The plant contains
oleanolic acid and
ursolic acid. Ursolic acid has shown
in vitro protective effects on auditory cells. Ethanolic extracts of the fruit of
C. officinalis has been shown to prevent hepatic injuries associated with
acetaminophen-induced liver injury-induced
hepatotoxicity (in mice) by preventing or alleviating
oxidative stress. The chemical constituents isolated from the fruit (
Corni fructus) have protective effects on
beta cells
in vitro, and may control
postprandial hyperglycemia by
alpha-glucosidase inhibition. Cornel iridoid glycoside, a chemical extracted from
Cornus officinalis, promoted
neurogenesis and
angiogenesis and improved neurological function after
ischemia in rats. Morroniside, the most abundant iridoid glycoside extracted from
Cornus officinalis, substantially reduces osteophyte formation and subchondral sclerosis in mice models. Specifically, morroniside significantly promotes cartilage matrix synthesis by increasing collagen type II expression and suppressing chondrocyte pyroptosis. It inhibits matrix metalloproteinase-13 (MMP13), Caspase-1 and nod-like receptor protein-3 (NLRP3) expression in DMM mice and IL-1β-stimulated chondrocytes, and enhances chondrocyte proliferation and inhibits chondrocyte apoptosis. It also slows OA progression by inhibiting nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) signaling. A randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study found that a Chinese herbal formula that mainly consisted of
Cornus officinalis was not only effective at improving erectile function, but it was also safe for the treatment of erectile dysfunction. A chemical substance isolated from
Cornus officinalis also may enhance the motility of human sperm. Cell cultures of
C. officinalis contain
gallotannins in the forms of tri-, tetra- and . The main tannins are
1,2,3,6-tetragalloylglucose,
1,2,6-trigalloyl-glucose,
1,2,3,4,6-pentagalloyl-glucose and
6-digalloyl-1,2,3-trigalloyl-glucose. ==Nutrition==