背景:桦木(Betula)属的树木和灌木栖息在北半球温带和北方气候带的各种生态系统中。白桦树皮和树皮提取物的愈合特性在世界不同地区的传统医学中早已为人所知。传统上已将几种白桦用于治疗包括关节炎在内的各种炎性疾病。这次审查的目的是提供最新的,全面和分类的植物学信息,传统用途,植物化学和药理学和毒理学研究,以探索其治疗潜力和评估未来的研究机会。
方法:通过电子搜索收集了有关桦树属各种物种的所有可用信息(使用Pubmed,SciFinder,Scirus,谷歌学者,JCCC@INSTIRC和WebofScience)和图书馆搜索在同行评审期刊上发表的文章。
结果:尽管发现全球分布着一百多种桦树,大约有7种不同的桦木被记录用于其传统用途。对桦木物种的植物化学研究导致了三萜类化合物的分离,二芳基庚类,苯基丁酸,木脂素,酚类和类黄酮。粗提物,从白桦中分离的部分和植物化学成分显示出广泛的体外和体内药理活性,如免疫调节,抗炎,抗菌,抗病毒,抗氧化剂,抗糖尿病药,皮肤病学,胃保护和肝保护。抗关节炎和抗癌是对这些物种进行的两个主要研究领域。桦木树皮的抗癌作用,桦木醇和桦木酸已被广泛研究。
结论:一些属于桦树属的物种广泛用于传统医学。已特别发现白桦和白桦有可能用于治疗退行性关节病。在实验动物模型中有令人信服的证据支持它们的抗癌作用。然而,这将是值得研究的生化和生理机制,以及详细的临床前毒性,生物利用度,足够详细的不同生物活性提取物以及分子的药代动力学和药效学。需要采取综合和整体的方法来挖掘这一重要属的全部潜力。
BACKGROUND: Trees and shrubs of the genus
Betula (Betulaceae) inhabit various ecosystems in temperate and boreal climate zones of the northern hemisphere. The healing properties of
Betula bark and bark extracts have been known for a long time in traditional medicine in different parts of the world. Several species of Betula have traditionally been used for the treatment of various inflammatory diseases including arthritis. The purpose of this
review is to provide updated, comprehensive and categorized information on the botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry and pharmacological and toxicological research of Betula species in order to explore their therapeutic potential and evaluate future research opportunities.
METHODS: All the available information on various species belonging to the genus Betula was collected via electronic search (using Pubmed, SciFinder, Scirus, Google Scholar, JCCC@INSTIRC and Web of Science) and a library search for articles published in peer-reviewed journals.
RESULTS: Although over a hundred Betula species are found distributed globally, about 7 different species of
Betula have been documented for their traditional uses. Phytochemical research on Betula species has led to the isolation of triterpenoids, diarylheptanoids, phenylbutanoids, lignans, phenolics and flavonoids. Crude extracts, fractions and phytochemical constituents isolated from Betula showed a wide spectrum of in vitro and in vivo pharmacological activities like immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antiviral, antioxidant, antidiabetic, dermatological, gastroprotective and hepatoprotective. Antiarthritic and anticancer are the two major areas of research conducted on these species. The anti-carcinogenic effects of Betula bark, betulin as well as betulinic acid have been extensively studied.
CONCLUSIONS: Several species belonging to the genus Betula are widely used in traditional medicine.
Betula platyphylla and
Betula pendula have specifically been found to be potentially useful in the treatment of degenerative joint disease. There is convincing evidence in experimental animal models in support of their anti-carcinogenic effects. However, it would be worthwhile to investigate the biochemical and physiological mechanisms as well as detailed preclinical toxicity, bioavailability, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of the different biologically active extracts as well as molecules in sufficient detail. An integrated and holistic approach is required for tapping the full potentials of this important genus.