Ethnopharmacology, chemical composition and functions of Cymbopogon citratus

Xiqin Du; Meng Zhang; Shuping Wang; Jingyang Li; Jingze Zhang; Dailin Liu

doi:10.1016/j.chmed.2023.07.002

Ethnopharmacology, chemical composition and functions of Cymbopogon citratus

Chin Herb Med. 2023 Nov 22;16(3):358-374. doi: 10.1016/j.chmed.2023.07.002. eCollection 2024 Jul.

Authors

Xiqin Du^{1

2}, Meng Zhang^{1

2}, Shuping Wang³, Jingyang Li⁴, Jingze Zhang^{1

2}, Dailin Liu^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin 301617, China.
² Tianjin Modern Innovation Chinese Medicine Technology Co., Ltd., Tianjin 300380, China.
³ Characteristic Medical Center of Chinese People's Armed Police Force, Tianjin 300300, China.
⁴ Department of Pharmacy, Logistics College of Chinese People's Armed Police Force, Tianjin 300309, China.

Abstract

Cymbopogon citratus in the gramineous family, also known as lemongrass (LG), is a perennial herb. LG, a drug and food homologous medicine, has a widely recorded medicinal value and food applications. To date, 158 LG compounds have been reported, including terpenoids, flavonoids, phenolic acids. Pharmacological and clinical studies have indicated that LG has antibacterial, neuroprotective, hypoglycemic, hypotensive, anti-inflammatory, and anti-tumor effects. This article reviews LG in ethnopharmacology, chemical composition, pharmacology, food, medicine, and daily chemical applications to provide a basis for the subsequent development of food and medicine.

Keywords: Cymbopogon citratus (DC.) Stapf; chemical composition; drug and food homologous medicine; ethnopharmacology; lemongrass; medicine and food applications.

Publication types

Review