Dendrobium as Food Medicine Homology: Ornamental, Edible, and Neuroprotective Values

Abstract Dendrobium, one of the largest genera in the Orchidaceae, represents a distinctive plant resource with ornamental, edible and medicinal value. Owing to its rich floral diversity and long history of dietary and medicinal use in East and Southeast Asia, Dendrobium has attracted sustained attention from horticulture, food science and pharmacological research. Ornamentally, this genus is characterized by diverse floral morphology, color variation, abundant germplasm resources, and well-established cultivation systems that support its widespread use. In terms of edible value, only certain species, especially Dendrobium officinale, have been formally incorporated into food use in China, with stems, flowers and leaves approved as food materials. These edible parts contain polysaccharides, flavonoids, alkaloids and phenolic compounds, providing a chemical basis for functional food development. Accumulating preclinical studies indicate that Dendrobium-derived constituents exert neuroprotective effects in experimental models of Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, aging, ischemic stroke and spinal cord injury. Reported mechanisms involve oxidative stress regulation, neuroinflammatory modulation, autophagy-lysosome pathways and gut-brain axis signaling. This review examines the ornamental, edible and neuroprotective value of Dendrobium from a food medicine homology, with emphasis on species-specific uses, edible-part composition, translational limits and future directions for rational development and application.