Development, basic information, classifications, pharmacological activities, and underlying mechanisms of medicine food homology: A review

• Introduces the development and basic information of medicine food homology. • Classifies 102 medicine food homology substances by different criterions. • Summarizes the pharmacological activities and underlying mechanisms. • Proposes creative ideas for medicine food homology substances development. Medicine food homology is a special existence that combines the therapeutic effects of medicine and the nutritional value of food, making it possible for people to obtain health through daily diet. In this review, not only the concept, origin, and development of medicine food homology were introduced, but also the basic information of 102 medicine food homology substances authoritatively released by the Chinese Ministry of Health were summarized in detail and classified according to different methods. Moreover, the major pharmacological activities and underlying mechanisms of these 102 substances were concluded, and several creative ideas were proposed for the future development of new medicine food homology substances in the future. Collectively, this review provided a scientific basis and theoretical reference for the further exploration and utilization of new medicine food homology substances. Overall, the study of medicine food homology possesses a broad development prospect and great application value.