Peucedanum: A Comprehensive Reference
1. Identity and Botanical Classification
Genus and family. Peucedanum L. (family Umbelliferae, synonymous with Apiaceae) consists of 120 species of herbaceous perennial plants which are distributed widely across the globe. The genus is a large group comprising more than 120 species that are widely distributed in Europe, Asia, Africa, and North America.
Principal medicinal species. Among the many species, several command substantial attention in research and traditional medicine:
- Peucedanum praeruptorum Dunn — the primary species in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), known as Qianhu or Bai Hua Qian Hu. One member of the genus, Peucedanum praeruptorum Dunn, is cultivated in montane habitats at an altitude between 250 and 2000 m. In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), the root tissues of P. praeruptorum (Qianhu) have been utilized for hundreds of years to address diverse respiratory ailments, including cough, asthma, and pulmonary hypertension.
- Peucedanum ostruthium (L.) W.D.J. Koch (syn. Imperatoria ostruthium L.) — commonly known as masterwort, a rhizomatous perennial species belonging to the Apiaceae family, native to the mountains of central Southern Europe, and widespread around the world, generally growing in river banks and wet grassy and anthropic areas.
- Peucedanum decursivum (Miq.) Maxim (syn. Angelica decursiva Franchet et Savatier) — also known as purple-flowered Qianhu (Zihua Qianhu in Chinese), with its dried roots termed Peucedani decursivi radix.
- Additional species with documented traditional or pharmacological use include P. japonicum, P. grande, P. alsaticum, P. cervaria, and P. galbanum.
Plant part used. For medicinal use, roots are collected from winter to spring. Abluted, fresh, thin slices are dried prior to medicinal use. The dried roots of P. praeruptorum (Peucedani Radix) are important traditional Chinese medicine called 'Qian Hu,' which have been used for treating anemopyretic cold and cough with accumulation of phlegm. For P. ostruthium, the rhizome is the main medicinal part; leaf preparations are also ethnobotanically documented.
Pharmacopoeial recognition. The roots of Peucedanum praeruptorum Dunn and Angelica decursiva Franchet et Savatier are designated Zenko, a crude drug defined by the Japanese Pharmacopoeia. This crude drug is used as an antitussive and an expectorant and is included in the Kampo formula Jinsoin, which improves cough, fever, and headache.
Adulteration and identification. More than 40 species of Apiaceae have been used as adulterants for Peucedani Radix. It is a controversial issue to use the roots of other species of the genus as Qianhu. Therefore, it is important to accurately identify and differentiate common adulterants derived from the Peucedanum genus to ensure the safety of clinical medication.
Phytochemical totality. Thus far, more than 300 molecules have been identified from Peucedanum. Like all plants belonging to the Apiaceae family, species of Peucedanum are rich in coumarins and essential oils. In addition, some phenolic acids, flavonoids, terpenoids, and other components have been identified in this genus.
2. Traditional and Historical Use
2.1 Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)
The List of Mingyi Bielu (《名医别录》), which dates to the Wei-Jin and South-North Dynasties (A.D. 220–450), was the first to record the roots of P. praeruptorum as TCM. Many ancient texts, such as the Rihuazi Bencao (五代, A.D. 908–923), the Compendium of Materia Medica (明代, A.D. 1578), and the Illustrated Classics of Materia Medica (宋代, A.D. 1061), also record that P. praeruptorum was widely used to treat colds, headaches, coughs, asthma, and chest congestion.
As a commonly employed traditional Chinese medicine, Peucedani Radix (Qian-hu in Chinese), which consists of the dried roots of Peucedanum praeruptorum Dunn, has a long history of application for the treatment of cough with thick sputum and dyspnea, nonproductive cough, and upper airway infections in traditional medicinal practice.
P. decursivum and its prescriptions have traditionally been used for treating phlegm-heat cough, wind-heat cough, gastrointestinal diseases, and pain relief. Dried roots of Peucedanum decursivum, a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), have historically been used for respiratory diseases such as cough, thick phlegm, headache, fever, and gynecological diseases, rheumatoid arthritis, and nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
Praeruptorin C (a pyranocoumarin) was traditionally used as an antibechic and antibronchitic drug. TCM preparations of P. praeruptorum are typically administered as decoctions of the dried root, though powder and extract formulations have also been used historically within classical formulae.
2.2 Japanese Kampo Medicine
Due to its anti-inflammatory effect, the crude drug Zenko is used as an antitussive and an expectorant and is included in Jinsoin, a Kampo formula used to improve symptoms such as cough, fever, and headache. Although Angelica decursiva and P. praeruptorum roots possess many coumarins, the former exclusively contains nodakenin, and the latter exclusively contains praeruptorin.
2.3 European Traditions — P. ostruthium (Masterwort)
The rhizome of P. ostruthium has a long tradition for liqueur production and as a popular medicine, to such an extent that during the 19th century the plant was known as 'Divinum remedium' (divine remedy). The rhizomes of Peucedanum ostruthium (L.) Koch (masterwort) are traditionally used in the alpine region as an ingredient of liqueurs and bitters, and as a herbal drug.
More specifically, it has been employed as a stimulant, stomachic, and diuretic for rheumatic, chronic inflammatory, and musculoskeletal diseases, as well as for skin problems, typhoid fever, paralytic conditions, and delirium tremens. The roots have been used in folk medicine for their stimulant, antispasmodic, analgesic, and carminative properties, and also as a flavoring agent, the roots being spicier than pepper.
The first reports of medicinal uses of Peucedanum ostruthium (L.) Koch (Apiaceae), naturally occurring in the mountainous regions of central and southern Europe, date to the Middle Ages. In Sweden, the masterwort was mainly used as an ethnoveterinary herbal remedy from the seventeenth to nineteenth centuries.
2.4 Persian / Unani Medicine
In the Canon of Medicine, one of the most famous traditional medicine books belonging to the Persian scientist Ibn-Sina (Avicenna), Peucedanum grande was considered a beneficial diuretic herb for destroying, expelling, and preventing kidney calculi.
2.5 Central European and African Traditional Use
In Central European local medicine, essential oil fruits of Peucedanum alsaticum and Peucedanum cervaria are used as an expectorant, diaphoretic, diuretic, stomachic, sedative, and antimicrobial agent. Peucedanum galbanum is traditionally used in Africa to treat various ailments, including vesical catarrh, kidney and bladder ailments, prostate problems, swelling of glands and retention of urine, and as an abortifacient.
The ethnopharmacological history of this genus indicates that some extracts of aerial and underground parts of several Peucedanum species have been used in folk medicine for treatment of various conditions, such as cough, cramps, pain, rheumatism, asthma, and angina.
3. Key Constituents and Active Compounds
3.1 P. praeruptorum — Pyranocoumarins (Praeruptorins)
P. praeruptorum was found to contain more than 119 distinct phytochemicals, including simple coumarins, pyranocoumarins, furanocoumarins, flavonoids, ketones, organic acids, and sterols, among others (e.g., praeruptorins A and B).
Praeruptorins belonging to the angular-type pyranocoumarins are bioactive constituents that have been isolated from some Peucedanum species such as P. praeruptorum. Phytochemical investigations revealed that angular-type pyranocoumarins (APs), mainly (±)-praeruptorin A (Pd-Ia), (+)-praeruptorin A, (±)-praeruptorin B, (+)-praeruptorin B (Pd-II), and (+)-praeruptorin E (Pd-III), were the main active components in Qian-hu.
Praeruptorins comprise a free sugar khellactone skeleton (dihydroseselin) with different substituents at the two stereogenic centers (C-3′ and C-4′). Based on their chemical structures, cis-khellactones are usually divided into two groups: (a) 3′R, 4′R or (b) 3′S, 4′S configuration. The 3′S, 4′S configuration exists generally in P. praeruptorum and P. japonicum.
Furanocoumarins possess neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer activities in animals, and serve as phytotoxins and allelochemicals in plants. Twenty-nine furanocoumarins have been isolated from P. praeruptorum. Other identified compounds include the polyacetylene falcarindiol, bergapten, imperatorin, and daucosterol, as reported in phytochemical studies.
3.2 P. ostruthium — Coumarins and Essential Oils
The rhizomes of Peucedanum ostruthium (L.) Koch (masterwort) are traditionally used in the alpine region as a herbal drug. A sensitive HPLC-DAD-MS method has been developed for the simultaneous identification and quantification of its main coumarins: oxypeucedanin hydrate, oxypeucedanin, ostruthol, imperatorin, osthole, isoimperatorin, and ostruthin.
The rhizomes contain between 0.18 and 0.78 percent essential oils, especially sabinene. The plant is a source of coumarins, including 1.3 percent oxypeucedanin, 0.3 percent ostruthol, imperatorin, 0.1 percent osthole, isoimperatorin, and 0.5 percent ostruthin.
The major components of the essential oil from the rhizome are sabinene and 4-terpineol, while β-caryophyllene and α-humulene are dominant in the leaf essential oil.
3.3 P. decursivum
P. decursivum contains 234 identified compounds, encompassing coumarins, terpenes, volatile oils, phenolic acids, fatty acids, and derivatives. Among the coumarins isolated from its roots are decursinol, trans-decursidinol, and several dihydroxanthyletin derivatives.
3.4 Established Mechanisms of Action
Calcium channel antagonism and vasodilation. Praeruptorins were found to be responsible for various pharmacological properties such as calcium antagonist activity, anti-inflammatory action, antiasthma, vasorelaxant and antiallergic effects, cardiac protective, hepatoprotective, antitumor, and antiplatelet aggregation activities. The bioactive components including angular-type pyranocoumarins, (+)-praeruptorin A, (±)-praeruptorin B, (+)-praeruptorin B, and (+)-praeruptorin E have various pharmacological activities, involving vasodilation, neuroprotection, cardioprotection, hepatoprotection, and anti-platelet aggregation effects.
Anti-inflammatory pathway (NF-κB inhibition). Three biologically active compounds were identified as praeruptorins A, B, and E, the contents of which were high. A comparison of their activities indicated that praeruptorin B exhibited the highest potency to inhibit NO production by decreasing inducible NO synthase expression and suppressing the expression of mRNAs encoding proinflammatory cytokines. Collectively, the three praeruptorins may primarily contribute to the anti-inflammatory effects of P. praeruptorum roots.
For P. ostruthium, four furanocoumarins (imperatorin, ostruthol, saxalin, and 2'-O-acetyloxypeucedanin), one coumarin (ostruthin), and one chromone (peucenin) were identified as NF-κB inhibiting constituents contributing to the observed NF-κB inhibitory activity.
Bone metabolism (anti-osteoclastogenic signaling). A natural compound, praeruptorin C (Pra-C), derived from the dried roots of Peucedanum praeruptorum, has beneficial effects in suppressing osteoclast formation and resorption function via attenuating the activation of nuclear factor kappa B as well as c-Jun N-terminal kinase/mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathways.
Acetylcholinesterase inhibition. Different plant extracts were screened by thin-layer chromatography (TLC) bioautography in an effort to discover new acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitors. The CH2Cl2 extract of Peucedanum ostruthium (L.) Koch roots exhibited significant inhibition of AChE activity. Active constituents were isolated by bioguided fractionation; four coumarins (ostruthin, imperatorin, ostruthol, and oxypeucedanin hydrate) and a chromone derivative (peucenin) were found to inhibit AChE activity in this bioassay.
Vascular smooth muscle effects. The coumarin ostruthin isolated from the rhizome dichloromethane extract has been identified as an inhibitor of vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation. In addition to vasodilation, Peucedanum praeruptorum Dunn has also been reported to decrease smooth muscle size and collagen content.
Neuroprotective mechanisms. Praeruptorin C treatment was found to regulate excitatory synaptic proteins in the anterior cingulate cortex, attenuate the release of proinflammatory cytokines, and inhibit the activation of microglia.
Multidrug resistance reversal. Angular-type pyranocoumarins are the major constituents of P. praeruptorum, and these compounds have various beneficial effects such as anti-inflammatory, antiasthma, chemopreventive, smooth muscle relaxant, neuroprotective, and anti-osteoclastogenic properties.
4. Scientific Evidence by Area of Use
4.1 Respiratory System: Antitussive and Expectorant Activity
Bai Hua Qian Hu (Qianhu; Peucedanum praeruptorum Dunn) is a classical medicinal plant traditionally prescribed for respiratory ailments, including cough, pulmonary hypertension, and asthma. Praeruptorins belonging to the angular-type pyranocoumarins are bioactive constituents that have been isolated from P. praeruptorum, which is used in TCM for treatment of cold, cough, and upper respiratory infections. Many reports have demonstrated that the beneficial pharmacological effects of P. praeruptorum root on cardiovascular, pulmonary, immune, and nervous system diseases were attributed to the presence of praeruptorins.
In one animal study, administration of (±)-praeruptorin A (30, 60, 120 mg/kg) to ovalbumin-sensitized BALB/c mice for 56 days increased the level of INF-γ and reduced the expression of IL-13/-4 in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF); decreased the level of immunoglobulin (Ig) E in serum; and suppressed airway inflammation, hyperresponsiveness, and remodeling.
P. decursivum demonstrates anti-asthmatic, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant effects, aligning with its traditional use. However, experimental validation of its efficacy against phlegm and viruses is still needed.
Evidence strength: Predominantly preclinical (in vitro and animal models). There are no published randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in human populations specifically testing Peucedanum preparations for cough or asthma outcomes. Clinical trials to establish dose response, efficacy, and safety of praeruptorins as pharmaceuticals remain unclear.
4.2 Cardiovascular System: Antihypertensive and Vasorelaxant Effects
Praeruptorin A (PA) has been recognized as the main active component of Qian Hu, and it has been shown to have anticancer, antihypertension, and anti-inflammatory properties. Vasorelaxant activity has been studied ex vivo using isolated aortic tissue preparations.
Peucedanum praeruptorum Dunn has been reported to decrease smooth muscle size and collagen content, and its vasorelaxant effect is mediated by Ca²⁺ regulation. Endothelial-dependent vasodilation can be decreased gradually by chronic hypertension, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. The chemical entities that mediate endothelium-dependent vasodilation may be divided into calcium antagonists, alpha-1-adrenergic antagonists, cAMP-elevating drugs, and cGMP-elevating agents.
Evidence strength: Research in this area remains confined to in vitro and animal experiments. More investigations in vitro, in vivo, and in clinical trials are required to determine safe doses and adverse effects for therapeutic uses. No human clinical trials are on record.
4.3 Musculoskeletal System: Anti-Osteoclastogenic and Bone-Protective Effects
Praeruptorin C (Pra-C), derived from the dried roots of Peucedanum praeruptorum, has beneficial effects in suppressing osteoclast formation and resorption function via attenuation of NF-κB and JNK/MAPK signaling pathways. Moreover, Pra-C was tested in the ovariectomized (OVX) mouse model of post-menopausal bone loss, and the results indicated Pra-C exerted beneficial effects on inhibiting excessive osteoclast activity and increasing bone mass of OVX mice.
Both crude plant extracts and purified metabolites of P. praeruptorum have been reported as treatments for hypertension, osteoporosis, Huntington's disease, and cancer.
Evidence strength: Preclinical only (in vitro cell lines and mouse models). Human studies have not been conducted.
4.4 Anti-Inflammatory Activity
Multiple research groups have investigated the anti-inflammatory potential of Peucedanum constituents. Modern pharmacological investigations have revealed that Peucedani Radix contains a diverse array of chemical constituents, including coumarins, organic acids, and volatile oils, which contribute to a spectrum of pharmacological activities, notably anti-inflammatory, antitumor, osteogenic, and neuroprotective effects.
For P. ostruthium, both extract and coumarin have shown antipyretic effects in rats, with coumarin being more potent than acetylsalicylic acid and indomethacin. Another study has shown an anti-inflammatory mechanism of a rhizome extract based on the inhibition of the NF-κB pathway.
Anti-inflammatory activity, assessed through protein denaturation and protease inhibition assays, was confirmed for both essential oil preparations of P. ostruthium, although it was more pronounced in the leaf essential oil. Although their potency was lower than that of the reference anti-inflammatory agents, these effects are pharmacologically relevant considering the complex multicomponent nature of essential oils.
Evidence strength: In vitro and animal model studies dominate. No human RCTs have been identified for inflammatory endpoint outcomes.
4.5 Antitumor and Multidrug Resistance Reversal
In the search for novel herbal-based anticancer agents, a new angular-type pyranocoumarin, (+)-cis-(3′S,4′S)-3′-angeloyl-4′-tigloylkhellactone, along with 12 pyranocoumarins, two furanocoumarins, and a polyacetylene, were isolated from the roots of Peucedanum praeruptorum using chromatographic separation methods. The multidrug-resistance (MDR) reversal and anti-inflammatory effects of all the isolated compounds were evaluated in human sarcoma MES-SA/Dx5 and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW 264.7 cells.
This review highlights the importance of some coumarins, such as praeruptorins A and B, for preventing or treating cancer, cardiovascular problems, and some inflammatory diseases.
Evidence strength: All available evidence is from in vitro cell line studies. No human cancer clinical trials involving Peucedanum or its isolated praeruptorins have been published.
4.6 Neuroprotective Effects
Extracts of P. praeruptorum are reported to exhibit diverse pharmacological activities, including osteogenic, anti-osteoclastogenic, antidepressant, neuroprotective, antitumor, and anti-inflammatory effects. In one study, praeruptorin C treatment was found to regulate excitatory synaptic proteins in the anterior cingulate cortex, attenuate the release of proinflammatory cytokines, and inhibit the activation of microglia.
Furanocoumarins possess neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer activities in animals.
Evidence strength: Preclinical only (animal and cell models). No human neurological trial data are available.
4.7 Antimicrobial Activity
Ostruthin has exhibited inhibitory activities against the rapidly growing Mycobacterium fortuitum, M. aurum, M. phlei, and M. smegmatis. Similarly, the coumarin compound oxypeucedanin hydrate from the rhizome ethyl acetate extract has exerted strong antibacterial activity on Bacillus cereus but not on Escherichia coli or Staphylococcus aureus.
Despite traditional reports on the use of P. ostruthium in the treatment of infectious diseases, neither the leaf essential oil nor the rhizome essential oil used in one study displayed antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, or Candida albicans at concentrations up to 2.5 mg/mL.
Evidence strength: Mixed in vitro results. Activity appears to be constituent-specific (isolated coumarins vs. essential oil fractions), and no clinical antimicrobial studies have been conducted.
4.8 Gastroprotective / Gastric Motility
Of nine herbal components of Amara extract, P. ostruthium was among those that inhibited M2 muscarinic receptor activity (IC50 20.8 μg/mL), and P. ostruthium alone was sufficient to reverse carbachol-induced ex vivo contraction of guinea pig fundic smooth muscles. Amara extract relaxes gastric smooth muscles by inhibiting the M2 muscarinic receptor, suggesting potential benefit for patients with impaired gastric accommodation.
Evidence strength: One ex vivo study using a multi-ingredient extract. The contribution of P. ostruthium specifically requires further isolated investigation; no human studies are available.
4.9 Nephroprotective Activity
In the Canon of Medicine, Peucedanum grande was considered a beneficial diuretic herb for destroying, expelling, and preventing kidney calculi. In more recent work, the nephroprotective action of P. grande fruits was confirmed against cadmium and mercuric chloride nephrotoxicity.
Evidence strength: Animal model studies only; no human data available.
5. Body Systems and Health Areas of Association
- Respiratory system: Antitussive, expectorant, mucolytic, anti-asthmatic (TCM, Kampo, and preclinical pharmacology)
- Cardiovascular system: Vasorelaxant, antihypertensive, anti-platelet aggregation (preclinical)
- Musculoskeletal system: Anti-osteoclastogenic, osteogenic, bone-protective (preclinical)
- Nervous system: Neuroprotective, antidepressant, acetylcholinesterase inhibition (preclinical)
- Immune and inflammatory system: Anti-inflammatory via NF-κB and iNOS inhibition (preclinical)
- Oncology (experimental): Antitumor activity against cell lines, MDR reversal (in vitro only)
- Renal / urinary system: Diuretic, nephroprotective (traditional and limited animal data)
- Gastrointestinal system: Stomachic, carminative, gastric motility modulation (traditional and ex vivo)
- Dermatology: Anti-inflammatory and wound healing for skin conditions (traditional use of P. ostruthium)
6. Dosage Forms and Reported Doses
No standardized dosage forms for Peucedanum preparations have been formally established by any major international pharmacopoeial body. The following reflect doses used specifically in reported experimental studies:
- In one mouse asthma model, (±)-praeruptorin A was administered orally at doses of 30, 60, and 120 mg/kg for 56 days.
- In a human liver microsome study on P. japonicum-derived peucedanol, the compound was incubated at concentrations of 0, 2.5, 5, 10, 25, 50, and 100 μM with eight human liver CYP isoforms for 30 minutes.
- In a mouse toxicity and behavioral study, extracts and praeruptorins were tested; none of the tested substances evoked behavioral effects or acute toxicity after oral administration in mice; delayed mortality was observed with AcOEt and praeruptorin A only after intraperitoneal administration of high doses (1 g/kg). In the Artemia salina test, praeruptorins A and B had LC50 values of 121.2 and 34.5 μg/mL, respectively.
- Traditional TCM preparations typically involve dried root decoctions, as specified within classical formula texts, but gram-level doses are not standardized in the Western regulatory sense for use as a dietary supplement.
7. Safety Considerations and Potential Interactions
7.1 Furanocoumarins and Phototoxicity
Furanocoumarins are primary photosensitizing agents that are activated by long-wavelength ultraviolet light (320 to 380 nm) and cause extensive effects because of cross-linking of DNA and tissue injury involving lipid-membrane alterations, secondary to fatty acid interactions with the activated furanocoumarins. The antimicrobial effect of psoralen and other furanocoumarins on filamentous fungi has also been reported. Species in the Peucedanum genus contain furanocoumarins, and this is a relevant safety consideration for topical use under sun exposure.
7.2 CYP450 Enzyme Inhibition and Drug–Drug Interactions
Peucedanol, derived from Peucedanum japonicum roots, significantly inhibited the activity of CYP1A2, CYP2D6, and CYP3A4 in a dose-dependent manner, with IC50 values of 6.03, 13.57, and 7.58 μM, respectively. Peucedanol served as a non-competitive inhibitor of CYP3A4 with a Ki value of 4.07 μM and a competitive inhibitor of CYP1A2 and CYP2D6 with Ki values of 3.39 and 6.77 μM, respectively. The inhibition of CYP3A4 was time-dependent.
In vitro inhibitory effects of peucedanol on the activity of CYP1A2, CYP2A6, and CYP3A4 were reported, and as these CYPs are involved in the metabolism of various drugs, these results implied potential drug–drug interactions between peucedanol and drugs metabolized by CYP1A2 and related isoforms.
In the context of asthma treatment, praeruptorin E can inhibit the expression of NF-κB p65, reduce the inhibitory effect on PXR, and promote the expression of CYP3A4, which promotes the metabolism of theophylline. Praeruptorin E can enhance the anti-asthma effect of aminophylline, while also reducing the toxic effect caused by theophylline by targeting the NF-κB/PXR/CYP3A4 pathway. This illustrates a specific, mechanistically-studied interaction relevant to patients receiving theophylline-based medications.
7.3 Acute Toxicity Data
None of the tested substances (extracts or praeruptorins A and B) evoked behavioral effects or acute toxicity after oral administration in mice; delayed mortality was observed with AcOEt extract and praeruptorin A only after intraperitoneal administration of high doses (1 g/kg).
7.4 Heavy Metal Contamination
Rigorous monitoring of heavy metal contamination, particularly cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb), is necessary for P. decursivum preparations. This applies as a general quality-control concern for all Peucedanum root materials.
7.5 Species Adulteration
More than 40 species of Apiaceae have been used as adulterants for Peucedani Radix. This creates safety uncertainty because the chemical profiles and pharmacological properties of adulterant species differ from those of authenticated P. praeruptorum.
7.6 Abortifacient Traditional Use
Peucedanum galbanum is traditionally used in Africa, in part as an abortifacient. This use is documented only in ethnobotanical records and has not been pharmacologically validated in human clinical studies; nonetheless, it represents a safety signal worthy of note.
7.7 Pharmacokinetics and Gaps in Human Safety Data
Investigating the pharmacokinetics and toxicity of P. decursivum in humans is crucial for safety assessment. Conversely to the well-defined chemical constituents and activities, the properties of absorption, pharmacokinetics, and metabolism have been rarely characterized. Future therapeutic investigations should focus on understanding the mechanisms of action in both animal models and human trials, and further studies are required to establish whether praeruptorins have a clearly defined clinical dose.
7.8 Overall Safety Assessment
For using Peucedanum species to prevent and treat various diseases, additional pharmacological studies to find the mechanism of action, safety, and efficacy before starting clinical trials are required. Further research is required to elucidate the relationships between these metabolites, their molecular mechanisms, their structure-function roles, and their antagonistic and synergistic effects.
8. Overall Evidence Summary
The present body of research confirms that some Peucedanum species have emerged as a good source of traditional medicine for treatment of inflammation, microbial infections, and cardiopulmonary diseases, and provides new insights for further investigations on isolated compounds, especially praeruptorins, to find novel therapeutics and aid drug discovery. However, as of current knowledge, the entirety of pharmacological evidence for Peucedanum preparations in humans rests on traditional use documentation, in vitro experiments, and animal studies. Research into the pharmacology and phytochemistry of P. praeruptorum partially supports both traditional uses and extraction methods. However, further research is required to elucidate the relationships between these metabolites, their molecular mechanisms, their structure-function roles, and their antagonistic and synergistic effects. No human randomized controlled trials for any specific clinical indication have been identified in the peer-reviewed literature.
References
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