The research in chemistry and cardiovascular effects of Pueraria lobata

Pueraria lobata is a well-known traditional Chinese medicine, commonly known as Gegen or Kudzu root, and which has been used for thousands in China for its marked nutrition and medicinal properties. Because of its significantly cardiovascular system effects, it is widely used either alone or in combination with other herbal ingredients for patients with cardiovascular diseases in China for the past few years. This review based on 92 literary sources of Pueraria lobata, with many of them being originally published in non-English languages, discusses the current knowledge of chemistry, cardiovascular effects of this species. Hundreds of compounds including flavones, triterpenes, aromatic, starch, alkaloids, amino acid as well as trace elements have been found in the herbal. Various types of preparations, extracts and individual compounds derived from this species have been found to possess a broad spectrum of pharmacological effects on cardiovascular system such as bidirectional regulation on blood pressure and heart rate, regulating rhythm, increasing coronary flow, protecting against myocardial ischemia, inhibiting platelet adhesion and aggregation, as well as promoting angiogenesis.