水苏碱，又称脯氨酸甜菜碱，是传统中药益母草的主要成分，以其显着的药理作用而闻名。水苏碱广泛分布于益母草和枳壳等植物以及各种细菌中，在动物、植物和细菌界中发挥着关键的生理功能。本综述旨在总结水苏碱在治疗心脑血管疾病、神经保护、抗癌活性、子宫调节、抗炎反应、肥胖管理和呼吸系统疾病方面的不同作用和机制。值得注意的是，水苏碱通过多种途径表现出心脏保护作用，包括抗炎、抗氧化、抗凋亡和调节钙处理功能。此外，其抗癌特性可抑制多种癌细胞类型的增殖和迁移。水苏碱对子宫功能具有双向调节作用，有望治疗妇产科相关疾病。在植物中，水苏碱作为次生代谢产物，有助于渗透压调节、固氮、害虫抗性和应激反应。同样，在细菌中，它起着至关重要的渗透保护作用，有助于适应高渗透压环境。这篇综述还讨论了正在进行的水苏碱合成代谢研究。虽然生物合成途径仍未完全了解，但代谢途径已明确。深入了解水苏碱生物合成对于阐明其作用机制、推进植物次生代谢研究、加强药物质量控制、促进新药开发具有重要意义。版权所有 © 2024 何、李、刘、徐。

Stachydrine, also known as proline betaine, is a prominent constituent of traditional Chinese herb Leonurus japonicus, renowned for its significant pharmacological effects. Widely distributed in plants like Leonurus and Citrus aurantium, as well as various bacteria, stachydrine serves pivotal physiological functions across animal, plant, and bacterial kingdoms. This review aims to summarizes diverse roles and mechanisms of stachydrine in addressing cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, neuroprotection, anticancer activity, uterine regulation, anti-inflammatory response, obesity management, and respiratory ailments. Notably, stachydrine exhibits cardioprotective effects via multiple pathways encompassing anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-apoptotic, and modulation of calcium handling functions. Furthermore, its anti-cancer properties inhibit proliferation and migration of numerous cancer cell types. With a bi-directional regulatory effect on uterine function, stachydrine holds promise for obstetrics and gynecology-related disorders. In plants, stachydrine serves as a secondary metabolite, contributing to osmotic pressure regulation, nitrogen fixation, pest resistance, and stress response. Similarly, in bacteria, it plays a crucial osmoprotective role, facilitating adaptation to high osmotic pressure environments. This review also addresses ongoing research on the anabolic metabolism of stachydrine. While the biosynthetic pathway remains incompletely understood, the metabolic pathway is well-established. A deeper understanding of stachydrine biosynthesis holds significance for elucidating its mechanism of action, advancing the study of plant secondary metabolism, enhancing drug quality control, and fostering new drug development endeavors.Copyright © 2024 He, Li, Liu and Xu.