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A Phytochemical and Pharmacological Review on
Cynomorium songaricum as Functional and Medicinal Food
Jin-Long Cui
a*
, Yi Gong
a,b*
, Xiao-Zan Xue
a,b
, Yan-Yan Zhang
a,b
, Meng-Liang Wang
a
and
Jun-Hong Wang
a
a
Institute of Applied Chemistry, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, China
b
Institute of Biotechnology, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, China
*These authors contributed equally to this work.
CJL717@sxu.edu.cn
Received: November 28
th
, 2017; Accepted: February 19
th
, 2018
Cynomorium songaricum Rupr. (CSR) has a long history of being widely used as a functional food and medicine by different ethnic groups worldwide; CSR is
used to treat impotence and premature ejaculation and traditionally used as natural source of tonic food. Numerous bioactive compounds linked with human
health were recently identified. In this work, all available information on CSR were retrieved from NCBI PubMed and CNKI database, and the recent findings
about the compositions and functions of CSR were summarized. At least 76 bioactive compounds, including flavonoids, terpenoids, steroids, organic acids,
saccharides, glycosides, and phloroglucinol adducts, were isolated and identified in CSR. These compounds render CSR with pharmacological functions, such
as anti-aging, anti-oxidation, anti-fatigue, and anti-HIV activities, and the effects of CSR on immune system, nervous system, reproductive system, and other
bioactivities were well reviewed; results serve as valuable data for further research and for development of human health-related products. However, studies on
CSR were far from perfect, and further research is warranted. This paper highlights the components and pharmacological functions of CSR, with the aim to
provide a comprehensive review and useful data for future studies and for the development of relevant food products.
Keywords: Anti-oxidative, Pharmacology, Cynomorium songaricum, Medicinal food, Plant chemistry, Systematic review.
Cynomorium songaricum Rupr. (CSR), the taxonomy of the plant is
angiosperms, dicotyledon, myrtales, Cynomoreae, Cynomorium,
well known as Suo Yang in Chinese, is a fleshy parasitic medicinal
plant that originated from the entire peripheral regions of Tengger
Dessert and Badain Jaran Desert in China and a commonly used
Chinese medicinal and nutritional food. CSR thrives in dry sandy
regions and usually parasitizes on the root of Nitraria tangutorum
Bobr. and Nitraria sibirica Pall (Figure 1) [1]. This plant has a flat,
cylindrical and brown surface, slightly curved, and 5-15 cm long
and 1.5-5 cm in diameter. Its surface is rough and bears obvious
longitudinal furrow and irregular sag with dark brown residual
triangular scales. When dried, CSR becomes heavy, hard, difficult
to break, light brown or tan in color, and has a yellow triangular
vascular bundle. CSR has a slightly sweet and acerbity taste (Figure
1) [2]. Studies confirmed that medicinal food greatly contributed in
prevention and treatment of various diseases [3]. Traditionally
used as a medicinal food, tea, and herb, CSR demonstrates
important pharmacological value for treatment of various ailments,
such as impotence, premature ejaculation, low sexual function,
spermatorrhea colic, and stomach ulcers, and thus have been widely
applied in folk medicine in North Africa, Europe, and Eastern and
Western Asian countries for centuries [4].
Given the importance of CSR as a functional food and medicine in
Mongolian medicine and in traditional Chinese medicine, as well as
its nutritional value, research on the chemical composition and
function of CSR has increasingly attracted attention in the past 10
years. With the progress in separation and identification technology,
the chemical compositions of CSR were gradually revealed, and
their physiological and pharmacological functions were identified
[5].
CSR consists of many biologically active ingredients, namely,
flavonoids, terpenoids, steroids, organic acids, saccharides,
glycosides, volatile constituents, and tannins, which render CSR its
extremely high free radical scavenging activities, its ability to
enhance immune function, adrenocortical secretion, and sex and
bowel function, and its capability to improve the success possibility
Figure 1: Morphology of Cynomorium songaricum Rupr. (CSR) and its living environment in a desert. CSR (1), which consists of a dark red head, grow out of earth near other
plants (2), such as Nitraria tangutorum and Peganum harmala in late April or early May (a). The rhizome of CSR always parasitizes on root (3) of a host plant (b) growing at the
fringes of the Tengger and Badain Jaran desert in China.
NPC Natural Product Communications
2018
Vol. 13
No. 4
501 - 510
