铁皮石斛是滋阴补益的名贵药用植物，在治疗和日常保健中应用广泛。由于野生资源的匮乏和价格昂贵等原因，导致市场上的铁皮石斛良莠不齐，掺假严重。随着人工栽培技术的日益成熟，铁皮石斛资源匮乏的问题逐步得到解决。近10年，国内外对其组织培养、种植栽培、鉴别和质量控制、化学成分、药理作用和临床应用等方面进行了大量深入研究。本文主要从铁皮石斛拉丁学名、商品、资源现状、质量评价和遗传多样性等方面综述铁皮石斛的资源情况；对已发现的多糖、氨基酸、微量元素、菲类、联苄类、酚酸类和生物碱等类型的化学成分和提高免疫、抗肿瘤、抗衰老、降血糖和降血压等药理作用进行系统综述，为铁皮石斛化学成分与生物活性的研究，以及开发有药用价值的天然产物，提供科学依据和理论基础。

Dendrobium officinale is a valuable medicinal plant, and is widely used in the treatment and daily health care, however, the lack of wild resources and expensive price lead to market disruption of Dendrobium officinale. With the maturation of artificial cultivation technology, the problem related to the lack of resources is gradually solved in recent years. Its tissue culture, cultivation, quality control, chemical constituents, pharmacology and clinical applications, etc are studied at home and aboard. Resources of Dendrobium officinale in term of the Latin name, morphological characteristics, commodity, quality evaluation, and genetic diversity are comprehensively summarized, chemical constituents in polysaccharides, amino acids, trace elements, phenanthrenes, bibenzyls, phenolic acids, and alkaloids are reviewed, and pharmacological effects for improving immune functioning, anti-tumor, anti-aging, lowering blood glucose and blood pressure are integrated. A scientific and theoretical foundation for studying constituents and biological activities of Dendrobium officinale, and for further developing medicinal value of natural products is provided.