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

Thursday 14 November 2013

Chinese Herbs – Da Ji (Radix Euphorbiae)

Da Ji is also known as Peking spurge root. The bitter, sour, very cold and toxic herb can be taken internally or applied externally and has been used in TCM to treat edema, ascites, retention of phlegm, tuberculosis of lymph nodes, etc, as it eliminates Water and Phlegm, resolves edema, disperses nodules, by enhancing the functions of kidney, large intestine, lung channels.
Ingredients
1. Triterpene
2. Alkaloids
3. Free anthraquinone
4. Euphobon
5. Euphobia A, B, C
6. Resin
7. Anthraquinone
8. Syrinngic acid
9. Etc.
Health Beenfits
1. Anti cancers
In the investigation of Aanew cytotoxic casbane diterpene, named pekinenal, isolated from the roots of Euphorbia pekinensis, found that Pekinenal showed cytotoxic activity against all four human cancer cell lines tested, according to “A new cytotoxic casbane diterpene from Euphorbia pekinensis” by Liang QL, Dai CC, Jiang JH, Tang YP, Duan JA.(1)
2. Antioxidant defense
In the determination of the mechanism by which KIOM-79 induced heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) in rat pancreatic beta-cells (RINm5F) and a mixture of plant extracts (KIOM-79) obtained from Magnolia officinalis, Pueraria lobata, Glycyrrhiza uralensis, and Euphorbia pekinensis, found that KIOM-79 augments the cellular antioxidant defense capacity through induction of HO-1 via the Akt-Nrf2-ARE signaling pathway, thereby protecting cells from streptozotocin-induced oxidative stress, according to “Induction of heme oxygenase-1 by plant extract KIOM-79 via Akt pathway and NF-E2 related factor 2 in pancreatic beta-cells” by
Kang KA, Kim JS, Zhang R, Piao MJ, Ko DO, Wang ZH, Maeng YH, Eun SY, Hyun JW.(2)
3. Cytoprotective effects
In the analyzung the potential cytoprotective properties of a combination of plant extracts (KIOM-79) obtained from Magnolia officinalis, Pueraria lobata, Glycyrrhiza uralensis, and Euphorbia pekinensis, against the oxidative stresses induced by streptozotocin (STZ) in a rat,l
found that KIOM-79 was found to scavenge intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), thereby preventing DNA damage and lipid peroxidation. The KIOM-79 inhibited apoptosis of the beta-cells exposed to STZ via radical scavenging activity and activation of antioxidant enzymes. KIOM-79 inhibited activation of extracellular regulated kinase (ERK) induced by STZ and inhibited DNA binding activity of an activator protein-1 (AP-1), a downstream transcription factor of ERK, according to “Cytoprotective effects of KIOM-79 on streptozotocin induced cell damage by inhibiting ERK and AP-1” by Kang KA, Lee KH, Kim SY, Kim HS, Kim JS, Hyun JW.(3)
4. Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)
In the investigation of the effects on four four human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) integrase inhibitors, gallic acid ( 1) and three galloyl glucoses ( 2 – 4). In addition, four flavonol glycoside gallates ( 5 – 8) from Euphorbia pekinensis, found that By comparison with the activities of the compounds not bearing this moiety, it is proposed that the galloyl moiety plays a major role for inhibition against the 3′-processing of HIV-1 integrase of these compounds, accoridng to “Inhibition of HIV-1 integrase by galloyl glucoses from Terminalia chebula and flavonol glycoside gallates from Euphorbia pekinensis” by Ahn MJ, Kim CY, Lee JS, Kim TG, Kim SH, Lee CK, Lee BB, Shin CG, Huh H, Kim J.(4)
5. Etc.
Side Effects
1. Do not use the herb in newborn, children, or if you are pregnant or breast feeding without first consulting with the related field specialist
2. Overdose may damage the liver
3. Etc.