Pueraria is being used in food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical industries.
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Bioactivities of Pueraria are mainly due to isoflavones.
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Puerarin is a marker compound of the Pueraria genus.
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Puerarin received an investigational drug status for the treatment of alcohol abuse.
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Pueraria has beneficial effects in postmenopausal women & CHD patients.
Abstract
Pueraria species are listed in the Chinese Pharmacopeia and are being used for the treatment of various health ailments and in protecting health. Puerarin, a chemotaxonomic marker of Pueraria, received investigational drug status for the treatment of alcohol abuse and listed in DRUGBANK database. The purpose of this review is to provide insights on health benefits of Pueraria, its bioactive constituents and molecular mechanisms. The information is retrieved from various databases. The most investigated plant part is tuber and the major bioactive constituents are isoflavones. The Pueraria is reported to possess a lots of health benefits on brain, liver, heart, kidney, bone, stomach, muscle, skin, and reproductive system. Pueraria also shown beneficial effects in postmenopausal women. In this review, the scientific information on Pueraria reported until May 2020 were analysed and summarized logically to appreciate its health benefits and to identify research gaps.
