Holistic Health Articles and Research Related to Herbal Medicines, Foods and Phytochemicals : Chinese Herbs

Saturday 16 November 2013

Chinese Herbs – Ba Jin Tian (Radix Morindae Officinalis)

Traditional Chniese medicine
Ba jin Tian is also known as morinda root. Morinda is flower plant of genus Morinda in the family Rubiaceae, native in Eastern China. The acrid sweet and warm herb has been used in TCM to infertility, premature ejaculation, spermatorrhea, frequent urination, incontinence, irregular menses, cold and painful lower abdomen as it tonifies the kidney, benefits the yang, release wind and d by promoting the functions of kidney and liver channels.
Ingredients
1. Morindin
2. vitamin C,
3. asperuloside tetraacetate,
4. resin,
5. monotrpein,
6. methyl isoalizarin,
7. methylisoalizarin 1-methylether,
8. rubiadian,
9. rubiadin-1-methyl-ether,
10. 2-methylanthraquinone,
11. 1-hydroxyanthraquinone
11. Etc.
Health benefits
1. 1-hydroxyanthraquinone
The ingredient 1-hydroxyanthraquinone of Ba Jin Tian has bee used as pharmaceutical extraction in treating kidney and bladder stones and as a laxative mixture and mild sedative.
2. Antioxidant
Korean researchers found the Ba Jin Tian may have a antioxidant-actvities in a cell study. It showed a 47.8% 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging effect in cultured mouse TM3 cells with no significant cytotoxicity.
3. Serotonin
Researchers found that Ba Jin Tian might help treat depression by increasing the effects of hormone serotonin.
4. Resin
Resin, the chemical coumpound in Ba Jin Tain has a anti- inflammartory propetty and is used to treat rheumatism by removing the joint inflammation.
5. Anti tumors
In mice study, researchers found that Bai Jin Tian significantly prolonged the life of mice with implanted tumors (Furusawa et al 2003, Hirazumi et al 1994), by activating the immune systemIt is suggested that this antitumour activity is due to immunostimulatory activity, instead of precipitating in directly cytotoxic to tumour cells.
6. Antimicrobial
In Ducan 1998 vitro study, researchers found that some substances in the Bai Jin Tain contains a anti-microlial property against Escherichia coli.
7. Opsteroporosis
Chemical compounds Anthraquinone from Morinda officinalis have exerted the activity as potential inhibitors of bone resorption, according to the study of “Anthraquinone compounds from Morinda officinalis inhibit osteoclastic bone resorption in vitro” by Bao L, Qin L, Liu L, Wu Y, Han T, Xue L, Zhang Q., posted in PubMed(1)
8. Lung and colon Cancers
three new anthraquinones together with 15 known compounds isolated from the roots of M. citrifolia (Rubiaceae) have shown significant inhibitory effects on the proliferation of human lung and colon cancer cells, according to the study of “Chemical components of the roots of Noni (Morinda citrifolia) and their cytotoxic effects” by Lv L, Chen H, Ho CT, Sang S., posted in PubMed(2)
9. Anti -inflamatory activity
CHCl(3)-soluble phase of the root of Morinda citrifolia has proccessed a strong antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory effectswhich are mediated in part by the histamine H(1) receptor, according to the study of “The antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory action of the CHCl3-soluble phase and its main active component, damnacanthal, isolated from the root of Morinda citrifolia” by Okusada K, Nakamoto K, Nishida M, Fujita-Hamabe W, Kamiya K, Mizushina Y, Satake T, Tokuyama S., posted in PubMed(3)
(10) Anti-fatigue activity
Three polysaccharides MP-1, MP-2, and MP-3 were isolated from hot water extract of Chinese medicine Morinda officinalis were found to have anti-fatigue activity in mice study, according to the study of “Structural characterization and anti-fatigue activity of polysaccharides from the roots of Morinda officinalis’ By Zhang HL, Li J, Li G, Wang DM, Zhu LP, Yang DP., posted in PubMed(4)
11. Rheumatoid arthritis
The extract of the BuOH of M. officinalis root has shown significantly reduced stretching episodes and prolonged action time in mice and significantly reduced acute paw edema by carrageenan in ratsm as a result of the antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory action of the root, according to the study of “Antinociceptive anti-inflammatory effect of Monotropein isolated from the root of Morinda officinalis” by Choi J, Lee KT, Choi MY, Nam JH, Jung HJ, Park SK, Park HJ., posted in PubMed(5)
12. Diabetes
The crude ethanolic extract have experted the strong activity in reducing the fasting serum glucose levels of the diabetic rats significantly at 150 mg/kg, hepatic and renal TBARS level and significant increasing the hepatic SOD and CAT activities as well as GSH levels. according to the study of “Evaluation of the hypoglycemic and anti-oxidant activities of Morinda officinalis in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats” by Soon YY, Tan BK., posted in PubMed(6)
Side effects
1. Do not use when you have difficulty in urination
2. Do not use combination with salvia root.
3. Etc.