Poria cocos occupies a foundational position in Asian medicinal systems, with documented use spanning over 2,500 years. Modern applications have expanded its utility across diverse sectors, including functional foods, cosmeceuticals, and veterinary medicine. This review aims to systematically consolidate historical insights, production, phytochemical profiles, pharmacological mechanisms, and modern applications of Poria cocos, while addressing challenges in quality standardization and sustainable development. For the collection of pertinent information, extensive searches were conducted across diverse literature and electronic databases. Primary keywords such as "Poria cocos" and "Poria" were utilized, supplemented by secondary search terms including "source", "cultivation", "processing", "chemical composition", "pharmacological effects", "practical applications", "quality standard" and "toxicity and safety". Through integration, systematically summarize and analyze the extracted data to evaluate the research progress of Poria cocos. This review summarizes the main findings on the history, production, phytochemistry, pharmacology, practical applications, quality standards, and safety of Poria cocos. The medicinal use of Poria cocos has spanned over 2,500 years, and its cultivation techniques are constantly evolving. Modern cultivation practices, including pine segment wood and substitute cultivation, highlight trade-offs between yield, cost, and ecological impact. Phytochemical analysis determined that polysaccharides and triterpenes are the main bioactive components, and 120 triterpenoid compounds have been reported. Pharmacological studies have confirmed that Poria cocos has diuretic, liver protective, anti-inflammatory, antitumor, antioxidant, and antidiabetic effects. Practical applications extend beyond medicine to functional foods, cosmeceuticals, and veterinary products. However, there are still challenges in the dynamic balance between resource development and environmental protection, clarification of active ingredients, deepening of pharmacological mechanisms, development of products in practical application fields, and quality standardization, especially in the qualitative and quantitative analysis of active ingredients (polysaccharides and triterpenoids) in Poria cocos, the risk of sulfur fumigation, and heavy metal pollution. Collectively, these findings underscore Poria cocos as a multifaceted resource. Poria cocos remains a promising candidate for global health and wellness initiatives. Combining traditional knowledge with innovative research to ensure the green cultivation of Poria cocos, with clear ingredients, reliable therapeutic effects, controllable quality, safety and effectiveness, is an important direction for future research.

As one of the main pathogenic factors of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, the incidence of metabolic diseases such as adiposity and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is increasing annually. It is urgent and crucial to find more therapeutic targets to treat these diseases. Mainly expressed in brown adipocytes, mitochondrial uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) is key to the thermogenesis of classical brown adipose tissue (BAT). Furthermore, white adipose tissue (WAT) is likely to express more UCP1 and subsequently acquire the ability to undergo thermogenesis under certain stimuli. Therefore, targeting and activating UCP1 to promote increased BAT thermogenesis and browning of WAT are helpful in treating metabolic diseases, such as adiposity and MASLD. In this case, the stimuli that activate UCP1 are emerging. Therefore, we summarize the thermogenic stimuli that have activated UCP1 in recent decades, among which cold exposure is one of the stimuli first discovered to activate BAT thermogenesis. As a convenient and efficient therapy with few side effects and good metabolic benefits, physical exercise can also activate the expression of UCP1 in adipose tissue. Notably, for the first time, we have summarized and demonstrated the stimuli of traditional Chinese medicines that can activate UCP1, such as acupuncture, Chinese herbal formulas, and Chinese medicinal herbs. Moreover, pharmacological agents, functional foods, food ingredients, and the gut microbiota are also commonly associated with regulating and activating UCP1. The identification and analysis of UCP1 stimuli can greatly facilitate our understanding of adipose tissue thermogenesis, including the browning of WAT. Thus, it is more conducive to further research and therapy for glucose and lipid metabolism disorders.

Background/Objective: Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is a highly prevalent chronic liver disease with no specific therapeutics. Wuling Powder (WLP) is a classic traditional Chinese medicine prescription with therapeutic potential against MASLD, yet its molecular mechanism remains unclear. This study aims to elucidate the mechanism and possible effective substances of WLP in the treatment of MASLD. Methods: A rat MASLD model was established via high-fat diet feeding to evaluate WLP’s efficacy. Untargeted metabolomics and 16S rRNA sequencing were used to explore the effects of WLP on metabolism and gut microbiota in vivo. Serum pharmacochemistry combined with metabolomics was used to analyze the key active components and core targets of WLP against MASLD, and molecular docking and cell experiments were used to verify the relationship between them. Results: WLP reduced hepatic lipid accumulation and pathological damage, improved lipid levels in blood liver, enhanced antioxidant capacity, and alleviated inflammation in MASLD rats. Mechanistically, WLP regulated 19 metabolic pathways. It also decreased the Firmicutes/Bacteroidota ratio and reduced the abundance of potential pathogenic bacteria (Romboutsia and Turicibacter). Thirty-one WLP-derived components were identified in serum, 13 of which were key active components for treating MASLD. These components, especially 11-deoxyalisol A and 8β-methoxyatractylenolide I, alleviated hepatic steatosis by downregulating NOS2 and PLA2G2A expression. Conclusions: The alleviation of MASLD by WLP was mediated by the regulation of 8 metabolic pathways, alterations in the abundance of Romboutsia and Turicibacter, and the restoration of 20 metabolite levels, an effect primarily ascribed to 13 distinct pharmacodynamic components derived from WLP.