Pien Tze Huang (PZH) as a Multifunction Medicinal Agent in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM): a review on cellular, molecular and physiological mechanisms

RELEVANCE: Pien Tze Huang (PZH) is a well-known Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), characterized by a multitude of pharmacological effects, such as hepatoprotection and inhibition of inflammation and cell proliferative conditions. Many of these effects have been validated at the cellular, molecular and physiological levels but, to date, most of these findings have not been comprehensively disclosed. OBJECTIVES: This review aims to provide a critical summary of recent studies focusing on PZH and its multiple pharmacological effects. As a result, we further discuss some novel perspectives related to PZH’s mechanisms of action and a holistic view of its therapeutic activities. METHODS: A systematic review was performed focusing on PZH studies originated from original scientific resources. The scientific literature retrieved for this work was obtained from International repositories including NCBI/PubMed, Web of Science, Science Direct and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) databases. RESULTS: The major active componentes and their potential functions, including hepatoprotective and neuroprotective effects, as well as anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory activities, were summarized and categorized accordingly. As indicated, most of the pharmacological effects were validated in vitro and in vivo. The identification of complex bioactive components in PZH may provide the basis for further therapeutic initiatives. CONCLUSION: Here we have collectively discussed the recent evidences covering most, if not all, pharmacological effects driven by PZH. This review provides novel perspectives on understanding the modes of action and the holistic view of TCM. The rational development of future clinical trials will certainly provide evidence-based medical evidences that will also confirm the therapeutic advantages of PZH, based on the current information available.