarboxilic acid
hemiesters of ursolic acid, oleanolic acid and betulinic acid
were synthesized and their activities on HIV PR were
investigated. It was found that the glutaryl hemiesters showed
the most potent activity with IC50 values of 6 μmol·L−1 [26].
3.2 Lignans and alkaloid
Jiang et al isolated eight phenolic compounds including
two interesting new lignans, (−)-isolariciresinol 4-O-β-D-
glucopyranoside (11), and (7S, 8R) dehydrodiconiferyl
alcohol 9-β-glucopyranoside (12), as well as an alkaloid,
nicoloside (13), from the stems of C. songaricum (Fig. 2).
The structures of the new compounds were determined by
spectroscopic methods. The stereo-chemistry was determined
by analysis of the CD spectrum [47].
3.3 Flavonoids
Cynomorium plants contain large amount of flavonoids
with flavan-3-ols being the major ones. Other sub-flavonoid
types in Cynomorium plants are flavones, flavonols, and
flavanones.
From the aqueous extract of the stems of C. songaricum,
catechin (14), procyanidin B-1 (15), procyanidin B-6 (16),
flavan-3-ol trimers, flavan-3-ol tetramers, flavan-3-ol pen-
tamers, and flavan-3-ol polymers (condensed tannins) were
obtained. Thiolytic degradation of the flavan-3-ol polymers
yielded benzylthioepicatechin, indicating that the extender
flavan unit of the condensed tannin is mainly epicatechin (Fig.
3). The flavan-3-ol polymers showed inhibitory activity
against HIV PR with the activity increased as the molecular
weight increased [26]. Using capillary electrophoresis with
amperometric detection, epicatechin and catechin were de-
tected in all of the seven Cynomorium samples collected in
different areas [48].
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324 Chin J Nat Med Jul. 2013 Vol. 11 No. 4 2013 年 7 月 第 11 卷 第 4 期


Fig. 1 Triterpenes and sterols isolated from Cynomorium songaricum


Fig. 2 Lignans and alkaloid from Cynomorium songaricum

Fig. 3 Flavan-3-ols from Cynomorium songaricum
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Two anthocyanin pigments (18, 19) were isolated from
the flowering tops of C. coccineum (Fig. 4). Cyanidin
3-O-glucoside (18) was identified to be the major pigment
(92%), while cyanidin 3-O-rhamnosylglucoside (19) was
identified to be the minor one (8%) [49].
Besides the above mentioned flavan-3-ols and
anthocyanins, compounds 20-27 (Fig. 5) of other flavonoid
sub-types were isolated or detected in C. songaricum [26, 47,
50-51].
3.4 Saccharides
Two polysaccharides, SYP-A and SYP-B, were purified

Fig. 4 Anthocyanins isolated from the flowering tops of
Cynomorium coccineum


Fig. 5 Other flavonoid compounds from Cynomorium plants

from C. songaricum by Sephadex G-100 and G-150 gel
column chromatography. The molecular weights of the
isolated polysaccharides were estimated to be 3.1 × 105 and
2.8 × 105, respectively. The polysaccharides were composed
of galactose, glucose, arabinose, rhamnose, mannose, and
ribose, with the molar ratio being 5.1 : 4.1 : 1.6 : 1.0 : 0.5 :
0.3 and 5.2 : 4.2 : 1.5 : 1.0 : 0.5 : 0.2, respectively. The uronic
acid contents in the two polysaccharides were 10.7% and
10.5%, respectively [52].
A water-soluble polysaccharide from C. songaricum
named CSPA was reported to have hypoglycemic effects on
STZ-induced rats. CSPA was identified to be a heteropolysac-
charide consisting of Ara, Glu, and Gal, with a molecular
weight of 1.394 × 105. It contained the following unit:
→3)-α-araf –(1 →3)-α-D-glcp-(1→4)-α-D-GalpA6Me-(1→,
and held a conformation of a compact chain of a sphere-like
structure in aqueous solution [32].
A glycan isolated from C. songaricum was fractionated
into three fractions (CSG-F1, CSG-F1, and CSG-F3). The
average molecular weight of CSG-F1 (yield 21%) was es-
timated to be 2.4 × 105, composed mainly of galactose,
glucose, arabinose, and rhamnose. CSG-F2 (yield 14%) was
composed of galactose, glucose, arabinose, rhamnose, and
ribose, and has an average molecular weight of 1.3 × 105.
With an average molecular weight of 1.9 × 105, CSG-F3
(yield 37%) was composed of galactose, glucose, arabinose,
rhamnose, ribose, and mannose. The C. songaricum glycan
exhibited dose-dependent scavenging activity of superoxide
anion radical while did not significantly delay HepG2 cells
growth [53].
3.5 Miscellaneous
Three n-butyl-fructosides were isolated from the stems
of C. songaricum. Their structures were determined by spec-
troscopic methods to be n-butyl-β-D-fructofuranoside (28),
n-butyl-α-D-fructofuranoside (29) and n-butyl-β-D- fruc-
topyranoside (30) (Fig. 6) [54].


Fig. 6 Butyl-fructosides isolated from the stems of Cynomorium songaricum

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326 Chin J Nat Med Jul. 2013 Vol. 11 No. 4 2013 年 7 月 第 11 卷 第 4 期

Compounds of other structural types isolated from this plant
include stilbene (31), phenylpropanoids 32-34, phenolic com-
pounds 35-39, amino acid (40), nucleoside (41), glucose (42),
succinic acid (43), and capilliplactone (44) (Fig. 7) [26, 47, 50-56].

Fig. 7 Compounds of other structural types isolated from Cynomorium plants

Using high-performance capillary electrophoresis with
amperometric detection (CE-AD), phloridzin, epicatechin,
catechin, naringenin, rutin, luteolin, quercetin, gallic acid,
and protocatechuic acid were well separated under optimized
conditions. Using the established conditions, seven
Cynomorium samples collected in different areas were
analyzed. Phoridzin, epicatechin, catechin, rutin, and gallic
acid was detected in all of the seven samples. The assay
results showed that C. songaricum samples contained
abundant amount of polyphenols and flavonoids, especially
of catechin and rutin. The author recommended that catechin
and rutin could be used as index constituents for the quality
control of C. songaricum. The electromigration profiles or
“electrochemical chromatograms” can be used for the
comparison of component diversity of medicinal
Cynomorium plants planted in different places [48].
Through GC-MS analysis, Zhou et al found that the li-
posoluble constituents of C. songaricum were influenced by
the geographic origin more than the host. The stems of C.
songaricum collected from three different geographic regions
and four different hosts were analyzed by GC–MS for their
liposoluble constituents. Cluster analysis of the percentage
composition of 80 compounds showed that there were dif-
ferences in chemical composition among the different geo-
graphic origins, while there was little composition difference
among different host plants. Hexadecanoic acid was found to
be the most abundant compound in the essential oils of C.
songaricum from hosts Nitraria sibirica and N. tanguticum.
Whereas (Z)-9-octadecenoic acid was found to accumulate in
the oils of C. songaricum from Zygophyllum xanthoxylum
and Peganum harmala [57].
In summary, Cynomorium plants have been reported to
contain condensed tannins, steroids, triterpenes, acidic heter-
opolysaccharides, butyl fructosides, flavanoids, lignan gly-
cosides, alkaloids, and other compounds. The bioactive
components responsible for the antioxidant activity have
been revealed to be phenolic compounds and heteropolysac-
charides. Those compounds responsible for the inhibition of
viral essential enzymes have been reported to be triterpenes
and tannins.
4 Changes in the Content of Bioactive Components
The dynamic trends of the catechin content of wild and
cultivated C. songaricum in different growth stages and
different areas were studied by HPLC. The catechin level
from highest to lowest was found out to be in the following
order: stage just before the plant grows out of the earth,
unearthed stage, flowering stage, and fruit developing stage.
If catechin is used as a marker component for quality control,
the quality of Herba Cynomorii that is harvested just before
the plant grows out of the earth would be the best, which
agrees with the local custom that Herba Cynomorii was
usually collected in the beginning of May [58]. On the other
hand, the content of ursolic acid in C. songaricum at different
growth stages changed irregularly. Thus ursolic acid can be
used as a marker component for quality evaluation of the
plant medicine, but cannot be used to determine the
appropriate collecting time [59].
Cynomorium plants contain some constituents that are
liable to decompose or condense. One of the triterpene con-
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2013 年 7 月 第 11 卷 第 4 期 Chin J Nat Med Jul. 2013 Vol. 11 No. 4 327

stituent, ursolic acid malonyl hemiester (3), is unstable, with
its content decreasing quickly under heating. When the dry
powder of compound 3 was heated, it predominately decom-
posed to acetyl ursolic acid. When its aqueous solution was
heated, compound 3 decomposed to acetyl ursolic acid and
ursolic acid, which may be caused by spontaneous hydrolysis
of compound 3 [16]. C. songaricum contains a large amount of
flavan-3-ols, which are known to be extremely unstable, un-
dergoing condensation, degradation, or condensing with other
co-existing components [60].
Genomic studies on Cynomorium plants suggested that
these parasitic plants are more heterogeneous and may have
horizontal gene transfers with the host plants [61-62]. It was
deduced that due to inconsistent genomic features,
Cynomorium plants, especially those that parasitize different
host plants, may have somewhat different chemical
constituents and consequently different bioactivities.
Considering their unstable bioactive constituents and
highly variable components, it is recommended that
collection time and processing methods be carefully
controlled and that the contents of the bioactive components
be carefully monitored when using Cynomorium plants as
herbal medicines.
5 Conclusion
In conclusion, Cynomorium plants have been revealed to
contain condensed tannins, steroids, triterpenes, acidic
heteropolysaccharides, butyl fructosides, flavanoids, lignan
glycosides, alkaloids and other compounds. Pharmacological
studies have shown that the medicinal herbs have
antioxidation, anti-hypoxia/anti-anoxia, α-glucosidase
inhibition, anti-diabetes, HIV-PR and HCV-PR inhibition,
immunity improvement, anti-fatigue, physical endurance
enhancement, neuroprotection, anti-dementia, anti-aging,
anti-epilepsy, and anti-stress effects. Due to the importance of
Cynomorium plants as herbal medicines, researchers
supported by Chinese government or by the local
governments of Chinese provinces where Cynomorium plants
grow are actively investigating new chemical constituents
and assessing these herbal medicines for previously
undocumented bioactivities. The bioactivities of Cynomorium
plants are also being actively investigated in other Asian and
Arab countries. As life expectancy increases, the number of
patients with age-related disorders including diabetes mellitus
and neurodegeneration increases rapidly. The newly
discovered anti-diabetic and neuroprotective properties of
Cynomorium plants have made these herbal medicines more
and more attractive to people worldwide.
The active components responsible for the
pharmacologic actions of Cynomorium plants have not yet
been fully clarified. More than 40 chemical components have
been isolated or identified from Cynomorium plants, and the
bioactivity spectra of these components merit investigation.
Such investigations may provide information on the struc-
ture-activity relationships of these compounds and identify
candidates for the development of new drugs.
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锁阳属植物的化学成分及药理作用
蒙昊聪, 王 硕, 李 颖, 况园园, 马超美*
内蒙古大学生命科学学院，呼和浩特 010021
【摘 要】 锁阳是锁阳科植物 Cynomorium songaricum 的根茎，是以具有强壮作用而著名的中药材。生长在北非及地中海
地区的同属植物 C. coccineum 被阿拉伯人看作是宝药。研究表明锁阳属植物的主要成分为酚类、甾体和三萜类化合物等。锁
阳属植物的药理作用包括抗氧化、提高免疫力、抗糖尿病及神经保护等。锁阳的一些化学成分结构容易发生变化，因此不同生
产条件得到的锁阳类药物成分会有所不同。该文综述锁阳属植物的药理作用及化学成分，检索的文献截至 2011 年底。
【关键词】 锁阳属; 三萜; 酚类; 抗氧化; 抗糖尿病

【基金项目】 内蒙古自治区科技厅草原英才人才引进项目“天然药物的基础研究与开发研究”(No. 20100507)资助