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Hylomecon japonica (Thunb.) Prantl et Kundig is a plant whose root and rhizome belong to the genus Hylomecon within the Papaveraceae family. It has a long medicinal history and has been traditionally used to treat various conditions, including wind–cold–dampness obstruction syndrome, rheumatic joint pain, traumatic injuries, excessive fatigue, weakness of the limbs, epigastric pain, and dysentery. Modern pharmacological research confirms that Hylomecon japonica exhibits effects such as anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial activities. To gain a comprehensive understanding of this plant, a thorough literature review was conducted using databases like Scifinder, Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, and CNKI. This review provides an overview of the traditional applications, geographical distribution, botanical description, chemical composition, and pharmacological effects of Hylomecon japonica. Researchers have isolated and identified a total of one hundred and thirty-five components from Hylomecon japonica, including alkaloids, saponins, phenolics, flavonoids, other compounds, and trace elements. Notably, alkaloids and saponins have shown significant anti-tumor and antibacterial effects. Additionally, extracts of Hylomecon japonica have demonstrated promising activity in anti-inflammatory, anti-obesity, and varicose vein treatment applications. Despite the existing foundational research, further studies are necessary to enhance our understanding of its mechanisms and pathways of action. This research will provide valuable references for active ingredient research and the development and utilization of Hylomecon japonica’s medicinal value. By continuing to explore this plant’s potential, we can pave the way for new therapeutic advancements and improve health outcomes for patients worldwide. Full article

Hylomecon japonica is considered a natural medicinal plant with anti-inflammatory, anticancer and antibacterial activity. The assessment of climate change impact on its habitat suitability is important for the wild cultivation and standardized planting of H. japonica. In this study, the maximum entropy model (Maxent) and geographic information system (ArcGIS) were applied to predict the current and future distribution of H. japonica species, and the contributions of variables were evaluated by using the jackknife test. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) value confirmed the accuracy of the model prediction based on 102 occurrence records. The predicted potential distributions of H. japonica were mainly concentrated in Jilin, Liaoning, Shaanxi, Chongqing, Henan, Heilongjiang and other provinces (adaptability index > 0.6). The jackknife experiment showed that the precipitation of driest month (40.5%), mean annual temperature (12.4%), the precipitation of wettest quarter (11.6%) and the subclass of soil (9.7%) were the most important factors affecting the potential distribution of H. japonica. In the future, only under the shared socioeconomic Pathway 245 (SSP 245) scenario model in 2061–2080, the suitable habitat area for H. japonica is expected to show a significant upward trend. The area under other scenarios may not increase or decrease significantly. Full article

Background: Hylomecon japonica, a plant of the Papaveraceae family which is well-known for the alkaloids they produce, is a perennial plant widely distributed in the northeast, central and east regions of China. Although a variety of chemical constituents, including alkaloids, flavonoids, and megastigmoids, have been isolated from H. japonica, the investigation of saponins in H. japonica has not been reported until now. Methods: Various separation techniques, including polyporous resin column chromatography, silica gel column chromatography and hemi-preparative HPLC were applied to the isolation of triterpenoid saponins, and chemical methods such as acid hydrolysis and spectroscopic methods including HRESIMS and NMR were applied to their structure elucidation, and the XTT reduction method was used to assay cytotoxicity. Results: Two new triterpenoid saponins, named hylomeconoside A (1) and B (2) which were identified as 3-O-β-d-galactopyranosyl-(1→2)-β-d-glucuronopyranosyl-gypsogenin-28-O-β-d-xylopyranosyl-(1→3)-β-d-xylopyranosyl-(1→4)-α-l-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→2)-β-d-quinovopyranoside (1) and 3-O-β-d-galactopyranosyl-(1→2)-β-d-glucuronopyranosyl-gypsogenin-28-O-β-d-xylopyranosyl-(1→3)-β-d-xylopyranosyl-(1→4)-α-l-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→2)-α-l-arabinopyranoside (2), and two known triterpenoid saponins identified as dubioside C (3) and lucyoside P (4) on the basis of spectroscopic and chemical evidence, were isolated from H. japonica. Compound 1 exhibited moderate cytotoxicity on MGC-803 and HL-60 cells, with IC₅₀ values of 43.8 and 32.4 μg·mL⁻¹, respectively. Conclusions: Compounds 1 and 2 are new saponins, and 1 is considered to be one of the antitumor principles in this plant. This is the first time that triterpenoid saponins have been isolated from plants of the Papaveraceae family. Full article