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

Thursday 14 November 2013

Chinese Herbs – Chun Pi (Ailanthi Radicis Cortex)

Chun Pi or Chun Gen Pi is also known as bark or root bark of ailanthus. The bitter, tard and cold herb has been used in TCM as antibiotic, anti-cancer and anti parasites agent and to treatv ulcer, uterus bleeding, post partum bleeding, excessive bleeding not during menses, yeast or bacterial vaginal infection, gonorrhea, spermatorrhea, etc., as it clears Heat, dries Dampness, strengthens the Intestines, stops bleeding, etc., by enhancing the function of large intestine, liver, stomach channels.

Ingredients

1. Linoleic Acid
2. Searic acid
3. Glycerin Fatty Acid Ester
4. Hydroxyl coumarin g1ycosides
5. Sponin
6. Ailanthone
7. Amarolide
8. Amarolide-11-acetate
9. Quassine
10. Neoquassine
11. Shinjudilactone
12. Syringic acid
13. Aromatic vanillic acid
14. Azelaic acid
15. β-sitostero
16. D-Mannitol

17. Etc.

Health Benefits
1. Anti-inflammatory activity
In the investigation to find bioactive medicinal herbs exerting anti-inflammation activity, the effect of an ethanol extract from the parts of Ailanthus altissima (Simaroubaceae) was evaluated in both in vitro and in in vivo system, found that the anti-inflammation activity of A. altissima in OVA-induced lung inflammation may occur in part via the down regulation of T(H)2 cytokines and eotaxin transcripts as well as the inhibition of inflammatory mediators, according to “Anti-inflammatory activity of Ailanthus altissima in ovalbumin-induced lung inflammation” by Jin MH, Yook J, Lee E, Lin CX, Quan Z, Son KH, Bae KH, Kim HP, Kang SS, Chang HW.(1) 2. Antimicrobial effects
In the investigation of a new naturally occurring sterol, compound 5, and six known stigmasterols were isolated from fruits of Ailanthus altissima Swingle by repeated column chromatography and RP-HPLC. Their structures were identified as, 5alpha-stigmastane-3,6-dione (1), 3beta-hydroxystigmast-5-en-7-one (2), stigmast-5-ene-3beta, 7alpha-diol (3), 6alpha-hydroxystigmast-4-en-3-one (4), 5alpha-stigmastane-3beta, 6beta-diol (5), stigmast-4-ene-3beta, 6alpha-diol (6), stigmast-5-ene-3beta, 7alpha, 20xi-triol (7) by spectral analysis and comparison with the published data, found that the 95% ethanol extract and compounds from the fruits of Ailanthus altissima SWINGLE were assayed for in vitro antimicrobial activity. The extract was potent active against the assayed bacteria while compounds 3 and 7 exhibited moderate activity, according to “Antimicrobial constituents from fruits of Ailanthus altissima SWINGLE” by Zhao CC, Shao JH, Li X, Xu J, Zhang P.(2)
3. Anti-anaphylactic effect
In the observation of the effect of Ailanthus altissima swingle (ailanthic cortex, AAS) on the mast-cell-mediated allergic and inflammatory reaction using in vivo and in vitro models and elucidate its molecular mechanisms
found that AAS significantly inhibited passive cutaneous anaphylaxis. AAS inhibited histamine release from rat peritoneal mast cells (RPMCs) in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, AAS significantly inhibited production of inflammatory cytokines, tumor necrosis factor (TNF), interleukin (IL)-6, and IL-8 on the phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate and calcium ionophore A23187 (PMACI)-stimulated human mast cell line, HMC-1 cells. AAS inhibits the IgE or stem cell factor-induced TNF production on RPMCs. In activated HMC-1 cells, the expression level of NF-kappaB/Rel A protein increased in the nucleus, whereas the level of NF-kappaB/Rel A in the nucleus was decreased by AAS treatment, according to “Ailanthus altissima swingle has anti-anaphylactic effect and inhibits inflammatory cytokine expression via suppression of nuclear factor-kappaB activation” by Kang TH, Choi IY, Kim SJ, Moon PD, Seo JU, Kim JJ, An NH, Kim SH, Kim MH, Um JY, Hong SH, Kim HM, Jeong HJ.(3)
4. Antiproliferative effects
In the investigation of Tree-of-heaven (Ailanthus altissima Swingle) for its cytotoxic and antiproliferative activities by a bioassay-oriented study, indicated that a possible apoptotic effect was evaluated by monitoring the presence of hypodiploid elements in HeLa cells as well as in SAOS, U87MG and U-937 tumor cell lines. The cells incubated for different times with the active extract, fraction and pure alkaloid isolated from A. altissima showed a remarkable increase in the apoptosis, according to “Antiproliferative effects of tree-of-heaven (Ailanthus altissima Swingle)” by De Feo V, Martino LD, Santoro A, Leone A, Pizza C, Franceschelli S, Pascale M.(4)
5. Etc.