# A review on the genus Kadsura: ethnobotany, pharmacology, and molecular pharmacognosy

## TL;DR

This review summarizes the traditional and scientific uses of the Kadsura genus, highlighting its medicinal properties and gaps in current research.

## Contribution

The paper provides a comprehensive review of Kadsura's ethnobotany, pharmacology, and molecular pharmacognosy, identifying research gaps.

## Key findings

- Kadsura species are traditionally used for circulation and pain relief, with modern validation of anti-rheumatic and liver-protective effects.
- Pharmacological mechanisms of Kadsura remain partially understood, with limited safety evaluations and molecular research.
- Species-specific therapeutic effects and systematic reviews of Kadsura are currently insufficient.

## Abstract

Kadsura Kaempf. ex Juss., belonging to the Schisandraceae family, is a key ethnomedicinal resource in traditional Asian medicine, valued for both dietary and therapeutic roles. Traditionally used to boost blood circulation, relieve pain, and dispel wind-cold-damp pathogens, its metabolites have been validated by modern pharmacology to exhibit potent anti-rheumatoid arthritis, hepatoprotective, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties, supporting clinical applications for rheumatic and hepatic conditions. Literature was retrieved from major databases (Google Scholar, Web of Science, PubMed, ScienceDirect, Baidu Scholar, CNKI, etc.), monographs, and dissertations using “Kadsura” as the core keyword. Species identities were verified via Plants of the World Online (http://www.plantsoftheworldonline.org), and data on ethnobotany, pharmacology, and molecular pharmacognosy were rigorously screened and synthesized. Our analysis reveals that while Kadsura species share core medicinal attributes, the scientific basis for their species-specific traditional therapeutic effects remains unclear. Furthermore, the mechanisms of some pharmacological activities are not fully elucidated, systematic safety evaluations are insufficient, and molecular pharmacognosy research is limited to preliminary transcriptomic and metabolomic screening and expression profiling. Meanwhile, systematic reviews on these aspects remain lacking. To address this gap, this review summarizes the ethnobotany, pharmacology, and molecular pharmacognosy of the genus to date, laying a theoretical foundation for further development and utilization (Kadsura ananosma Kerr, a synonym of Kadsura coccinea (Lem.) A.C.Sm.; Kadsura polysperma Y.C.Yang and Kadsura interior A.C.Sm., a synonym of Kadsura heteroclita (Roxb.) Craib).