Orobanche is the largest genus in Orobanchaceae

and its many plants have been used as medicinal plants

with the effects of kidney-tonifying and strengthening human health. The secondary metabolites of this genus plants are abundant

including phenylethanoid glycosides (PhGs)

lignans and terpenoids. Among them

PhGs are the main active substance

which is widely distributed in Orobanche. It is a kind of natural water-soluble glycoside containing ester bond and oxygen glycosidic bond which are formed after phenethyl alcohol directly links with glucose aglycone. 24 PhGs have been isolated from Orobanche plants

mainly with the following structural characteristics:the glucose commonly links directly with the aglycone; the sugar moiety of disaccharide glycosides consists of glucose and rhamnose

with a glucose (3→1) rhamnose linkage; when the PhGs are to be a trisaccharide glycoside

an additional glucose or xylose usually appears at C6 position of the center glucose; and in its position of C4 or C6

coumaroyl or caffeoyl is usually located. Based on the above structures

PhGs have a widely scope and remarkable pharmacological activities. Modern pharmacological research also shows that

the plants of this genus have many effects such as antioxidant

antibacterial

enhancing immunity and male hormone action; consequently

they are widely used for kidney deficiency

infantile diarrhea

enteritis

diarrhea and other diseases in clinical application. This paper would summarize the research advances in chemical constituents

bioactivities and clinical application of Orobanche

and provide the reference for the further investigation and development of Orobanche.