Pharmacological action and potential targets of chlorogenic acid.

Chlorogenic acid is a widely distributed natural compound with many important pharmacological effects, which are found in a variety of plants. It is also an important secondary metabolite in plants. As a natural plant extract from a wide range of sources, in vitro and in vivo studies have found that the main pharmacological effects of chlorogenic acid are antioxidant, antiinflammatory, antibacterial, antiviral, hypoglycemic, lipid lowering, anticardiovascular, antimutagenic, anticancer, immunomodulatory, etc. Therefore it may play an important role in promoting human health. For example, it can provide new ideas and new ways for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, and other chronic diseases, but the specific mechanism of action is unclear. Due to the difficulty of extraction and purification, poor stability, poor solubility, low absolute bioavailability of oral administration, the possibility of allergies caused by injection, and so on, there are difficulties in its medicinal research and development. The further study of chlorogenic acid will provide an important theoretical basis for its rational use.