Abstract: Kudingcha (Ligustrum robustum (Roxb.) Blume) is widely used as a traditional medicinal and culinary plant of great economic value. It has a long history of use as an ethnic medicine and an alternative to tea in Guizhou, Yunnan and Sichuan provinces of China, and has attracted much attention in recent years. The chemical composition of kudingcha (Ligustrum robustum (Roxb.) Blume) is complex, from which phenylpropanoids, phenylethanoids, monoterpenes, iridoids, flavonoids and volatile oils have been isolated. It has a wide range of pharmacological effects, including lipid-lowering, antioxidant, antiviral, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, immune regulatory and anticancer activities. However, in recent years, there are few systematic reviews on Ligustrum robustum (Roxb.) Blume, even though it is only mentioned in the reviews on Ligustrum plants or kudingcha, which is not conducive to the standardized research, development and utilization of kudingcha (Ligustrum robustum (Roxb.) Blume). This paper comprehensively summarizes recent research on the composition, pharmacological activity and quality control of kudingcha (Ligustrum robustum (Roxb.) Blume) with focuses on the structural features and pharmacological mechanism of its characteristic components. This paper will provide a theoretical reference for the preparation, separation, structure identification and pharmacological research of the characteristic components of kudingcha (Ligustrum robustum (Roxb.) Blume).

Key words: kudingcha; Ligustrum robustum (Roxb.) Blume; structure characteristics; pharmacological activities; mechanism of action; quality control