Polygonum capitatum, known as “Tou Hua Liao” (Chinese name), is a crucial source of Hmong medicinal plants that has benefited human health for a long time. This folk-medicinal plant is widely distributed in the south-west of China for the treatment of various urologic disorders including urinary tract infections, pyelonephritis, and urinary calculus. The purpose of this paper was to provide a systematic and comprehensive overview of the traditional usages, botany, phytochemistry, pharmacology, pharmacokinetics and clinical applications of this flora. Up until the end of 2022, at least 91 compounds had been reported from P. capitatum, mainly covering the classes of flavonoids, lignanoids, phenols and other components. The compounds and extracts isolated from P. capitatum exhibit a wide range of pharmacological activities, such as anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial, anticancer, analgesic, hypothermic, diuretic and other pharmacological effects. Qualitative and quantitative chemical analyses were also covered. Furthermore, the possible development trends and perspectives for future research on this medicinal plant were also discussed.

The roots of Euphorbia fischeriana have been used as a traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of tuberculosis and ringworm. In the current study, diterpenoids from the ethyl acetate extract of the roots E. fischeriana and their cytotoxic effects against five cancer lines were investigated. Two new ent-abietane diterpenoids, euphonoids H and I (1–2), as well as their two analogues (3–4) were first isolated from this source. The structures of the two new compounds were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic data and quantum chemical calculation. Their absolute configurations were assigned via ECD spectrum calculation. The isolated compounds were evaluated for their antiproliferative activities against five cancer cell lines. Compounds 1 and 2 exhibited significant inhibitory effects against human prostate cancers C4-2B and C4-2B/ENZR cell lines with IC₅₀ values ranging from 4.16 ± 0.42 to 5.74 ± 0.45 μM.

Despite abietane diterpenoids exhibit various biological activities, their anti-fibrotic activity has rarely been investigated. In the study, 19 diterpenoids (twelve abietanes and seven other types) were isolated from E. helioscopia , comprising five undescribed ent -abietane type diterpenoids ( 1a , 1b , and 2−4 ). Among them, (+)-euphonane A ( 1a ) and (−)-euphonane A ( 1b ) represent previously unreported ent -abietane enantiomers. The structures of unreported diterpenes were mainly assigned through comprehensive nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) data analysis, in combination with computational techniques involving NMR and electronic circular dichroism (ECD) calculations. In addition, single crystal diffraction analysis precisely defined the absolute stereochemistry of euphonane C ( 3 ). The effect of these 19 diterpenoids to inhibit fibronectin (FN) expression was evaluated in transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β1)-stimulated human hepatic stellate cell line (LX-2 cells), and three compounds ( 1a , 1b , and 3 ) showed significant inhibitory activity at micromolar level, being stronger than the positive control silymarin. A dose-dependent suppression of fibrotic marker expression, particularly that of FN, collagen I, and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), was observed upon the treatment with compounds 1a and 1b . Mechanistic investigations, including transcriptomics analysis and western blotting, revealed that the anti-fibrotic action of 1b in hepatic cells is probably mediated through the TGF-β/Smad signaling cascade. The above results both extend our knowledge regarding the bioactivities of diterpenes isolated from E. helioscopia , and position abietane-type diterpenoids as prospective molecular structures for the innovation of new therapeutics against liver fibrosis.