简介：CymbopogoncitratusisawidelydistributedperennialherbbelongingtothePoaceaefamilyandhasbeenextensivelyconsumedforitsmedicinal,cosmetic,andnutritionaleffectsforcenturies.Alargenumberofreportshavebeenpublisheddescribingthepharmacological,biological,andtherapeuticactionsofthisherb.Inthisreview,wesummarizedtheliteraturesonrelatedstudies(uptoJanuary,2014)thathighlightedthepharmacologicandbiologicaleffectsofthemajorphytochemicalsisolatedfromC.citratusextractsanditsessentialoil.ThecomponentsoftheessentialoilsfoundinC.citratushaveasimilarpharmacokineticproperties,includingabsorption,distribution,metabolism,andexcretion.Theyarequicklyabsorbedfollowingoral,pulmonary,anddermaladministration.Basedonthepublishedreports,itcanalsobeinferredthat,afterabsorptionfromthesmallintestine,somephytochemicalsinC.citratuscanundergooxidation,glucuronidation,sulfation,and/orO-methylation.Excretionisthroughurine,fecesand/orexpiredvolatiles.ThebiotransformationreactionsofC.citratusbioactiveconstituentsareessentialforitsrelativelysafeconsumptionandtherapeuticapplications.ThedataavailablesofarwarrantfurtherstudiesevaluatingC.citratuspharmacokinetics.ReliablepharmacokineticdatainhumanswouldbecriticalforabetterunderstandingofthethesystemichandlingofC.citratus.