The health protection potential of total flavonoids of Rhizoma Drynariae in an aging society

With the global population aging, degenerative musculoskeletal diseases (DMDs) such as osteoporosis (OP), osteoarthritis (OA), and sarcopenia (SP) have placed a substantial burden on society. Consequently, there is an urgent demand for developing corresponding prevention and treatment strategies for these diseases. Rhizoma Drynariae (RD) refers to the dried rhizome of Drynaria fortunei (Kunze) J.Sm. Endowed with abundant resources, it exerts therapeutic effects in healing trauma and alleviating pain, tonifying the kidney to strengthen bones, as well as dispelling pathogenic wind and eliminating macules. Consequently, it serves as a frequently employed traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in the field of TCM orthopedics and traumatology. Recent phytochemical studies have identified a variety of compounds in RD, including flavonoids, phenylpropanoids, triterpenoids, phenolic acids, and steroids, among others. Among these, flavonoids are the primary bioactive components and have attracted considerable research attention due to their extensive pharmacological activities. Relevant studies have shown that flavonoids have potential in the clinical application of DMDs. This review systematically integrates and critically analyzes the latest research progress of total flavonoids of Rhizoma Drynariae (TFRD), in the treatment of DMDs. It also provides a comprehensive overview of the current research status, aiming to identify promising future research directions for TFRD.