Chinese Herbal Medicines 11 (2019) 119–131 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Chinese Herbal Medicines journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/chmed Review Non- Camellia Tea in China: Traditional usage, phytochemistry, and pharmacology Kai Ren a, Bi-qun Han c, Li-juan Lv d, Guo-jun Zhang a, Lu-jing Lei e, Xiao-rong Bai a, ∗ ∗ Pei-gen Xiao c, , Min-hui Li a,b,e, a Baotou Medical College, Baotou 014060, China b Guangxi Botanical Garden of Medicinal Plants, Nanning 530023, China c Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100193, China d Department of Basic Science, Tianjin Agricultural University, Tianjin 300384, China e Inner Mongolia Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hohhot 010020, China a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t Article history: Non -Camellia Tea, as an integral part of Chinese tea culture for several centuries, is important to prevent Received 2 January 2018 chronic metabolic diseases. However, it was not systematically studied until academician Pei-gen Xiao Revised 5 June 2018 defined it. Hereby, Non- Camellia Tea was reviewed systematically in definition, classification, traditional Accepted 19 December 2018 functions, chemical compositions, and pharmacology. Available online 5 April 2019 ©2019 Tianjin Press of Chinese Herbal Medicines. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. Keywords: Non- Camellia Tea chemical compositions pharmacology traditional function Contents 1. Introduction . 120 2. Traditional usage . 120 3. Chemical compositions . 120 3.1. Flavonoids . 120 3.2. Polyphenols . 120 3.3. Terpenoids . 120 3.4. Volatile oils . 120 3.5. Alkaloids . 120 3.6. Organic acids . 120 3.7. Other compounds. 123 4. Pharmacological activities . 123 4.1. Anti-oxidant effect . 123 4.2. Antibacterial effect. 124 4.3. Regulation of hypotention, hypolipidemia, and hypoglycemia . 126 4.3.1. Hypolipidemic effect . 126 4.3.2. Reduction of blood glucose . 127 4.4. Immunological enhancement and antitumor effect . 127 4.5. Liver protection . 127 4.6. Anti-inflammatory . 128 4.7. Other effects . 128 ∗ Corresponding authors. E-mail addresses: [email protected] (P.-g. Xiao), [email protected] (M.-h. Li). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chmed.2019.04.001 1674-6384/© 2019 Tianjin Press of Chinese Herbal Medicines. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. 120 K. Ren, B.-q. Han and L.-j. Lv et al. / Chinese Herbal Medicines 11 (2019) 119–131 5. Discussion . 128 6. Conclusion. 128 Conflict of interest . 128 Acknowledgments . 128 References . 128 1. Introduction 3. Chemical compositions Non- Camellia Tea ( Fig. 1 ), proposed by Pei-gen Xiao in 2011, is Non- Camellia Tea contains flavonoids, polyphenols, terpenoids, such Non- Camellia species as that have long been drunk to prevent volatile oils, phenylpropanoids, polysaccharides, etc., in which diseases especially chronic metabolic diseases in the folk world- flavonoids and polyphenols are dominant compounds. wide. Traditionally, there are three oral medications that people rely 3.1. Flavonoids on for survival and health care: food for taking daily energy, drugs for curing diseases, and masticators and drinks for pre- Flavonoids are dominant compounds in most kinds of Non- venting diseases. Among them, masticators and drinks started at Camellia Tea. For example, flavonoids are more than 10% in alcohol least 90 0 0 years ago, for example, the ancients chewed the poplar extract from Vine tea, Shiya tea, Duosuike tea, Shanlv tea, Laoying barks to prevent diseases in Scandinavia and Germany ( Aveling & tea and Big leaf kuding tea, while less than 3% in alcohol extract Heron, 1999 ), and the Chinese ancients chew or drink wild plant of Jinyinhua tea, Gouqiye tea, Sanyehaitang tea, Luobuma tea and leaves to prevent diseases ( Xiao et al., 2011 ). It is well known that Lianqiaoye tea. Luteolin, rutin, kaempferol, quercetin, and apigenin tea is one of the examples in masticators and drinks medication are the bioactive compounds in Kuding tea, Vine tea, and Laoying with botanical sources from Camellia species, while Non- Camellia tea ( Chen & Ou, 2005; Li, Xu, Pen, Shi, & Xiao, 2011 ). Baicalein is Tea is its counterpart. a responsible compound in Huangqin tea, so dose hyperoside in In recent years, with the increasing demand of herbal medicines Jinyinghua tea and Shanlv tea ( Wang, 2010 ) ( Fig. 2 ). in global market, Non- Camellia Tea has attracted increasing atten- tion. For example, Paraguay tea, the leaves of Ilex paraguariensis A. 3.2. Polyphenols St.-Hil. (Aquifoliaceae) that grows in South American, is popular in the world ( Hao et al., 2013 ); It has more than 400 years of drinking Polyphenols are accounting for 25% of dry weight of tea, in- history in Argentina and South American, being extensively inter- cluding catechin, L -epicatechin, gallocatechin, anthocyans, gallic ested in Europe and America recently, and has significant health acid, caffeic acid, and chlorogenic acid, responsible for anti-oxidant implications for human life in modern time. Juhua tea, the flow- bioactivities ( Fig. 3 ). ers of Chrysanthemum morifolium Ramat. (Compositae), growing in South China, has been used since the Ming Dynasty (1368 −1644 3.3. Terpenoids A.D.). With the improvement of people’s living standards, more functions have been found in Juhua tea ( Zhang, 2007 ). Terpenoids are the major components in Non- Camellia Tea in- cluding Qingqianliu tea, Guangxi sweet tea, Shiya tea, Duosuike tea 2. Traditional usage and Vine tea, e.g. triterpenoid saponins in Qingqianliu tea, rubuso- side in Guangxi sweet tea ( Kinghom, 1990 ). Typical terpenoid com- There are 23 important kinds of Non- Camellia Tea in China, pounds are rubusoside, Ilexgenin B, oleanolic acid, ursolic acid, and nine of which have over millennium history, including Big leaf friedelin (Fig. 4). kuding tea ( Ilex latifolia Thunb.), Lianqiaoye tea ( Forsythia suspensa (Thunb.) Vahl), Duosuike tea ( Lithocarpus litseifolius (Hance) Chun), 3.4. Volatile oils Gouqiye tea ( Lycium barbarum L.), Zisu tea ( Perilla frutescens (L.) Britton), Damai tea ( Hordeum vulgare L.), Huangqin tea ( Scutellaria Volatile oils are oily liquid with fragrance. β-elemene is the baicalensis Georgi), Qingqianliu tea ( Cyclocarya paliurus (Batalin) main component in Jiegu tea, accounting for 10% of dry tea Iljinsk.) and Vine tea ( Ampelopsis grossedentata ), four with 500– ( Wu, Zhang, Chen, Lou, & Lv, 2011 ). The content of perilla alde- 10 0 0 years history including Shiliang tea ( Chimonanthus salicifolius hyde in Zisu tea was 40–55% of dry tea ( Wang, Deng, & Peng, S. Y. Hu), Luobuma tea ( Apocynum venetum L.), Huanglianmu tea 20 0 0 ). Xuedi tea, Vine tea, Shanlv tea, Luobuma tea, and Huangqin ( Pistacia chinensis Bunge), and Jinyinhua tea ( Lonicera japonica ), tea also contain volatile ingredients. Volatile oils mainly contain and five less than 500 years, including Hubeihaitang tea ( Malus linalool, dibutyl phthalate, and 2-octadecyloxy-ethanol ( Fig. 5 ). hupehensis (Pamp.) Rehder), Juhua tea ( Dendranthema morifolium ), Laoying tea ( Litsea coreana Lévl.), Xuedi tea ( Thamnolia subuli- 3.5. Alkaloids formis (Ehrh.) W. Culb) and Jiegu tea ( Sarcandra glabra (Thunb.) Nakai). Many types of Non- Camellia Tea contain caffeine such as Shiya Non- Camellia Tea has five following therapeutic effects. The first tea, Duosuike tea, Qingqianliu tea and big leaf kuding tea. Calycan- is of clearing away evil heat, for example, Vine tea, Juhua tea, Kud- thine and berberine were isolated from Shiliang tea, and hordenine ing tea and Jinyinhua tea are mainly used for clearing away heat from Damai tea ( Yang et al., 2007 ). Gouqiye tea contains glycine and removing toxic material. The second is of digestant, for ex- betaine, choline, atropine, and scopolamine, in which glycine ample, Laoying tea and Damai tea can invigorate the stomach and betaine is about 5.1% of water extract ( Dang et al., 2011 ) ( Fig. 6 ). promote digestion. The third is of diaphoretics, such as Shiliang tea and Zisu tea. The record of Zisu tea has been used for relieving ex- 3.6. Organic acids terior syndrome by dispersion. The fourth is of antirheumatics, for example, Jiegu tea that can dispel evil wind and activate collater- Organic acids in Non- Camellia Tea are mainly composed of als. The fifth is of calming liver wind, such as Luobuma tea. Here chlorogenic acid and gallic acid. Chlorogenic acid is rich in Jiny- attached is for the traditional uses of Non- Camellia Tea ( Table 1 ). inhua tea and Lianqiaoye tea. It was also isolated from Luobuma K. Ren, B.-q. Han and L.-j. Lv et al. / Chinese Herbal Medicines 11 (2019) 119–131 121 Fig. 1. Four kinds of Non- Camellia tea in China. A: Jinyinhua tea (flowers of Lonicera japonica Thunb.) B: Juhua tea (flowers of Dendranthema morifolium (Ramat.) Tzvelev) C: Small leaf kuding tea (leaves of Ligustrum robustum (Roxb.) Blume) D: Vine tea (stems and leaves of Ampelopsis grossedentata (Hand.-Mazz.) W. T. Wang). Table 1 Traditional uses of Non- Camellia tea. Classifications Names Botanical sources Popular areas in China Traditional functions References Clearing away Guangxi sweet tea.