Recent advances in chemistry, therapeutic properties and sources of polydatin

Joint review by Hacettepe University, Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacognosy and De Montfort University, Leicester School of Pharmacy.Polydatin (PLD), the 3-O-β-glucopyranoside of the well-known stilbenoid compound resveratrol, is a major compound of Fallopia japonica (Houtt.) R. Decr. (Japanese knotweed), which is widely used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat infection, inflammatory diseases and circulatory problems. It has shown a wide range of biological activities including anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, anti-cancer, neuroprotective, hepatoprotective, nephroprotective and immunostimulatory effects. Although resveratrol has similar beneficial effects, its low bioavailability has remained a problem. Glycosylation increases solubility of resveratrol in an aqueous environment, thus improving its bioavailability. This has led to a growing interest in PLD. Promising results obtained from bioactivity studies have boosted an intense research on this compound. The aim of this review is to give a comprehensive overview of the botanical sources, pharmacology, biosynthesis, biotechnological production, and bioactivities of PLD, and to discuss clinical studies on this compound