The plants of genus Clinopodium are perennial herbs of Labiatae, which are widely distributed in the world and have a promising medicinal value. Modern researches have shown flavonoids, triterpenoid saponins, terpene glycosides, terpenoids, volatile oils and phenylpropanoids are the main compounds in the plants, presenting various pharmacological effects such as hemostasis, anti-bacteria, anti-inflammation, immunoregulation, reducing blood glucose, antioxidation, and anti-tumor effects. The preparations made of those plants are mainly used for treatment of various bleeding diseases in clinical application. In this review, we systematically summarized the research progress on taxonomy, resource distribution, chemical compositions, pharmacological activities, and clinical application of the medicinal plants of genus Clinopodium. This review provides references and scientific basis for further research and development of genus Clinopodium.
Keywords: chemical constituents; clinical application; genus Clinopodium; pharmacological activities; research progress.