Research Progress in Anti-alcoholic Effect of Puerariae Lobatae Radix / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ABSTRACT

With advanced brewing technology and contemporary table culture， alcohol drinking， which can be traced back to Dukang wine in the Xia dynasty， is very common in China. However， excessive alcohol intake can easily cause alcohol liver damage， ranging from abdominal pain and venous thrombosis to severe hypoglycemia and fat embolism， coma shock and even life-threatening cases. Puerariae Lobatae Radix has a cool property and sweet taste， with functions of antipyretic， promoting the secretion of saliva or body fluid， rash and hangover alleviation， and so on. It was first recorded in Shen Nong's Materia Medica and has been listed as a special anti-alcoholic medicine in traditional Chinese medicine since ancient times. For example， the ancient medical book Compendium of Materia Medica and other records claim that Puerariae Lobatae Radix has the effect of relieving alcohol and protecting the liver. At the same time， Puerariae Lobatae Radix has a long history in both medicine and food. It was listed in the List of Articles That Both Serve as Food and Medicine published by the National Health Commission. Therefore， there are many products containing pueraria for hangover and liver protection. Prior to this， many scholars have carried out relevant researches on the anti-alcoholism efficacy of Puerariae Lobatae Radix， but there is a lack of systematic summaries. The author has consulted relevant domestic and foreign literatures in recent years. The related products were summarized and it was found that the anti-alcoholic effect of pueraria root mainly came from puerarin， pueraria flavonoids and pueraria polysaccharide， puerarin polypeptide， pueraria daidzein and its derivatives， including the main mechanisms such as inhibiting alcohol absorption， accelerating metabolism， anti-oxidation， protection of liver and cardiomyocytes， and neuroprotection. Related products are abundant and well evaluated， but research on related genes needs to be deepened. This article reviews the main anti-alcoholic components， mechanism of action and related products of pueraria， and puts forward suggestions for future research directions， hoping to provide reference for further related research.