Pharmacological profiles and therapeutic applications of pachymic acid (Review)
Chunyong Wei, Hezhen Wang, Xun Sun, Zhixun Bai, Jing Wang, Guohui Bai, Qizheng Yao, Yingshu Xu, Lei Zhang
Abstract
<em>Poria cocos</em> is a saprophytic fungus that grows in diverse species of <em>Pinus</em>. Its sclerotium, called fu‑ling or hoelen, has been used in various traditional Chinese medicines and health foods for thousands of years, and in several modern proprietary traditional Chinese medicinal products. It has extensive clinical indications, including sedative, diuretic, and tonic effects. Pachymic acid (PA) is the main lanostane‑type triterpenoid in <em>Poria cocos</em>. Evidence suggests that PA has various biological properties such as cytotoxic, anti‑inflammatory, antihyperglycemic, antiviral, antibacterial, sedative‑hypnotic, and anti‑ischemia/reperfusion activities. Although considerable advancements have been made, some fundamental and intricate issues remain unclear, such as the underlying mechanisms of PA. The present study aimed to summarize the biological properties and therapeutic potential of PA. The biosynthetic, pharmacokinetic, and metabolic pathways of PA, and its underlying mechanisms were also comprehensively summarized.