ARTICLE
Volume 10,Issue 7
10 March 2026
From Traditional Use to Modern Pharmacology: Research Progress on the Multi-target Mechanisms of Potentilla discolor Bunge
Bin Liu ,
Chenyi Yang ,
Meiling Shao ,
Liangyong Huang ,
Yunchuan Jing ,
Jintao Chen ,
Fang Ye
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1
Department of Pharmacy, Taihe Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan 442000, Hubei, China,
2
School of Pharmacy, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan 442000, Hubei, China,
3
Zhushan County Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Shiyan 442200, Hubei, China,
JCNR 2026 , 10(2), 205–213;
https://doi.org/10.26689/jcnr.v10i2.13594
© 2026 by the Authors. Licensee Whioce Publishing, Singapore. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ )
Abstract
Potentilla discolor Bunge, a traditional Chinese medicinal herb, has been extensively utilized for treating diverse ailments including diabetes, bacterial infections, viral diseases, and inflammatory disorders. Modern phytochemical investigations have identified over 200 bioactive compounds, predominantly flavonoids, tannins, triterpenoids, and phenolic acids. Pharmacological studies demonstrate that P. discolor exerts multi-target therapeutic effects through antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antiviral, antidiabetic, and anticancer activities. Its mechanisms involve modulation of key signaling pathways including PI3K/Akt, MAPK, NF-κB, and Nrf2/HO-1, alongside regulation of glucose-lipid metabolism and gut microbiota. This review systematically summarizes the phytochemistry, traditional applications, and contemporary pharmacological advances of P. discolor, emphasizing its multi-target characteristics and molecular mechanisms. Furthermore, current research limitations and future perspectives are discussed to provide scientific evidence for its clinical development and therapeutic applications.
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