Houttuynia cordata Thunb. (Saururaceae Martinov): botany, ethnobotany, phytochemistry and biological activity (review)

Introduction. The purpose of the review is to present new and summarized data on moprhology, ethnobotany, phytochemistry, and biological activity of the Houttuynia cordata Thunb. ( Saururaceae ) , which is used in Asian folk medicine as a medical plant. Text . Houttuynia cordata Thunb. Of the genus Saururaceae – a plant native to southeast Asia that grows in moist soil. In northeast India, it’s used extensively in cooking. Actively used in folk medicine. Conclusion. The phytochemical analysis of the plant showed that composition of the plant includes ethereal oils, terpenoids, steroids, phenylpropanoids, phenolcarboxylic acids, glycosides, lignans/neolignans, flavonoids, phenanthrene derivatives, alkaloids, and other compounds. There is a review of content and distribution of the biomarker compounds as well as of study of extracts and various isolated compounds of wide range of biological activities including powerful antiviral properties (such as flavonoids) acting against a range of viruses (such as HSV-1, H1N1, and DENV) and such coronaviridaes as SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2. Bioavailability of the plant raw materials, lack of toxicity, wide range of biological activities, and therapeutic potential require further target study of the Houttuynia cordata to determine the prospect of using of the herb as modern medicinal plant raw material.