Pyracantha fortuneana (Maxim.) Li: A comprehensive review of its phytochemistry, pharmacological properties, and product development

Abstract

Pyracantha fortuneana (Maxim.) Li has been used as a herbal medicine in China in its long history. Since ancient times, the fruits of P. fortuneana has been considered a functional food to improve various diseases. Many bioactive substances, including proanthocyanidins, phenols, polysaccharides, and dietary fibers, have been isolated and identified from the P. fortuneana, which possess diverse biological properties both in vitro and in vivo. Although the researches on the P. fortuneana have achieved extensive progress, the systematic study of its biological activities is still relatively lacking. In addition, accumulating researches focus on the landscape value of the P. fortuneana and the development of its by-products. The by-products of P. fortuneana, which show good development potentials in the field of agricultural production and environmental protection, are important for improving the economic value of P. fortuneana and its significance. After extensive reviewing and analyzing the existing published articles, books, and patents, this study aims to a systematic and summarized research trends of P. fortuneana and its phytochemical compositions, nutritional values, pharmacological effects and health benefits of its extracts/monomers, which would be beneficial for the future development of this medicinal plant as functional food or drugs.

Diversity in Pyracantha fortuneana fruits maturity stages enables discrepancy in the phenolic compounds, antioxidant activity, and tyrosinase inhibitory activity

“…As the fruits mature, the TPC gradually decreases, suggesting oxidation of phenolic compounds. This is consistent with previous reports that found higher polyphenolic content in immature fruits (Wang et al, 2022;Wei et al, 2017). Other studies have reported a wide range of TPC in mature wild P. fortuneana fruits, ranging from 42.03 mg to 74.42 mg GAE/g (various drying methods), 9.67 ± 0.32 mg GAE/g (90% methanol extraction), 9.67 ± 0.32 mg GAE/g (70% methanol extraction), and 17.33 ± 0.35 mg GAE/g (50% acetone extraction) (Lawag et al, 2023;Wang et al, 2019), indicating variations in phenolic composition even within the same P. fortuneana species, possibly due to different extraction methods, drying methods, or climate conditions.…”

“…Therefore, the red fruits of P. fortuneana can be used to extract anthocyanins, and they can be a viable source of natural nutrients and anti‐visual fatigue food additives. In addition, the ripe fruits of P. fortuneana have abundant amino acid and polysaccharide components, which can be used as original materials or nutritional enhancers and processed into food products such as juice, jellies, beers, and chewable tablets (Li et al., 2022; Wang et al., 2022).…”

“…Pyracantha fortuneana ( P. fortuneana ) is an evergreen shrub of the Rosaceae family (Lawag et al., 2023), with various medicinal effects such as antioxidant, antiaging, immune protection, and skin whitening (Wang et al., 2022). The fruits of the P. fortuneana serve both as a medicinal and edible product (Sharifi‐Rad et al., 2020; Xu et al., 2016).…”

Pyracantha as a promising functional food: A comprehensive review on bioactive characteristics, pharmacological activity, and industrial applications

“…Both substances contain anti‐inflammatory activity. Second, arbutin, as an important active substance in Pyracantha japonicus, can relieve symptoms of urinary tract infections and reduce the need for antibiotics for the treatment of urinary tract infections (Wang et al., 2022). Pyracantha oil can significantly inhibit capillary permeability, inhibit exudation, reduce swelling, and increase phagocytosis.…”

“…This plant has also been processed as common products such as jelly, sauce, base wine, and jam (Chari et al., 2020). Pyracantha is used in folk medicines to treat symptoms such as accumulated food and diarrhea (Wang et al., 2022). To treat bodily pain, Pyracantha roots are boiled and harvested in the Limpopo Province of South Africa (Semenya et al., 2012).…”