The Chemical and Pharmacological Research Progress on Fructus Malvae

Fructus Malvae, a traditional Chinese herbal medicine, has been found to have diuretic, anti-diabetes, antioxidant, anti-tumor properties, and it also alleviates hair loss. The active ingredients include novel compounds such as nortangeretin-8-O-β-d-glucuronopyranoside and 1-O-(6-deoxy-6-sulfo)-glucopyranosyl-2-O-linolenoyl-3-O-palmitoyl glyceride, which could be potential candidates for diabetes and tumor treatment drugs. The two main active compounds for treating hair loss are myristoleic acid and linolenic acid. The study also found that the HFDPC cell proliferation rate increased by 21.46% when the administration concentration of linolenic acid increased from 10 μg/mL to 30 μg/mL. Despite its potential, the application of Fructus Malva is still at the basic research level.