Cynomorium Research Articles

Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy for Discrimination of Cynomorium songaricum Inflorescence Samples from Different Origins

Cynomorium songaricum Rupr. has been used as a medicinal tonic in China for thousands of years. The Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy and second-derivative infrared (SD-IR) spectroscopy were used to study 200 samples of C. songaricum inflorescence collected at 20 sites in four different regions. A resemblance was found among the FT-IR spectra of samples from different origins and developed an IR fingerprint spectrum. The main absorption peaks in the range 1800-1200 cm-1 suggests that C. songaricum inflorescences may be rich in phenolic compounds, proteins and flavonoids. The SD-IR spectra of samples from different origins revealed an obvious intensity differences for peaks in the range 1800-1200 cm-1, especially for samples from Gansu province of China. An origin discrimination model based on principal component analysis is established. The prediction accuracy of the model is 87.25%. The results indicated that our origin discrimination model can differentiate production areas for C. songaricum.

Transcriptomics Reveals Host-Dependent Differences of Polysaccharides Biosynthesis in Cynomorium songaricum.

Cynomorium songaricum is a root holoparasitic herb that is mainly hosted in the roots of Nitraria roborowskii and Nitraria sibirica distributed in the arid desert and saline-alkaline regions. The stem of C. songaricum is widely used as a traditional Chinese medicine and applied in anti-viral, anti-obesity and anti-diabetes, which largely rely on the bioactive components including: polysaccharides, flavonoids and triterpenes. Although the differences in growth characteristics of C. songaricum between N. roborowskii and N. sibirica have been reported, the difference of the two hosts on growth and polysaccharides biosynthesis in C. songaricum as well as regulation mechanism are not limited. Here, the physiological characteristics and transcriptome of C. songaricum host in N. roborowskii (CR) and N. sibirica (CS) were conducted. The results showed that the fresh weight, soluble sugar content and antioxidant capacity on a per stem basis exhibited a 3.3-, 3.0- and 2.1-fold increase in CR compared to CS. A total of 16,921 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were observed in CR versus CS, with 2573 characterized genes, 1725 up-regulated and 848 down-regulated. Based on biological functions, 50 DEGs were associated with polysaccharides and starch metabolism as well as their transport. The expression levels of the selected 37 genes were validated by qRT-PCR and almost consistent with their Reads Per kb per Million values. These findings would provide useful references for improving the yield and quality of C. songaricum.

Fighting climate change: soil bacteria communities and topography play a role in plant colonization of desert areas.

Global warming has exacerbated desertification in arid regions. Exploring the environmental variables and microbial communities that drive the dynamics of geographic patterns of desert crops is important for large-scale standardization of crops that can control desertification. Here, predictions based on future climate data from CMIP6 show that a steady expand in the suitable production areas for three desert plants (Cistanche deserticola, Cynomorium songaricum and Cistanche salsa) under global warming, demonstrating their high adaptability to future climate change. We examined the biogeography of three desert plant soil bacteria communities and assessed the environmental factors affecting the community assembly process. The α-diversity significantly decreased along elevated latitudes, indicating that the soil bacterial communities of the three species have latitude diversity patterns. The neutral community model evaluated 66.6% of the explained variance of the bacterial community in the soil of desert plants and Modified Stochasticity Ratio <0.5, suggesting that deterministic processes dominate the assembly of bacterial communities in three desert plants. Moreover, topography (longitude, elevation) and precipitation as well as key OTUs (OTU4911: Streptomyces eurythermus and OTU4672: Streptomyces flaveus) drive the colonization of three desert plants. This research offers a promising solution for desert management in arid areas under global warming.

Kinetic analysis of nitrophenol reduction and colourimetric detection of hydrogen peroxide based on gold nanoparticles catalyst biosynthesised from Cynomorium songaricum

The pseudo-first-order reaction kinetics of metallic nanocatalyst for the model reaction of nitrophenols/NaBH4 were early reported on low reaction temperatures. Here, we investigated reduction of nitrophenols in a wide range of reaction temperature with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) catalyst that was fabricated via a low-cost and effective method using aqueous extract of Cynomorium songaricum (CS). The biosynthesised CS-AuNPs were well characterised by the analytic techniques such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscope (TEM), scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM). The TEM images showed multiple shapes and size in a range of 3–30 nm with an average size of 16 nm. The colloidal solutions were stored at the room temperature for 30 days with a stability of 63%. The kinetic study of the NiPs reduction showed that the reaction occurred via Langmuir–Hinshelwood mechanism with a half-order kinetic model for all tested reaction temperatures (30–70 °C). The thermodynamic parameters including activation energy, enthalpy, entropy and Gibbs free energy were calculated. The activation energies in the reduction of 2-nitrophenol and 3-nitrophenol were found to be as low as 4.88 kJ mol−1 and 8.66 kJ mol−1, respectively. Moreover, CS-AuNPs were used as a nanozyme for the detection of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) via peroxidase-like reaction with 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine (red-TMB) that found the lowest limit of detection (LOD) of 2.25 µM.

Glycoside constituents with various antioxidant effects from fresh Cynomorium songaricum

Cynomorium songaricum Rupr. (CSR), an edible and medicinal material, is widely cultivated in desert regions of Eastern and Western Asia, Europe, and North Africa. Ten glycoside constituents 1–10 including one new songaricumone A (1) were isolated from the fresh C. songaricum. Their structures were elucidated by comprehensive NMR data analysis. Further, various antioxidant effects of isolated compounds (1–3 and 5–10) were comprehensively and comparatively investigated. In conclusion, it is obvious that different glycosides vary significantly toward different sources of free radicals, which are attributed to different aglycones and substituted positions of sugar unit in structures.

Extract of Cynomorium songaricum ameliorates mitochondrial ultrastructure impairments and dysfunction in two different in vitro models of Alzheimer\u2019s disease

BackgroundAlzheimer’s disease (AD) is one of the most common neurodegenerative disorders, but there is still no effective way to stop or slow its progression. Our previous studies demonstrated that extract of Cynomorium songaricum (ECS), a Chinese herbal medicine, had neuroprotective effects in AD models in vivo. However, the pharmacological mechanism of ECS in AD is still unclear.MethodsTo study the mechanisms of action of the effects of ECS on AD, we used Aβ25–35- and H2O2-exposed HT22 cells to mimic specific stages of AD in vitro. The mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), intracellular ATP, intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), and expression levels of mitochondrial dynamics-related proteins in each group were examined. Furthermore, we explored the mechanisms by which ECS reduces the phosphorylation of Drp1 at Ser637 and the changes in the concentrations of intracellular calcium ions in the two models after FK506 intervention.ResultsThe results showed that ECS significantly enhanced the MMP (P < 0.05), increased intracellular ATP levels (P < 0.05) and decreased intracellular ROS levels in the Aβ- and H2O2-induced cell models (P < 0.05). Additionally, ECS regulated the expression levels of mitochondrial dynamics-related proteins by reducing the phosphorylation of Drp1 at Ser637 (P < 0.05) and decreasing the expression of Fis1 in the H2O2-induced models (P < 0.05). Further study indicated that ECS reduced the overload of intracellular calcium (P < 0.05).ConclusionOur study results suggest that ECS protects the mitochondrial ultrastructure, ameliorates mitochondrial dysfunction, and maintains mitochondrial dynamics in AD models.

Extraction, Characterization and Immunological Activity of Polysaccharides from Cynomorium songaricum Rupr.

Cynomorium songaricum Rupr. (CSP) have been used widely in TCM for many years, polysaccharides from CSP are main active component. In our previous research, we found that CSP play a role of immunomodulatory activity in vitro, but its mechanisms and in vivo immunomodulatory activity hadn’t been explored. In present study, we firstly extracted CSP and identified two new fractions CSP-a, CSP-b. To assess the immunomodulatory activity of CSP in vivo, cyclophosphamide (CTX)-induced immunosuppressed mice models were generated and then treated with CSP. The results demonstrated that CSP could improve thymus and spleen indices, phagocytic and clearance index, serum hemolysin, inflammatory cytokines productions in serum. To explore the mechanisms of CSP, CSP-a, CSP-b, RAW264.7 macrophages were used to evaluate the immunomodulatory activity in vitro, the results demonstrated that CSP, CSP-a, CSP-b can induce macrophage proliferation, enhance the phagocytic activity and increase cytokines expression. CSP, CSP-a, CSP-b possessed the immunomodulatory activity by inducing the phosphorylation of MAPKs. This study suggested that CSP may be useful for lessening chemotherapy-induced immunosuppression and proposed the basis for the clinical application of CSP.

Lipidomics characterization of the mechanism of Cynomorium songaricum polysaccharide on treating type 2 diabetes

Although Cynomorium songaricum Rupr. polysaccharide (CSP) has been examined for its effects on glucose regulation, its underlying mechanism is still unclear. To address this issue, a MS-based lipidomics strategy was developed to gain a system-level understanding of the mechanism of CSP on improving type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). UPLC-QTOF/MS and multivariate statistical tools were used to identify the alteration of serum metabolites associated with T2DM and responses to CSP treatment. As a result, 35 potential biomarkers were found and identified in serum, amongst which 26 metabolites were regulated to normal like levels after the administration of CSP. By analyzing the metabolic pathways, glycerophospholipid metabolism was suggested to be closely involved. These results indicated that the intake of CSP exhibited promising anti-diabetic activity, largely due to the regulation of phospholipid metabolism, including phosphatidylcholines, lysophosphatydylcholines, phosphtatidylethanolamines and sphingomyelins.

Species and geographic specificity between endophytic fungi and host supported by parasitic Cynomorium songaricum and its host Nitraria tangutorum distributed in desert.

This study was aimed to investigate whether host plant species and lifestyles, and environmental conditions in the desert affect endophytic fungi composition. Endophytic fungal communities from parasitic plant Cynomorium songaricum and its host Nitraria tangutorum were investigated from three sites including Tonggu Naoer, Xilin Gaole, and Guazhou in Tengger and Badain Jaran Deserts in China using the next-generation sequencing of a ribosomal RNA gene region. Similarity and difference in endophytic fungal composition from different geographic locations were evaluated through multivariate statistical analysis. It showed that plant genetics was a deciding factor affecting endophytic fungal composition even when C. songaricum and N. tangutorum grow together tightly. Not only that, the fungal composition was also greatly affected by the local environment and rainfall. However, the distribution and richness of fungal species indicated that the geographical distance exerted little influence on characterizing the fungal composition. Overall, the findings suggested that plant species, parasitic or non-parasitic lifestyles of the plant, and local environment strongly affected the number and diversity of the endophytic fungal species, which may provide valuable insights into the microbe ecology, symbiosis specificity, and the tripartite relationship among parasitic plant, host, and endophytic fungi, especially under desert environment.

A systematic study on the chemical diversity and efficacy of the inflorescence and succulent stem of Cynomorium songaricum.

Cynomorium songaricum is a medicinal, edible, and endangered plant species. Since inflorescences are not considered medicinal parts, their discard causes a waste of resources. To expand the medicinal uses of C. songaricum, we evaluated their chemistry and pharmacology by applying widely targeted metabolomics, network pharmacology, and molecular docking. Widely targeted metabolomics results indicated chemical diversity in C. songaricum with 599 compounds. Among them, 280 compounds were different between the succulent stem and inflorescence. With 218 upregulated compounds, inflorescence has more abundant compounds than the succulent stem, especially pigment compounds such as flavonols, flavones, and flavanones. Moreover, anthocyanin and proanthocyanidin were unique compounds in the inflorescence and succulent stem, respectively. Sixty-five compounds in inflorescence and 18 compounds in succulent stems were found to be associated with atherosclerosis in the network pharmacology analysis. Tests revealed that inflorescence had a stronger anti-atherosclerotic effect than succulent stems. Molecular docking analysis revealed that 30 compounds (29 pigment compounds) in inflorescence and 6 compounds (4 pigment compounds) in succulent stem showed strong binding affinities with three target proteins, namely ALB, MPO, and NOS2, especially amentoflavone, quercetin 7-O-rutinoside, and luteolin 7-O-glucoside (cynaroside). Results demonstrated that the inflorescence is rich in pigment compounds and has a potential anti-atherosclerosis effect. This study provides novel methods and ideas for the sustainable development of endangered medicinal plants.

NMR AND UPLC-QTOF/MS-BASED METABOLOMICS OF DIFFERENT DEVELOPMENTAL STAGES OF CYNOMORIUM SONGARICUM

Cynomorium songaricum Rupr., a holoparasitic plant that grows in the desert and has important dietetic and medical value. However, the medicinal efficacy of C. songaricum collected in different seasons varies greatly, and the difference in the transformation and accumulation of its major metabolites is still unclear. In this paper, UPLC-QTOF/MS and NMR were used to study the metabolomics of C. songaricum in different growth stages, so as to explore the metabolic differences and regularity of C. songaricum in different phenological periods during one cycle. The results showed that there were thirty and sixteen compounds with significant differences based on UPLC-QTOF/MS and NMR, respectively, which were distributed in flavonoids, organic acids, sugars and amino acids. Among them, the content of secondary metabolites such as catechins and procyanidins accumulated more in the Unearthing (U), and Maturing (M) stages, while other differential compounds accumulated more in the Tubercle (T), Sprouting (S) and Atrophy (A) stages. The differential metabolic pathways of C. songaricum in different stages involved in flavonoids, sugar, amino acid and other pathways. This provides scientific basis for understand of metabolites accumulation, quality evaluation and use as medicinal materials for C. songaricum.

Haustorial structure of the holoparasitic angiosperm Cynomorium coccineum L. invading host roots

Absract The perennial angiosperm holoparasite Cynomorium coccineum L. (Cynomoriaceae) was found infecting the roots of halophytes in a Mediterranean coastal salt marsh in Egypt. The parasite consists of a subterranean rhizome, which carries haustoria and sends aboveground annual inflorescences. Although the published research on the botany and taxonomy of C. coccineum dates back to approximately 150 years ago (Weddell, 1860; Engler, 1889; Baccarini and Cannarella, 1899), it lacked sufficient information on the anatomy of the haustorium parasitizing the host roots. Here, we described for the first time, the anatomy and ultrastructure of the haustoria of C. coccineum infecting host roots. The hosts recorded in this study were Limonium narbonense Mill. (Plumbaginaceae) and Atriplex portulacoides L. (Chenopodiaceae). The anatomy of haustoria was investigated by light microscopy, by histochemical techniques to stain lignin and callose and by scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The invasion of the host root by the haustoria of C. coccineum is largely accomplished via mechanical pressure. The presence of sieve tube elements in the haustorium at the interface between the phloem of the host roots and the parasite, was detected by light microscopy. The sieve element plastids of the host H. portulacoides are of the P-type, which is characteristic of Chenopodiaceae. The sieve elements in the haustorium are either differentiating or mature; the formers have thick undulating walls, disintegrated protoplast, and callose occluded sieve plate pores. The mature ones have fibrillar nacreous walls, clear lumen and fine sieve plate pores occluded with non-callose material. Sieve element plastids and P-protein bodies were not observed in the phloem of the haustorium. Plasmodesmatal connections are lacking at the contacts between the host and the parasite. The contacts between the tracheary elements of H. portulacoides and the parasite occur by the abutments of their walls, pits, or parenchyma cells.

Scent chemistry and pollinators in the holoparasitic plant Cynomorium songaricum (Cynomoriaceae).

Holoparasitic plants are interesting heterotrophic angiosperms. However, carrion- or faeces-mimicking is rarely described for such plants. There is no information on the pollination biology of Cynomoriaceae, despite the fact that these plants are rare and vulnerable. This is the first study to reveal pollination in a member of this family, Cynomorium songaricum, a root holoparasite with a distinctive and putrid floral odour. From 2016 to 2018, we studied the floral volatiles, floral visitors and pollinators, behavioural responses of visitors to floral volatiles, breeding system, flowering phenology and floral biology of two wild populations of C. songaricum in Alxa, Inner Mongolia, China. A total of 42 volatiles were identified in inflorescences of C. songaricum. Among these volatiles are compounds known as typical carrion scents, such as p-cresol, indole, dimethyl disulphide and 1-octen-3-ol. C. songaricum is pollinated by various Diptera, such as Musca domestica, M. stabulans (Muscidae), Delia setigera, D. platura (Anthomyiidae), Lucilia sericata, L. caesar (Calliphoridae), Wohlfahrtia indigens, Sarcophaga noverca, S. crassipalpis and Sarcophila meridionalis (Sarcophagidae). The inflorescence scent of C. songaricum attracted these pollinators. The plants significantly benefit from insect pollination, although wind can be a pollen vector in the absence of pollinators. C. songaricum is a cross-pollinated, self-incompatible plant. Our findings suggest that C. songaricum releases malodorous volatiles to attract Diptera to achieve pollination. This new example lays the foundation for further comparative studies in other members of this plant group and contributes to a better understanding of fly-pollinated, carrion mimicking plants.

Absence of Polyphenol Oxidase in Cynomorium coccineum, a Widespread Holoparasitic Plant.

Polyphenol oxidase (PPO, E.C. 1.14.18.1) is a nearly ubiquitous enzyme that is widely distributed among organisms. Despite its widespread distribution, the role of PPO in plants has not been thoroughly elucidated. In this study, we report for the absence of PPO in Cynomorium coccineum, a holoparasitic plant adapted to withstand unfavorable climatic conditions, growing in Mediterranean countries and amply used in traditional medicine. The lack of PPO has been demonstrated by the absence of enzymatic activity with various substrates, by the lack of immunohistochemical detection of the enzyme, and by the absence of the PPO gene and, consequently, its expression. The results obtained in our work allow us to exclude the presence of the PPO activity (both latent and mature forms of the enzyme), as well as of one or more genes coding for PPO in C. coccineum. Finally, we discuss the possible significance of PPO deficiency in parasitic plants adapted to abiotic stress.

Green synthesis of colloid metal oxide nanoparticles using Cynomorium coccineum: Application for printing cotton and evaluation of the antimicrobial activities

The printing of cellulosic materials using nanoparticles is seldom reported. In this investigation, cotton fabrics were successfully printed with 2%, 5%, 8% and 10% of colloid metal oxide nanoparticles through the reduction of copper, magnesium and nickel salts using biological Cynomorium Coccineum extract. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) of the colored cotton displayed the presence of peak characteristics of phenolic groups of the biological extract. Both scanning electron microscopy (SEM) features and the shifting of the main peaks in X-Ray diffraction (XRD) analysis showed that the nanoparticles were embedded on the cellulose surface. The color depth (K/S) indicated the wine-red color of the printed samples. It was affected by the type of the metal, colloid metal concentration, number of the cycles of printing, and mordant quantity. The printed samples exhibited very good wash and rubbing fastness results. The biological activity of all printed cotton fabrics showed their ability to reduce the viable total count of Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella typhi, and Candida albicans microbes in their microbial suspensions, with different efficiency depending on the type of both colloid metal and nature of the microbe. Cotton printed with nickel oxide nanoparticles showed high activity against Salmonella typhi.

Extraction, purification, characterization, and rheological properties of a glycoprotein from Cynomorium songaricum Rupr.

Cynomorium songaricum Rupr is widely known in China as a traditional herbal medicine. In this study, single-factor experiments and response surface methodology were used to optimize the extraction of Cynomorium songaricum Rupr glycoprotein (CSG). The results show that a maximum glycoprotein yield of 6.39±0.32% was achieved at a ratio of solid to liquid 32:1 for 4.2H at 52°C. Then, the IR, monosaccharide composition, amino acid composition, type of glycopeptide linkage, and average molecular weight of CSG-1 purified from CSG were characterized. The results indicate that CSG-1 presented the characteristic absorption peak of polysaccharide and protein, including four monosaccharides and 17 amino acids, had O-linked glycopeptide bonds, Mw , Wn , Mw /Mn , Mp , and the z-average were 5.343×106 , 3.203×106 , 1.668, 8.911×106 , and 6.948×106 , respectively. Besides, CSG-1 solution was described by the Herschel-Bulkley model and it behaved as a shear-thinning fluid. Also, under a frequency sweep the moduli G' and G″ both increased with increasing CSG-1 concentration and the CSG-1 dispersions had weak thermal stability over the temperature sweep. These results provide a scientific basis for the further study of Cynomorium songaricum Rupr.

Plants in the management of male infertility.

This review attempts to collate existing data and provide the perspectives for future studies on the effects of plants on the male gonads. For many of these medicinal plants such as Lepidium meyenii, Rupus coreanus, Tribulus terrestres, Panax ginseng, Petasites japonicas, Apium graveolens, Eurycoma longifólia, Pedalium murex, Corchorus depressus, Mucuna pruriens, Astragalus membranaceus, Nigella sativa, Crataegus monogyna, Fagara tessmannii, Phaleria macrocarpa, Anacyclus pyrethrum, Cynomorium songaricum and Morinda officinalis, the mechanism of actions of their active principles and crude extracts has been shown in both laboratory animals, in vitro, and human studies, and includes their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, spermatogenesis-inducing, aphrodisiac, smooth muscle relaxing and androgenic properties. Several active chemical leads including glucosinolates, anthocyanins, protodioscin, ginsenosides, sesquiterpenes, phyto-oestrogens, quassinoids, diosgenin, thymoquinone, proanthocyanidins and bajijiasu isolated from these plants are known to have target effects on the testis, but efforts have been limited in their application at the clinical level. There still appear to be many more extracts of medicinal plants that have not been characterised to determine the phytochemicals unique to them that have target effects on the gonads. Further, collaborative efforts at isolating pro-drug candidates from medicinal plants for studies at the molecular, cellular and clinical level towards elucidating their mechanisms of action on the testes are therefore warranted in the light of the current male fertility crisis.

Identification and characterization of chemical components in the bioactive fractions of Cynomorium coccineum that possess anticancer activity.

Cynomorium coccineum has long been used as the health and medicinal plant known to induce cancer cell death. However, the bioactive compounds of C. coccineum and the underlying mechanism of their regulator in cell autophagy and cell apoptosis remain unexplored. In our previous study, we found that the ethanol extract had antitumor activity through inducing cancer cell death. In this study, by detecting the anti-tumor effect of sequence extracts from Cynomorium coccineum, the active constituents were collected in solvent ethyl acetate. A strategy based on ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with hybrid quadrupole-orbitrap mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-Orbitrap/MS) was first utilized to analyze the chemical constituents of active fraction (ethyl acetate fraction, CS3). A total of 29 compounds including 8 triterpenoids, 6 flavonoids, 4 fatty acids, 8 phenolic acids, 1 anthraquinones, 1 nucleoside and 1 sterol were detected and identified or tentatively identified for the first time in Cynomorium coccineum. We found that CS3 induces cancer cell death accompanied with a great number of vacuoles in the cytoplasm. CS3-induced autophagosome formation was found and confirmed by electron microscopy and the high expression levels of microtubule-associated protein-1 light chain 3-II (LC3II), a marker protein of autophagy. We additionally demonstrated that CS3 activated and increased the pro-apoptotic mitochondrial proteins, BNIP3 and BNIP3L, in mRNA and protein levels. The constituents of CS3 down-regulated anti-apoptotic BCL2, and then releases autophagic protein Beclin-1. These finding for the first time systematically not only explore and identify the active constituents of CS3 in Cynomorium coccineum, but also examined the mechanism associated with CS3-induced cell death via cell autophagy. This active component may serve as a potential source to obtain new autophagy inducer and anti-cancer compounds for hepatocellular carcinoma.

Lectotypification of two Linnaean plant names

AbstractThe typification of two Linnaean names (Asphodelus luteus, Cynomorium coccineum), applicable to species described from Sicily, is discussed. A specimen from L (Herb. Van Royen) and an illustration by Micheli are designated as lectotypes. For Cynomorium coccineum, an interpretative epitype is also designated.

Astringent drugs for bleedings and diarrhoea: The history of Cynomorium coccineum (Maltese Mushroom).

The botanical identity of the ancient vernacular cynomorium does not correspond to the modern scientific genus while it is not clear how many species of hipocistis (Cytinus sp.) were differentiated by the ancient physicians and whether Cynomorium coccineum was subsumed. The early history of therapeutic uses related to the herbal drugs derived from these parasitic taxa is therefore not easily accessible. Cynomorium coccineum became an important pharmaceutical commodity after the Siege of Malta but its importance decreased in the 18th century and now is considered obsolete. We compare the morphological, ecological and therapeutic information of Cynomorium and other parasitizing plant taxa across the past 2000 years and contextualize their uses with the pharmacological properties of their principal metabolites focusing on the raise and fall of C. coccineum as a medicine. The therapeutic uses of C. coccineum, the Maltese mushroom, seem to become clearly traceable since the Canon of Medicine by Avicenna. Styptic and astringent drugs such as Cynomorium, Cytinus but also gall apples and many others have been selected for their protein-linking capacity leading to the formation of a protective layer on the mucous membranes, which can be used to reduce the secretion of water and electrolytes in case of diarrhoea, dysentery and external bleedings. Whether C. coccineum is effective as a systemically applied anti-haemorrhagic drug is questionable. It appears that the vernacular cynomorium of the ancients corresponds to an edible Orobanche sp. while it remains doubtful whether the vernacular hipocistis was next to Cytinus sp. also applied to C. coccineum as evidence of C. coccineum parasitizing Cistus sp. is scarce. The isolation of gallic acid used as a styptic and the increasing availability of chemical styptics in the 18th century together with the availability of effective alternative anti-diarrhoeic drugs with a more reliable supply very probably led to the decline of the importance of the Maltese mushroom in pharmacy during the 18th century. The effectiveness of gallic acid as a systemic anti-haemorrhagic remains uncertain.