Bergenia Genus: Traditional Uses, Phytochemistry and Pharmacology
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molecules Review Bergenia Genus: Traditional Uses, Phytochemistry and Pharmacology Bhupendra Koul 1,* , Arvind Kumar 2, Dhananjay Yadav 3,* and Jun-O. Jin 3,4,* 1 School of Bioengineering and Biosciences, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara 144411, India 2 Research Center for Chromatography and Mass Spectrometry, CROM-MASS, CIBIMOL-CENIVAM, Industrial University of Santander, Carrera 27, Calle 9, Edificio 45, Bucaramanga 680002, Colombia; [email protected] 3 Department of Medical Biotechnology, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan 38541, Korea 4 Research Institute of Cell Culture, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan 38541, Korea * Correspondence: [email protected] (B.K.); [email protected] (D.Y.); [email protected] (J.-O.J.); Tel.: +91-9454320518 (B.K.); +82-1022021191 (D.Y.); +82-53-810-3033 (J.-O.J.); Fax: +82-53-810-4769 (J.-O.J.) Academic Editors: Raffaele Pezzani and Sara Vitalini Received: 23 October 2020; Accepted: 14 November 2020; Published: 26 November 2020 Abstract: Bergenia (Saxifragaceae) genus is native to central Asia and encompasses 32 known species. Among these, nine are of pharmacological relevance. In the Indian system of traditional medicine (Ayurveda), “Pashanabheda” (stone breaker) is an elite drug formulation obtained from the rhizomes of B. ligulata. Bergenia species also possess several other biological activities like diuretic, antidiabetic, antitussive, insecticidal, anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, anti-bradykinin, antiviral, antibacterial, antimalarial, hepatoprotective, antiulcer, anticancer, antioxidant, antiobesity, and adaptogenic. This review provides explicit information on the traditional uses, phytochemistry, and pharmacological significance of the genus Bergenia. The extant literature concerned was systematically collected from various databases, weblinks, blogs, books, and theses to select 174 references for detailed analysis. To date, 152 chemical constituents have been identified and characterized from the genus Bergenia that belong to the chemical classes of polyphenols, phenolic-glycosides, lactones, quinones, sterols, tannins, terpenes, and others. B. crassifolia alone possesses 104 bioactive compounds. Meticulous pharmacological and phytochemical studies on Bergenia species and its conservation could yield more reliable compounds and products of pharmacological significance for better healthcare. Keywords: Bergenia species; botanical description; traditional uses; phytochemistry; pharmacology; anti-urolithiatic activity; bergenin 1. Introduction The use of herbs for healing diseases and disorders can be dated back to at least 1500 BC [1]. The traditional system of medicine (TCM) is a source of >60% of the commercialized drugs and is still used by the population in lower income countries for the cure of chronic diseases [2]. As far as primary healthcare is concerned, approximately 75% of Indians rely on Ayurvedic formulations [3,4]. Many medicinal plants containing various phytochemicals have been successfully used to cure diabetes, cancers, gastrointestinal disorders, cardiovascular, and urological disorders [1]. Among the urological disorders, “urolithiasis” is the third most common disorder with a high relapse rate [5–8]. The invasive treatments of urolithiasis are costly and precarious, so the search for natural anti-urolithiatic drugs is of immense importance [9,10]. The Ayurvedic preparations have used Bergenia species down the centuries to dissolve bladder and kidney stones and to treat piles, abnormal leucorrhea, and pulmonary infections [11–13]. Molecules 2020, 25, 5555; doi:10.3390/molecules25235555 www.mdpi.com/journal/molecules Molecules 2020, 25, x 2 of 24 Molecules 2020, 25, 5555 2 of 19 pharmacological properties can be attributed to a wide-range polyphenols, flavonoids, and quinones Thesepresent pharmacological in Bergenia species. properties The polyphenols can be attributedconstitute a to major a wide-range share of the polyphenols, active ingredients, flavonoids, and andthe elite quinones among present them are in Bergenia”arbutin”species. and “bergenin” The polyphenols [14–19]. Bergenin constitute alone a major possesses share ofburn-wound the active ingredients,healing, antiulcer, and the eliteanti-arrhythmic, among them areantihepatoto ”arbutin” andxic, “bergenin”neuroprotective, [14–19]. antifungal, Bergenin alone antidiabetic, possesses burn-woundantilithiatic, anti-inflammatory, healing, antiulcer, anti-nociceptive anti-arrhythmic,, anti-HIV, antihepatotoxic, and immunomodulatory neuroprotective, properties antifungal, [20– antidiabetic,22]. Bergenia ligulata antilithiatic, Wall. Engl. anti-inflammatory, [synonym of B. anti-nociceptive, pacumbis] is an essential anti-HIV, ingredient and immunomodulatory of an Ayurvedic propertiesformulation, [20 “Pashanbheda”–22]. Bergenia ligulata (PaashanWall. = rockstone, Engl. [synonym bheda = piercing), of B. pacumbis which] is is an used essential as a kidney ingredient stone ofdissolver an Ayurvedic in the indigenous formulation, system “Pashanbheda” of medicine (Paashan[23,24]. This= rockstone, drug has been bheda listed= piercing), in ancient which Indian is usedchronicles as a kidney of medicine stone dissolverincludingin “Charak the indigenous Samhita”, system “Sushruta of medicine Samhita” [ 23and,24 ].“Ashtang-Hridaya This drug has been”. B. listedligulata in is ancient reputedly Indian known chronicles by other of medicine names includingsuch as “Pashana”, “Charak Samhita “Ashmabhid”,”, “Sushruta “Ashmabhed”, Samhita” and ““Asmaribheda”,Ashtang-Hridaya ”.“Nagabhid”,B. ligulata is “Parwatbhed”, reputedly known “Upalbhedak”, by other names and such“Shilabhed” as “Pashana”, [25]. “Ashmabhid”, “Ashmabhed”,The unavailability “Asmaribheda”, of a compendious “Nagabhid”, review “Parwatbhed”, on bioactive “Upalbhedak”, molecules present and “Shilabhed” in Bergenia [genus25]. promptedThe unavailability us to compile ofthe a same. compendious The present review review on bioactiveprovides explicit molecules knowledge present inonBergenia the traditionalgenus promptedand medicinal us to importance compile the and same. phytochemistry The present review of the Bergenia provides species. explicit knowledge on the traditional and medicinal importance and phytochemistry of the Bergenia species. 2. Review Methodology 2. Review Methodology The extant literature (abstracts, blogs, full-text articles, PhD theses, and books) on the Bergenia speciesThe was extant reviewed literature systematically (abstracts, to blogs, generate full-text concise articles, and PhDresourceful theses, information and books) onregarding the Bergenia their speciesdistribution, was reviewed phytochemistry, systematically traditional to generate medicinal concise uses, and and resourceful pharmacological information activities. regarding For theirthis distribution,purpose, different phytochemistry, bibliographic traditional search engines medicinal and online uses, databases and pharmacological (Google Scholar, activities. WoS, PubMed, For this purpose,CAB abstracts, different INMEDPLAN, bibliographic searchScopus, engines NATTS, and EM onlineBASE, databases SciFinder, (Google MEDLINE) Scholar, WoS,and PubMed,websites CAB(www.sciencedirect.com; abstracts, INMEDPLAN, eflora.org; Scopus, jstor.org; NATTS, pfaf.o EMBASE,rg) were SciFinder, referred, MEDLINE) to select and 174 websites references (www. for sciencedirect.comdetailed analysis.; eflora.orgEach botanical; jstor.org name; pfaf.org has b)een were validated referred, through to select 174www.theplantlist.org references for detailed and analysis.https://www.catalogueoflife.org/ Each botanical name has on beenline repositories. validated through ChemDraw www.theplantlist.org software (version and12.0) https: was used//www. to catalogueoflife.orgdraw the structures/ ofonline the chemical repositories. compounds. ChemDraw software (version 12.0) was used to draw the structures of the chemical compounds. 3. Distribution 3. Distribution The plant family Saxifragaceae encompasses 48 genera and 775 species, which are mostly distributedThe plant in familySouth SaxifragaceaeEast Asia. The encompasses name “Bergenia” 48 genera was and coined 775 species, by Conrad which Moench are mostly in 1794, distributed in the inmemory South Eastof Karl Asia. August The namevon Bergen “Bergenia” (German was botanist coined byand Conrad physician). Moench Genus in 1794, Bergenia in the harbors memory 32 ofspecies Karl Augustof flowering von Bergen plants, (German including botanist highly and valued physician). ornamental, Genus Bergeniarhizomatous,harbors and 32 temperate species of floweringmedicinal plants,herbs including[16]. Central highly Asia valued is the ornamental, native place rhizomatous, for genus Bergenia and temperate [26,27]. medicinal The geographical herbs [16]. Centraldistribution Asia of is the32 species native placeof genus for genus BergeniaBergenia are detailed[26,27]. Thein Figure geographical 1, which distribution depicts the of worldwide 32 species ofdistribution genus Bergenia throughare the detailed map. inIn FigureChina,1 seven, which species depicts are the reported worldwide from distributionthree provinces through and thetwo map.autonomous In China, regions: seven speciesShanxi, are Sichuan, reported and from Sanxi three and provinces Tibet and and Xinjiang, two autonomous respectively. regions: Among Shanxi, the Sichuan,seven species, and Sanxi four and (B. Tibetyunnanensis and Xinjiang,, B. scopulosa respectively., B. emeiensis Among, theand seven B. tianquanensis species, four)