Cili (Rosa roxburghii Tratt.) as a Functional Food and Medicinal Resource: Current Advances and Future Directions

Rosa roxburghii Tratt., commonly known as Cili, is an emerging functional fruit native to southwestern China, characterized by extraordinarily high vitamin C content, robust superoxide dismutase activity, and a rich diversity of bioactive compounds. This review summarizes recent advances in its phytochemistry, molecular bioactivity, and omics-driven applications, with a focus on integrating evidence from genomic, transcriptomic, and metabolomic analyses. Multi-omics analyses reveal the coordinated regulation of ascorbate and secondary metabolite accumulation via key pathways and transcription factors. Mechanistically, bioactive compounds from Cili comprising ascorbate derivatives, polyphenols, flavonoids, polysaccharides, triterpenoids, and sterols, act synergistically. They also exhibit antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, gastrointestinal, hepatoprotective, cardiovascular protective, anti-obesity, anti-diabetic, metabolic regulatory, anti-cancer, and neuroprotective effects by modulating core metabolic and stress-response signaling pathways. Recent advances in functional food processing have further elevated its nutritional and industrial value, highlighting its potential as a sustainable nutraceutical resource.