Loquat leaf polysaccharides improve glomerular injury in rats with anti-Thy 1 nephritis via peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha pathway.
Lu T, Fan Z, Hou J, Qi X, Guo M, Ju J, Yang Y, Gu C.
Am J Transl Res. 2019 Jun 15;11(6):3531-3542.

Physicochemical characteristics and biological activities of polysaccharides from the leaves of different loquat (Eriobotrya japonica) cultivars.
Fu Y, Yuan Q, Lin S, Liu W, Du G, Zhao L, Zhang Q, Lin DR, Liu YT, Qin W, Li DQ, Wu DT.
Int J Biol Macromol. 2019 Aug 15;135:274-281. doi: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2019.05.157.

Evidence for Anti-Inflammatory Activity of Isoliquiritigenin, 18β Glycyrrhetinic Acid, Ursolic Acid, and the Traditional Chinese Medicine Plants Glycyrrhiza glabra and Eriobotrya japonica, at the Molecular Level.
Zhou JX, Wink M.
Medicines (Basel). 2019 May 10;6(2). pii: E55. doi: 10.3390/medicines6020055.

Antioxidant, Cytotoxic, and Antimicrobial Activities of Glycyrrhiza glabra L., Paeonia lactiflora Pall., and Eriobotrya japonica (Thunb.) Lindl. Extracts.
Zhou JX, Braun MS, Wetterauer P, Wetterauer B, Wink M.
Medicines (Basel). 2019 Mar 30;6(2). pii: E43. doi: 10.3390/medicines6020043.

Hepatoprotective Effect of Loquat Leaf Flavonoids in PM2.5-Induced Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease via Regulation of IRs-1/Akt and CYP2E1/JNK Pathways.
Jian T, Ding X, Wu Y, Ren B, Li W, Lv H, Chen J.
Int J Mol Sci. 2018 Oct 1;19(10). pii: E3005. doi: 10.3390/ijms19103005.

Protective Effects of Tormentic Acid, a Major Component of Suspension Cultures of Eriobotrya japonica Cells, on Acetaminophen-Induced Hepatotoxicity in Mice.
Jiang WP, Huang SS, Matsuda Y, Saito H, Uramaru N, Ho HY, Wu JB, Huang GJ.
Molecules. 2017 May 18;22(5). pii: E830. doi: 10.3390/molecules22050830.

The Potential of Triterpenoids from Loquat Leaves (Eriobotrya japonica) for Prevention and Treatment of Skin Disorder.
Tan H, Sonam T, Shimizu K.
Int J Mol Sci. 2017 May 11;18(5). pii: E1030. doi: 10.3390/ijms18051030.

Biological Activities of Extracts from Loquat (Eriobotrya japonica Lindl.): A Review.
Liu Y, Zhang W, Xu C, Li X.
Int J Mol Sci. 2016 Dec 6;17(12). pii: E1983.

Loquat (Eriobotrya japonica) comes from the Far East, subtropical Asia and has spread throughout the world in warm and temperate countries.

It belongs to the Rosaceae family.

The world's largest producer is currently China with a cultivation of about 170,000 hectares.

It is the fruit of the medlar tree, an evergreen usually diploid, has 3-5 seeds and ripens in June.

Its leaves have an ancient tradition of medicine against coughing and vomiting, in traditional Chinese medicine.

It contains a lot of Vitamin A with antioxidant function and Pectin that has protective function of the colon.

When the fruit ripens, the quantities of antioxidants increase.

The ethanolic extract of the leaves showed anti-inflammatory components such as triperpenoids such as ursolic acid and oleanoic acid (1).

Four leaf components, δ-oleanolic acid, ursolic acid, 3-O-(E)-p-coumaroyl tormentic acid, betulinic acid demonstrated cytotoxicity and apoptotic cell death of leukemic cells. In particular 3-O-(E)-p-coumaroyl tormentic acid could be a promising component for the development of an effective drug for the treatment of leukemia (2).

Loquat studies

References_____________________________________________

(1) Bioactive triterpenoids from the leaves of Eriobotrya japonica as the natural PDE4 inhibitors.  Tan BX, Yang L, Huang YY, Chen YY, Peng GT, Yu S, Wu YN, Luo HB, He XX.  Nat Prod Res. 2017 Mar 10:1-6. doi: 10.1080/14786419.2017.1300796.

(2) 3-O-(E)-p-coumaroyl tormentic acid from Eriobotrya japonica leaves induces caspase-dependent apoptotic cell death in human leukemia cell line.  Kikuchi T, Akazawa H, Tabata K, Manosroi A, Manosroi J, Suzuki T, Akihisa T.  Chem Pharm Bull (Tokyo). 2011;59(3):378-81.