Chemical Components and Pharmacological Effect of Hominis Placenta： A Review

Abstract:

Hominis Placenta （HP）， also known as "Baoyi （placenta）''， is derived from the placenta of healthy parturient women and has a medicinal history in China spanning over a thousand years. HP is typically used in its processed or dried form according to traditional Chinese medicine （TCM）. TCM theory attributes HP with the abilities to warm the kidney and replenish essence， and benefit Qi and nourish blood. This article reviewed studies on HP from various databases and identified that over 79 compounds have been isolated and identified from HP， including various amino acids， proteins， lipids， multifunctional active factors， as well as common inorganic and organic compounds. Research has shown that aqueous extracts of HP possess numerous pharmacological activities， including immunomodulation， hormone-like effects， anti-tumor， anti-fibrosis， anti-inflammatory， anti-allergy， and anti-infection properties. Clinically， HP has been widely used in treating a range of diseases affecting multiple body systems， including the human locomotor system， nervous system， circulatory system， respiratory system， digestive system， urinary system， and reproductive system. As a Chinese medicine with a long history of use， HP has garnered increasing attention in modern medical research and holds promise for contributing significantly to human health. With the continuous advancement of science and technology， research into the pharmacological activities of HP is expected to become more in-depth， uncovering its potential medical value more effectively.