Comprehensive Review of <i>Fritillaria</i> : Medicinal History, Botanical Sources, Geographical Distribution, Extraction and Isolation Methods, and Anti-lung Cancer Activity

The Fritillaria genus has been widely employed in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for thousands of years as an expectorant and cough suppressant. The primary active components in Fritillaria are alkaloids, yet their low content, complex composition, and high extraction costs significantly limit their commercial application. Fritillaria spp. exhibits notable therapeutic effects on lung diseases, especially lung cancer. This review addresses the limitations of previous studies by clearly defining the research gaps and employing a comprehensive methodology. It summarizes the medicinal history of the Fritillaria genus, the extraction and isolation methods of active components, and toxicological findings, and elucidates the role of Fritillaria in lung cancer treatment. Literature was systematically retrieved from databases including CNKI, PubMed, Web of Science, and SciFinder, using the keywords “ Fritillaria ” and “lung cancer”. Findings indicate that the Fritillaria genus has a long medicinal history and is primarily distributed in western China. Existing extraction and isolation methods fail to efficiently and cost-effectively produce Fritillaria alkaloids. Toxicity studies have demonstrated that Fritillaria spp. are generally safe at recommended dosages, although dose-dependent genotoxicity at higher concentrations has been observed. Various bioactive compounds of Fritillaria spp. can modulate the occurrence and progression of lung cancer through apoptosis, cell cycle regulation, and inflammatory-signaling pathways. Fritillaria spp. have considerable potential for lung cancer treatment and drug development, but further improvements in extraction methodologies are necessary to facilitate clinical translation.