Sweroside in Focus: A Comprehensive Review of Its Sources, Pharmacokinetics, and Pharmacological Actions

Sweroside is a natural iridoid glycoside found abundantly in a diverse range of medicinal plants, many of which are valued for their traditional therapeutic uses. This review offers an in-depth overview of its distribution, pharmacokinetic profile, and pharmacological activities. So far, sweroside has been reported from 46 plant species within 19 genera, belonging to seven plant families—several of which are commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine, where sweroside functions as a key bioactive marker. Pharmacokinetic studies revealed that sweroside is rapidly metabolized in the liver, has a relatively short duration of action, and is primarily eliminated via the kidneys in its metabolite form. A wide range of in vitro and animal studies have shown that sweroside exhibits multiple therapeutic effects, including bone-protective, liver-protective, heart-protective, brain-protective, anti-inflammatory, anti-infective, and dermatological benefits. This review focuses on the latest research exploring its mechanisms of action across various disease-specific signaling pathways. The broad therapeutic range of sweroside further supports its potential as a drug candidate, although improving its pharmacokinetic properties and validating its safety through clinical studies will be critical for future development.