Cistanches Herba: Chemical Constituents and Pharmacological Effects

Cistanches Herba, known as “Ginseng of the desert”, is authenticated from the dried succulent stems of Cistanche deserticola and Cistanche tubulosa. As a famous remedy in China for tonic the kidney, it is used to treat “kidney-deficiency syndrome”-induced diseases such as infertility, forgetfulness, hearing lost, chronic constipation, etc‥ As various biological activities, including anti-aging, antioxidant, estrogenic, anti-osteoporotic, and anti-inflammation effects, have been discovered, here we reviewed Cistanches Herba in biological characteristics, chemical constituents, and pharmacological activities.