Tibetan medicine Baxiaga: a systematic review of its historical herbalogical investigation, phytochemical constituents, and pharmacological activities

Background Baxiaga (བ་ཤ་ཀ) is a typical Tibetan medicinal species of multiple origin. These plants have been used in traditional Tibetan medicine for centuries and are currently used to treat various types of fever, such as Chiba fever, liver fever, reduce inflammation, relieve pain, and heal other diseases. Objective This review aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of the traditional uses of the baxiaga series of plants ( Justicia adhatoda L., Veronica ciliata Fisch., Veronica eriogyne H.J.P. WinkI., Corydalis impatiens (Pall.) Fisch. ex DC., and Corydalis crispa Prain) as well as their phytochemical and pharmacological studies; it also provides a scientific basis for the clinical application of Baxiaga and promotes the development of its pharmaceutical preparations. Materials and Methods This review performed an extensive database search to collect detailed information about baxiaga and the literature was systematically interpreted, analyzed, and documented. Results This review summarizes the traditional usage of five plants in Tibetan medicine baxiaga, which includes 195 chemical constituents such as alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenoids, and iridoid glycosides. This research elaborates on the pharmacological activities and mechanisms of these medicinal plants, along with discussions on multi-origin and quality control issues, while also proposing future research directions. Conclusion This study presents a comprehensive analysis of the five medicinal plants commonly used in baxiaga. Our analysis highlights the significant value of baxiaga as an ethnomedicinal resource and reveals that its pharmacological activity is mainly attributed to its alkaloid. These alkaloids demonstrate anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and hepatoprotective, activities. However, current studies on the medicinal effects, active ingredient content, quality control, and clinical applications of baxiaga have limitations.