A review of Viticis Fructus: botany, historical records, phytochemistry, pharmacology, toxicity, quality control, pharmacokinetics and comprehensive applications

Background: Viticis Fructus (also known as Manjingzi) has been used in China for more than 2000 years. It is one of the most famous traditional Chinese medicines with the main effect of dispelling wind-heat. In Asian countries, it is used in the treatment of common cold with wind-heat syndrome, swollen gums, migraines, dizziness, etc. . The aim of the review: The paper emphasizes on the botany, historical records, phytochemistry, pharmacology, toxicity, quality control, pharmacokinetics and comprehensive applications of Viticis Fructus to furnish with a scientific theoretical reference for its exploration and applications. Materials and methods: Correlative data on Viticis Fructus were obtained from PubMed, ScienceDirect, Web of science, Embase, Scopus, Google Scholar, CNKI, WeiPu, Chinese ancient books and DuXiu academic search. The data collection ended in May 2024. Results: The results showed 324 compounds, including terpenoids, flavonoids, lignans and others, which were isolated and identified from Viticis Fructus. In addition to treating headaches and eye pain, Viticis Fructus also had anti-inflammatory, antiplatelet activation, analgesia, antitumor and antihypertensive effects. In addition, this review summarized the botany, toxicity, counterfeit identification, pharmacokinetics and patent information of Viticis Fructus in detail. The shortcomings and feasible suggestions are put forward, which provide a basis for further research and utilization of Viticis Fructus. Conclusion: Viticis Fructus has been used to remedy common cold with wind-heat syndrome, cephalalgia, ophthalmodynia, dizziness, etc. . The pharmacological activities of the main components have been clarified and backed up the traditional applications. However, the botany, processing, pharmacological mechanism, quality control and toxicological studies of Viticis Fructus need to be further improved.