Traditional Uses, Chemistry, Pharmacology, Toxicology and Quality Control of Alhagi sparsifolia Shap.: A Review

Alhagi sparsifolia Shap. (Kokyantak) is a ethnic medicine used in the Uyghur traditional medicine system for the treatment of colds, rheumatic pains, diarrhea, stomach pains, headaches, and toothaches, in addition to being an important local source of nectar and high-quality forage grass, and playing a crucial role in improving the ecological environment. Currently, approximately 178 chemical constituents have been identified from A. sparsifolia, including flavonoids, alkaloids, phenolic acids, and 19 polysaccharides. Pharmacological studies have already confirmed that A. sparsifolia has antioxidant, anti-tumor, anti-neuroinflammatory effects, hepatoprotective effects, renoprotective effects and immune regulation. Toxicological tests and quality control studies reveal the safety and nontoxicity of A. sparsifolia. Therefore, this paper systematically summarizes the traditional uses, botany, phytochemistry, pharmacology, quality control and toxicology of A. sparsifolia, in order to provide a beneficial reference of its further research.