Journal of Medicinal Research Vol. 5(18), pp. 4396-4399, 16 September, 2011 Available online at http://www.academicjournals.org/JMPR ISSN 1996-0875 ©2011 Academic Journals

Review

A review on resource status, bioactive ingredients, clinical applications and biological progress in

Yongsi Zhang 1, Changmin Liao 2, Jun Li 1 and Xiaohong Liu 1*

1Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education), College of Life Sciences, China West Normal University, P. R. China. 2Library, China West Normal University, Nanchong City, P. R. China.

Accepted 11 August, 2011

Bergenia is a very important medicinal , widely applied in many fields. To develop effectively the elite germplasm, this paper introduced its resource status, enumerated its bioactive ingredients and clinical applications, and summarized its research progress in biochemistry, cytology and molecular biology. This review is beneficial for further research on Bergenia .

Key words: Bergenia , resource status, clinical application, research progress.

INTRODUCTION

Bergenia , a belonging to the family will gradually turn green and send forth new . In (Zhou et al., 2007; Dhalwal et al., 2008), is a kind of addition, Bergenia has 3 to 6 inch clusters of delicate perennial herb, containing rich medicinal ingredients and flowers, which appear in spring. Flower colors range from having high application values. To develop and utilize deep purplish pink to pale pink and occasionally white. effectively this kind of elite germplasm resource, the following contents reviewed its resource status, bioactive ingredients, clinical applications and research progress in and distribution biochemistry, cytology and molecular biology. According to The International Plant Names Index (www.ipni.org), there are 32 species included for RESOURCE STATUS Bergenia genus throughout the world (Table 1). In China, there are total seven species, growing in the three Phenotypic characteristics provinces Sichuan, Sanxi and Shanxi and two Autonomous Region Tibet and Xinjiang. Bergenia is belonging to herbaceous plant. According to To be mentioned, the four species, including Bergenia the report by Zhou et al. (2007) on Bergenia emeiensis , Bergenia scopulosa , Bergenia tianquanensis purpurascens and our outdoor survey on the two species and Bergenia yunnanensis are unique, only growing in Bergenia tianquanensis and Bergenia emeiensis , plant China. height of Bergenia has a range from 10 to 80 cm, with Bergenia is mainly distributed in Asia, involved in East short internodes. Its underground grow Asia, the southeastern regions of Central Asia and creepingly, with radial branches. The alternate-growing northern regions of South Asia (Chandrareddy et al., leaves of Bergenia exhibit dense clusters, thick and soft, 1998; Zhou et al., 2007). Wild Bergenia grows generally with 5 to 25 cm of length and 3 to 17 cm of leaf width. in high-altitude cold location, on the earth surface Usually,the leaves displays dark green, but winter comes, covered by forest and shrub, alpine meadow or the they will become red, and spring comes, partial leaves crevice of stone (Lu and Wang, 2003a). To be mentioned, wild Bergenia is mainly distributed in high-altitude cold area, and is becoming less and less, because of destruction of ecological environment and *Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected]. excessive excavation. Zhang et al. 4397

Table 1. The 32 species included in Bergenia genus searched from The International Plant Names Index (www.ipni.org).

Bergenia , Bergenia beesiana , Bergenia biflora , Bergenia ciliate , Bergenia cordifolia , Bergenia coreana , , Bergenia delavayi , Bergenia emeiensis , Bergenia fortunei , Bergenia gorbunovii , Bergenia himalaica , Bergenia hissarica , Bergenia ligulata , Bergenia media , Bergenia milesii , Bergenia × newryensis , Bergenia orbicularis , Bergenia ornata , Bergenia pacifica , Bergenia pacumbis , , Bergenia schmidtii, Bergenia × schmidtii , Bergenia scopulosa , Bergenia smithii , Bergenia spathulata , , Bergenia thysanodes , Bergenia tianquanensis , Bergenia ugamica , Bergenia yunnanensis .

Table 2. The main bioactive ingredients in Bergenia.

Categories Main ingredients , arbutin, , β-sitosterol, gallic acid, β-sitosterol-D-glucoside, , (+)-afzelechin, leucoeyanidin, Polyphenols methylgallate, paashaanolactone, gallic acylated compounds, etc.

Flavonoid Kaempferol, Quercetin ，diglucoside, mologlucoside, etc.

Aloe emodin, physicion, aloe emodin 8-O-glucoside, chrysophanein, emodin 1-O-β-D-glucopyranoside, Quinones Hydroquinone, hydroquinone monomethylethe, etc.

Others Volatile oil, polysaccharide, amino acid, sterols, organic acid, carotenoids, daucosterol, etc.

BIOACTIVE INGREDIENTS in the experiments results obtained by Sinha et al. (2001b), this kind of extracts was demonstrated anti- Bergenia has rich chemical components in its , inflammatory potentiality. stems and leaves, and the bioactive ingredients can Actually, the whole grass of Bergenia can be used in mainly be classified into three categories, including medicine, but its active ingredients were mainly focused polyphenols, flavonoid and quinones (Table 2). (Chandra on polyphenols, among which bergenin is studied and Reddy et al., 1998; Chandra Reddy and Chawla, 1999; applied most frequently (Reddy et al., 1999; Chauhan et Lu and Wang, 2003a; Wang and Lu, 2005; Pop et al., al., 2000; Ji, 2005; Singh et al., 2007; Dhalwal et al., 2009; Dhalwal et al., 2008; Chen et al., 2008a; Yuan, 2008). Bergenin exhibits various biological activities such 2011). To be mentioned, bergenin is the most important as antiulcer, antihepatotoxic, anti-HIV, antiarrhythmic, pharmaceutical component, can be used to treat many neuropreotective, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, diseases. Currently, it is already in clinical use, such as immunomodulatory and burn wound healing effects relieving a cough, eliminating phlegm, diminish (Nazir et al., 2011). Owing to such a broad spectrum of inflammation, etc. (Jiang et al., 2010; Nazir et al., 2011; biological activities associated with Bergenin, a number Yuan and Suo, 2011). of studies have been devoted to either derivatizes the molecule or synthesize its related compounds to optimize it as a lead molecule (Rousseau and Martin, 2000; CLINICAL APPLICATIONS Takahashi et al., 2003).

Treatment of diseases Health food Bergenia is one of the most important folk medicinal herbs, in , the rhizomes of Bergenia have been used Bergenia has many kinds of amino acids and mineral for centuries in the Ayurvedic formulations to dissolve elements which are helpful (Yang et al., 2009), so it may kidney and bladder stones, abnormal leucorrhea, piles, be considered in cuisine. Additionally, arbutin contained in and pulmonary affections (Gehlot et al., 1976; Asokar et Bergenia are beneficial for diuresis and antibiosis, and al., 1992; Srivastava and Rawat, 2008); in China, dry thus, it can be used as the disinfectant of urine. At same powder of Bergenia is often used for treating cough, stop time, it can inhibit degradation of Insulin (Li et al., 2006). bleeding, increasing immunity and so on (Lu and Wang, 2003a). From literature, some extracts from Bergenia have high clinical values, take methanol extract as an Cosmetics example, the experimental results obtained by Sinha et al. (2001a) showed that it had a wide spectrum of Bergenia can be applied in cosmetic field, owing to its concentration-dependent antibacterial activity, moreover functional ingredient arbutin, arbutin can make skin 4398 J. Med. Plant. Res.

whiten, because it can prevent tyrosinase within skin from Dhalwal K, Shinde VM, Biradar YS, Mahadik KR (2008). Simultaneous taking effect (Guo et al., 2004). Currently, Bergenia has quantification of bergenin, catechin, and gallic acid from and Bergenia ligulata by using thin-layer chromatography. J. already been manufactured into cosmetic brightening Food Composit. Anal., 21: 496-500. agent. Friedrich H (1954). Investigations on the of Bergenia. Spp. and its relationships to arbutin. Pharmazie, 9: 138-155. Gehlot NK, Sharma VN, Vyas DS (1976). Some pharmacological BIOLOGICAL PROGRESS IN BIOCHEMICAL, studies on ethanolic extract of roots of Bergenia ligulata . Indian J. CYTOLOGICAL AND MOLECULAR LEVELS Pharmacol., 8: 92-94. Guo HY, Song KK, Chen QX (2004). The synthesis of two Arbutin For biochemical progress, Friedrich (1954) carried out the derivatives and inhibitory effect of them on tyrosinase. J. Xiamen Univ., Nat. 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