Boshi Duan, Chi Zhang, Xiao Hu, Xue Bai, Hu Peng, Han Zhao
R. parvifolius possesses a pharmacologically diverse chemical profile with broad preclinical activity consistent with several traditional indications. Current evidence is preclinical and should be regarded as hypothesis-generating. Future priorities include pharmacokinetic studies, standardised extract characterisation, regulatory-grade toxicology, and clinically relevant oral-route validation.
BACKGROUND: Rubus parvifolius L (Máoméi; Rosaceae) is a medicinal shrub widely used in southern Chinese folk medicine for haemorrhage, traumatic injury, inflammatory disorders, and certain cancers. Over the past 3 decades, increasing phytochemical and pharmacological investigation has expanded the preclinical literature for this species.
OBJECTIVE: This review critically summarises the ethnomedicinal background, phytochemistry, pharmacology, extraction methodology, quality control, and toxicological evidence relating to R. parvifolius, while identifying key translational limitations and future research priorities.
METHODS: Literature published between 1988 and May 2026 was retrieved from PubMed, Web of Science, CNKI, and SciFinder using "Rubus parvifolius" and its major Chinese synonyms (, , ) without language restriction.
RESULTS: More than 60 individual metabolites have been identified across seven structural classes, with ursane- and oleanane-type pentacyclic triterpenoids and their saponins as the predominant pharmacologically investigated class. Preclinical studies-primarily of TSRP (total saponins of R. parvifolius) - report anti-tumour, neuroprotective, hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antioxidant, anti-fatigue, and anti-osteoclastogenic activities in cell-based and rodent models. Seven studies published during 2024-2025 have added substantially to this evidence base, contributing a four-tier botanical identification framework, an integrated UPLC-MS/MS plus network pharmacology characterisation of root metabolites, and the first reports of imatinib-resistance reversal and of ferroptosis-associated hepatic activity. A recent quantitative characterisation of leaf-flavonoid composition in an atopic dermatitis model and a GC-MS chemotaxonomic comparison across three Rubus species further refine the species-specific evidence base. The evidence remains predominantly preclinical, with mechanistic findings consisting largely of pathway-associated expression changes rather than experimentally validated mechanisms.
CONCLUSION: R. parvifolius possesses a pharmacologically diverse chemical profile with broad preclinical activity consistent with several traditional indications. Current evidence is preclinical and should be regarded as hypothesis-generating. Future priorities include pharmacokinetic studies, standardised extract characterisation, regulatory-grade toxicology, and clinically relevant oral-route validation.