Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been widely used in China for thousands of years to treat and prevent diseases. TCMhas\r\nbeen proven safe and effective, and it is being considered as one of the important types of complementary and alternative medicine\r\nand receives increasing attention worldwide.The dried root of Polygonum cuspidatum Sieb. et Zucc. (also known as ââ?¬Å?Hu Zhangââ?¬Â in\r\nChinese) is one of the medicinal herbs listed in the Pharmacopoeia of the Peopleââ?¬â?¢s Republic of China.Hu Zhang is widely distributed\r\nin the world. It can be found in Asia and North America and is used as folk medicine in countries such as Japan and Korea.\r\nIn China, Hu Zhang is usually used in combination with other TCM herbs. The therapeutic uses of those Hu Zhang-containing\r\nTCMprescriptions or formulations are for treating cough, hepatitis, jaundice, amenorrhea, leucorrhea, arthralgia, burns and snake\r\nbites. Recent pharmacological and clinical studies have indicated that Hu Zhang has antiviral, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory,\r\nneuroprotective, and cardioprotective functions. This review gives a summary of the reported therapeutic effects of the active\r\ncompounds and the different extracts of Hu Zhang.
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