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

Saturday 9 November 2013

Chinese Herbs – He Shu Wu (Radix Polygoni Multiflori)

He Shu Wu or Ye Jiao Teng or Shu Wu is also known as Fleece flower root, Fo-ti.

1. The prepared herb is astringent with some sweetness, mildly warm
2. The raw herb is bitter, sweet and neutral
and they have been used in TCM to treatment of hyperlipemia, neurasthenia, split personality, premature white hair, nerve injuries, skin wind rash, etc., as the herbs tonify the Essence and Blood, benefit the Essence and Blood, expel toxins, moisten the Intestines, etc. byenhancing the (The prepared herb) liver and kidney channels and (The raw herb) liver, heart and large intestine channels.
Ingredients
1. Polygoacetophenoside

2. Chrysophanol
3. Emodin
4. Rhein
5. Emodin-6
6. Physcion
7. Chrysophanic acid
8. Anthrone
9. beta-sitosterol
10. 2,3,5,4′-tetrahydroxystibene-2O-b-D-glucoside
11. Quercetin-3-O-galactoside
12. Querctin-3-O-arabinoside
13. Lecithin
14. Etc.

Health Benefits
1. Anti-breast cancer
In the evaluation of the inhibitory effect of PM extract (PME) on the proliferation of MCF-7 cells and the underlying mechanisms showed that PME down-regulated the protein expression of Cdc25B and Cdc25C phosphatases accompanied by an increase in phospho-Cdk1, and PME promoted cytochrome c release from mitochondria into the cytosol to activate caspase-9. The present study demonstrated that PME inhibited MCF-7 cell proliferation by inducing cell cycle arrest in the G2/M phase and promoting cell apoptosis. The effects of PME on MCF-7 cells were associated with the modulation of the expression levels of proteins involved in the cell cycle and apoptosis. These data suggest that PME has promise as a treatment against breast cancer by inhibiting the proliferation of cancer cells, according to “Anti-proliferative effect of an extract of the root of Polygonum multiflorum Thunb. on MCF-7 human breast cancer cells and the possible mechanisms” by Chen HS, Liu Y, Lin LQ, Zhao JL, Zhang CP, Jin JC, Wang L, Bai MH, Wang YC, Liu M, Shen BZ(1) 2. Diabetic nephropathy
In the determination of the protective mechanisms of TSG on diabetic nephropathy of 2,3,5,4′-tetrahydroxystilbene-2-O-β-d-glucoside (TSG), an active component extract from Polygonum multiflorum Thunb, indicated that the protective mechanisms of TSG on diabetic nephropathy are involved in the alleviation of oxidative stress injury and overexpression of COX-2 and TGF-β1, partially via activation of SIRT1, according to “Tetrahydroxystilbene glucoside ameliorates diabetic nephropathy in rats: involvement of SIRT1 and TGF-β1 pathway” by Li C, Cai F, Yang Y, Zhao X, Wang C, Li J, Jia Y, Tang J, Liu Q.(2)
3. Neurodegenerative diseases
In the investigation of the protective effects of 2,3,5,4′-tetrahydroxystilbene-2-O-beta-D-glucoside (TSG), an active component extracted from a traditional Chinese herb Polygonum multiflorum Thunb against MPP(+)-induced apoptosis in PC12 cells and its underlying mechanism, found that incubation of PC12 cells with TSG before exposing them to MPP(+) could significantly decrease cell viability loss and reverse cell apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner. The anti-apoptotic effects of TSG were probably mediated via the inhibition of ROS generation and modulation of JNK activation because TSG blocked ROS increase and JNK phosphorylation induced by MPP(+). Taken together, these results indicated that TSG may provide a useful therapeutic strategy for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases such as PD, according to “Tetrahydroxystilbene glucoside attenuates MPP+-induced apoptosis in PC12 cells by inhibiting ROS generation and modulating JNK activation” by Li X, Li Y, Chen J, Sun J, Li X, Sun X, Kang X.(3)
4. Anti colitis
Inn the evaluation of the effects of 2,3,5,4′-tetrahydroxystilbene-2-O-beta-D-glucoside (THSG), an active component extracted from Polygonum multiflorum Thunb, on acetic acid-induced acute colitis and mitomycin C-induced chronic colitis, found that THSG were better than that of positive control drug, 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA). In mitomycin C-induced model, THSG (60 mg/kg) administered for 7 days and 24 days, significantly improved colon damage and inhibited MPO activity and MDA content while increased SOD activity only on the 7th day and debased NO level on the 24th day. Furthermore, on the 24th day, the effects of THSG were prior to that of 5-ASA. Additionally, THSG (60 mg/kg) could inhibit iNOS expression in both models, according to “Protective effects of 2,3,5,4′-tetrahydroxystilbene-2-O-beta-d-glucoside, an active component of Polygonum multiflorum Thunb, on experimental colitis in mice” by Wang X, Zhao L, Han T, Chen S, Wang J.(4)
5. Anti-atherosclerosis
In the evaluation of the effects of 2,3,5,4′-tetrahydroxystilbene-2-O-beta-D-glucoside (THSG), a compound extracted from the root of Polygonum multiflorum Thunb, on lipoprotein (LDL and VLDL) oxidation, proliferation and nitric oxide (NO) content of coronary arterial smooth cells (CASMCs) induced by LDL, VLDL, ox-LDL and ox-VLDL, found that THSG possesses the antagonistic effects on oxidation of lipoprotein, proliferation and decrease of NO content of CASMCs, which partially explain the mechanism of anti-atherosclerosis of Polygonum multiflorum Thunb, according to “Effect of 2,3,5,4′-tetrahydroxystilbene-2-O-beta-D-glucoside on lipoprotein oxidation and proliferation of coronary arterial smooth cells” by Liu QL, Xiao JH, Ma R, Ban Y, Wang JL.(5)
6. Anti colon cancer and Cdc25B phosphatase inhibitors
In the study of “Anthraquinones, Cdc25B phosphatase inhibitors, isolated from the roots of Polygonum multiflorum Thunb” by Choi SG, Kim J, Sung ND, Son KH, Cheon HG, Kim KR, Kwon BM, found that three anthraquinones, Cdc25B phosphatase inhibitors, were isolated from the methanolic extract of the roots of Polygonum multiflorum Thunb. (Polygonaceae). Anthraquinones, physcion (1), emodin (2), and questin (3), inhibited the enzymatic activity of Cdc25B phosphatase with IC(50) values of 62.5, 30, and 34 microg mL(-1), respectively. Emodin (2) and questin (3) strongly inhibited the growth of human colon cancer cells, SW620 with GI(50) values of 6.1 and 0.9 microg mL(-1), respectively. Commercially available anthraquinones, chrysophanol (4), and rhein (5) also inhibited Cdc25B phosphatase with IC(50) values of 10.7 and 22.1 microg mL(-1), respectively(6)
7. Etc.

Side effects
1. Do not use in cases of spleen deficient.

2. Overdose can cause liver inflammation.
3. Do not use the herb in newborn, children or if you are pregnant or breast feeding without consulting first with the related field specialist
4. There are cases of which the herb induces both bone marrow suppression and hepatotoxicity.(a) Could there be overdoses?
5. Etc.