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

Saturday 16 November 2013

Chinese Herbs – Bai Bu (Radix Stemonae)

Traditional Chinese medicineBai Bu also is known as Stemona Root. The tree is a flower plant of the genus Stemona, belonging to the family Stemonaceae, native to the eastern and southeastern Asia and northern Australasia. The sweet, bitter and warm herb has been used in TCM to treat head lice, crabs, body lice, cough, TB and whooping cough as it moistens the lung, calms cough, expels worms and other parasites by promoting the functions of lung channel.

Ingredients
1. Roots of Stemona sessilifolia contain:
a. Stemona sessilifolia

b. Hordonine
c. Tuberostemonine
d. Protostemonine

e. Etc.
2. Roots of Stemona japonica Mig. contain:

a. Stemonine
b. Stemonidine
c. Isostemonidine
d. Stemonidine
e. Iso stemonamine
f. Protostemonine

g. Etc.
3. Roots of Stemona tuberosa Lour. contain:

a. Stemonine
b. Isostemonine
c. Hypotuberostemonine
d. Oxotuberostemonine
e. Stemine

f. Etc.
Health benefits
1. Anti bacterial

Researchers found that ethanol extracted in microbial study from Bai Bu inhibited the growth of Neisseria meningitidis and E. coli Mechanism, but ineffectively prevent the growth of Staphyloccocus aureus Rosenbach(1). Also according to the study of “Antibacterial stilbenoids from the roots of Stemona tuberosa” by Lin LG, Yang XZ, Tang CP, Ke CQ, Zhang JB, Ye Y., posted in PubMed(2), researchers found thatthe ingredient of Dihydrostilbene 8 exhibited strong activity against Bacillus pumilus (MIT 12.5-25 microg/mL). Many tested compounds exhibited moderate antibacterial activities.

2. Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Extracted ethanol from Bai Bu also inhibited the growth of Pseudomonas aeruginosais, a low pathogenic bacteria.

3. Influenza A virus

Decoction of Bai Bu, in mice study reduced the risk of and treated rat with influenza A virus.

4. Parasites

In rat study, extracted concentration from Bai Bu effectively killed Syphacia Obvelata and Aspiculuris Tetraptera in 2 hours.

5. Bronchial muscle spamming

In Guinea pig study, researchers found that extracted alkaloid from Bai Bu relieved bronchial muscle spamming. Compare to medication Aminophylline, the effects of extracted alkaloid from Bai Bu was slower but lasting longer.

6. Antitussive activity(Analgesia and sedation)
Alkaloid fractions in Bai Bu has demonstrated the properties og analgesia and sedation in mice study by determining the effects after cough induction by ammonia aerosol stimulation and the number of cough in 2 min were detected with codeine as positive control, according to the abstract of “[Antitussive activity comparison of three kinds of Stemonae Radix in Chinese Pharmacopoeia].”[Article in Chinese] by Hu J, Zhang N, Mao Y, Yang D, Tan H, Ni S, Liu X, Cai S., posted in PubMed(3)
7. Antifugal activity
The chemical compounds 3,5-dihydroxy-2′-methoxy bibenzyl (5), 3,3′-dihydroxy-2,5′-dimethoxy bibenzyl extracted from Bai Bu have shown the activity of inhibition of the growth of Candida albicans, according to the study of “Antifungal stilbenoids from Stemona japonica” by Zhang YZ, Xu GB, Zhang T., posted in PubMed(4)
8. Thyroid caner
The chemical compounds dichloromethane fraction extracted from Bai Bu has shown the activity of inhibition of tumor cell growth and induction of apoptosis of human medullary thyroid carcinoma cells., according to the study of “The dichloromethane fraction of Stemona tuberosa Lour inhibits tumor cell growth and induces apoptosis of human medullary thyroid carcinoma cells” by Li Z, Sturm S, Stuppner H, Schraml E, Moser VA, Siegl V, Pfragner R., posted in PubMed(5)
(9) Parkinson’s disease
Oxidative modification of mitochondrial proteins and death of neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells from 6-hydroxydopamine-induced neurotoxicitymay be resulted in Parkinson’s disease, according to the study of “Neuroprotective bibenzyl glycosides of Stemona tuberosa roots” by

Lee KY, Sung SH, Kim YC., posted in PubMed(6), reserachers found that three bibenzyl glycosides extracted from Bai Bu significantly protected human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells from 6-hydroxydopamine-induced neurotoxicity.

Side effects

1. Overdose can cause breathing difficult and paralysis
2. Etc.