Research Advances on Chemical Constituents and Pharmacological Activities of Dendrobium

Dendrobium is a genus of Orchidaceae in larger. It is a kind of rare medicinal material and has a long history. In traditional Chinese medicine, Dendrobium variety of fresh or dried plant stems are used as medicinal, collectively Dendrobium. It is slightly cold as well as sweet in flavor, and then it is listed as one of top grade. Dendrobium has advantages such as antitumor activity, anti-aging,immunoregulation, antioxidation, nourishing yin and moistening lung to arrest cough etc. It is used to heat disease damaging liquid,dry mouth polydipsia and heat after illness as well as head dark unknown. This paper gave a brief account on the chemical constituents of several Dendrobium, and the present research situation of pharmacological activities were emphatically expounded, and its developing prospects was also proposed. It could provide the reference for further research and exploitation.