|
1. Radix Rehmannia
Glutinosa
The Chinese have a famous
riddle "I have visited a new place and returned to an
old place simultaneously, what herb am I?" Glutious
Rehmannia in its raw form is called "new place" and
processed Rehmannia is called "old place" (in their
Chinese character). Processed Rehmannia is derived from
raw Rehmannia by steaming it for ten times and drying in
the sun nine times. The functions (clinical usage) of
raw and processed Rehmannia are totally different
altogether. One herb plus steam and sun gives you two
different herbs. That is the magical wonder of herbal
science. This knowledge has to be passed down from
generation to generation. It cannot be done using
laboratory research. It is something that allopathic
science cannot explain.
Applications:
-
It is used to replenish
the vital essence of the kidney, to nourish the blood
and to regulate menses, for night sweats, for dizziness
and palpitation
Function of the
herb:
-
It is used for diabetes
-
Replenish vital essence of the
kidneys
-
Reduce blood sugar
-
Protect the liver
2. Radix
Trichosanthis
Applications:
Function of the
herb:
-
It is used for relieving thirst (such as in
Diabetes).
3. Semen Cuscutae
Applications:
-
To tonify kidneys and control essence.
-
To nourish liver and brighten the eyes.
Function of the herb:
-
Tonify the liver and kidney.
-
For premature ejaculation.
-
To improve eyesight.
4. Radix Polygonum
Multiflorum
Applications:
-
Polygonum multiflorum can
strengthen the tendons,
ligaments and bones and prevents premature aging. It
is commonly called a longevity-promoting herb.
-
Formulated Radix Polygonum
multiflorum is used to treat hypertension.
Function of the
herb:
-
To tone up liver and kidney and replenish their
vital essence.
-
Treat fatty liver, increase red blood cells and
reduce blood fats.
-
Exert same effect as adrenoticortical hormone.
-
Nourish blood.
-
For aching back and knee.
-
Treat tiredness and exhaustion.
-
Protect heart from damage from free radicals.
5. Herba Cynomorii
Applications:
-
It reinforces the kidney yang, to replenish vital
essence and blood It Invigorate the kidney and
supplement essence. -
It moisturizes the intestine
and relax the bowels.
Function of the
herb:
-
To reinforce the vital function of kidney.
-
For premature ejaculation.
6. Semen Plantaginis
Applications:
-
To promote water metabolism and relieve abnormal
urination.
-
To stop diarrhea.
-
To clear heat in the liver and brighten eye.
-
To clear the lung and resolve phlegm.
Function of the
herb:
-
To improve liver, spleen and bladder function.
-
To reduce blood sugar
7. Poria Cocos Wolf
Application:
-
As diuretics, in urinary difficulty, diarrhea, water
retention
-
Used for palpitations,
-
Used for insomnia or forgetfulness, poor appetite.
Function of the
herb:
-
It has regulatory effect on human immune cells.
Research showed that Radix Trichosanthis, Radix Rehmannia Glutinosa,
Radix Glehniae, Semen Plantaginis, Poria Cocos Wolf and Radix Polygonum Multiflorum
can be very effective in treating diabetic problems.
Research
from The School of Pharmacy, Shanghai Jiao Tong
University, Shanghai China, The College of
Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Tianjin
University, Tianjin China and Tianjin Institute of
Pharmaceutical Research, Tianjin China shows that
polysaccharide of Poria Cocos Wolf and Radix Rehmannia
Glutinosa can restore the functions of pancreatic
tissues and can cause an increase in insulin output by
the functional beta cells, while other ingredients of
these plants enhance the microcirculation, increasing
the availability of insulin and facilitating the
metabolism in the insulin dependent process.
Pharmacological and clinical evaluation indicated that
these herbs can significantly lower blood glucose.
In
a research by Dr. K. Casanas and team, “The Treatment of
Diabetes Mellitus with Chinese Medicine” a formulation
containing Radix Rehmannia Glutinosa, Radix
Trichosanthis and other herbs was tested on 150 cases of
Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. 138 cases showed great
improvement in their diabetic condition.
Test
on animals showed that Semen Cuscutae can improve the
function of the body, kidney and thymus gland as well as
increasing their white cell count, red cell count,
hemoglobin content and superoxide dismutase (SOD)
activity. Mi Hemin ed. Comparison Study on the bone
support and yang strengthening effects of Semen Cuscutae,
Chinese Traditional Herbal Drugs, 1991. 22 (12): 547.
Research
has shown that the triterpenoid compounds in Herba
Cynomorii (oleanolic acid and ursolic acid) are
effective in protecting against chemically induced liver
injury in laboratory animals. The researcher suggests
that the mechanism of hepatoprotection by these two
compounds may involve the inhibition of toxicant
activation and the enhancement of the body’s defence
system. Oleanolic acid and usolic acid have been long
recognized to have anti inflammatory and anti
hyperlipidermic properties in laboratory animals. Liu J
“Pharmacology of oleanolic acid and ursolic acid” 1995.
Dec 1 49 (2): 57 – 68. Department of Pharmacology,
Toxicology and Therapeutics, University of
Kansas Medical Center, Kansas
City, USA.
Research
has shown that ursolic acid (of Herba Cynomorii)
treatment can normalize the disturbed anti-oxidant
status of rats intoxicated with CC 14 by maintaining the
levels of glutathione and by inhibiting the production
of malondiable-hyde due to its radical scavenging
properties. Martin-Aragon Si, De Las Heras B etc
“Pharmacological modification of endogenous antioxidant
enzymes by ursolic acid on Tetrachloride induced liver
damage in rats and primary cultures of rats hepatocytes”.
Exp Toxical. Pathol. 2001:53 (2 – 3) 199 – 206 , Dpto.
Farmacologia, UCM, Madrid, Spain.
Research
has shown that the two tripenoid compound, ursolic acid
and oleanolic acid can enhance the total white blood
cells count of Balb/C mice “Phytomedicine :
International Journal of Phytotheraphy and
Phytopharmacology”. July 01, 2003, Raphael T.J. and
Kuttan G.
Cucurbitacin
are used for diabetes. Dr. S.Dharmananda, Institute for
Traditional Medicine, Portland, Oregon. (Cucurbitacin are found
in herbs like trichosanthis, citrillus and momordica)
Plant sterol like
those found in Semen Plantaginis has been approved by
FDA, USA for the treatment of coronary heart disease.
FDA Talk Paper Sept. 5, 2000.
L-arabinose is a
phytochemical of Semen Plantaginis. It is a 5-carbon
sugar. Research showed that is has a unique
property. It inhibits sucrose activity in the intestine.
Sucrose is an enzyme that breaks down sucrose into
glucose and fructose. By inhibiting the activity of
sucrose, L-arabinose prevents the breakdown of sucrose
into glucose and fructose, thus reducing the absorption
of sugar into the body. In one rat study, the little
critters were fed up to 30 grams of sucrose per 100 gram
of feed. Researchers added anywhere between 0 to 1.0
grams of L-arabinose per 100 grams feed. The rats ate
this sugar brew for 10 days. Researchers found that
lipogenic enzymes (enzymes that build fat) and
triglyceride concentrations in the liver went up when
the rats consumed sucrose. When L-arabinose was
consumed, these changes did not occur. L-arabinose
feeding reduced fat weights, plasma insulin and
triglycerides. Conclusion: L-arabinose inhibits sucrose
activity, reduces sucrose utilization, and decreases
lipogenesis and decreases plasma insulin and
triglycerides. Ref: Osaki et al “L-arabinose feeding
prevents increases due to dietary sucrose in lipogenic
enzymes and triacylglycerol levels in rats”. Journal of
Nutrition 2001, 131: 796 – 79
In
one research the effects of L-arabinose (from
Semen Plantaginis)
on intestinal absorption of sucrose have been
investigated. The results of these investigations have
been shown that L-arabinose inhibit the sucrase activity
of intestinal mucose but no showed inhibitory effect on
the activities of intestinal maltase, isomaltase,
trehalase, lactase and glucoamylase. L-Arabinose
suppress increase of blood glucose after sucrose loading
dose dependently in mice, but showed no effect after
starch loading. This fact can be more interesting for
the application of L-arabinose in light diet and
diabetic disease mixed in small quantities with sucrose.
Research
have shown that plants containing the phyotchemical
triterpene (saponin) glycosides have hypoglycemic and
hypolipemic activities. The triterpenes compounds are
sub divided into 20 groups of which oleanic triterpene (oleanic
acid, ursolic acid and alpha-and beta amyrin) is found
in the largest variety of plants (Semen Cuscutae, Herba
Cynomorii, Radix Rehmannia Glutinosa and Semen
Plantaginis). "Ursolic
acid (UA) and oleanolic acid (OA) are triperpene acids
having a similar chemical structure and are distributed
widely in plants all over the world. They are of
interest to scientists because of their biological
activities. OA has antifungal, insecticidal, anti-HIV,
diuretic, complement inhibitory, blood sugar
depression and gastrointestinal transit modulatin
activities. UA and OA also possess liver-protection and
anti-inflammatory effects. In recent years, it was found
that they had marked anti-tumor effects and exhibited
cytotoxic activity toward many cancer cell line in
culture. Concerning their effects on colon carcinoma
cells, there is little available so far in the current
literature. The present study was designed to
investigate their inhibitory effects on the human colon
carcinoma cell line HCT15."
"Effects
of ursolic acid and oleanolic acid on human colon
carcinoma cell line HCT." Jie Li, Wei-Jian Guo,
Department of Oncology, Cancer Center, Xin Hua Hospital,
Shanghai Second Medical University,Shanghai 200092,
China. Qing-Yao Yang, Department of Biology, Shanghai
Teachers University, Shanghai 200234, China ISSN
1007-9327 CN 14-1219/R
World J Gastroenterol
2002;
June
8(3):493-495
Huang RL, et al., Studies on the antihyperglycemic
actions of Chinese herbs, 1980-1984 The Annual
Reports of the National Research Institute of Chinese
Medicine, Taipei Hsien, Taiwan. Dr. Huang Ray-Ling and
his coworkers at the National Research Institute of
Chinese Medicine in Taiwan conducted an extensive
laboratory investigation of Chinese herbs for diabetes.
He tested a variety of herb extracts in both alloxan-treated
mice and normal mice, in order to compare the impacts of
the herbs with or without insulin involvement. To obtain
more significant results, blood sugar responses were
monitored at different times after administration of
herbs, in glucose tolerance tests, and with differing
dosages of the herb materials. Herbs like rehmannia and
trichosanthes root showed a substantial hypoglycemic
effect in alloxan-treated mice but little effect in
normal mice
“Data is presented
suggesting that rates of L-arabinose transport,
calculated from L-[1-14C] arabinose uptake measurements,
can be used as indicators of changes in the rates of
glucose transport in isolated rat adipocytes.
L-[1-14C]arabinose, at 37 degrees C, was found to be
nonmetabolizable and taken up by adipocytes
exponentially with time reaching 95% of equilibrium in
30 min. When L-arabinose is corrected for background,
the corrected uptake values conform to the
time-dependent monoexponential uptake relationshiop
predicted for a facilitated transport system and are not
significantly different from 0 in the presence of 70
micron cytochalasin B. Transport rates were calculated
from corrected uptake values near the half-maximal
uptake of L-arabinose and from a value of the total
amount of L-arabinose in the cell at equilibrium.
Competitive inhibition of L-arabinose transport by
glucose and countertransport of L-arabinose in the
presence of glucose suggest that L-arabinose and glucose
share the same transport system. Data is presented
demonstrating the effect of insulin and dexamethasone on
the transport system that confirms the conclusions
obtained by other investigators using other methods.”
“Glucose transport in isolated rat adipocytes with
measurements of L-arabinose uptake.”
JE Foley, SW
Cushman, and LB Salans.
Am J Physiol
Gastrointest Liver Physiol 234: G112-G119, 1978;
0193-1857/78
AJP: Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology,
Vol 234, Issue 2, G112-G119 American Physiological
Society
“Ursolic acid was
isolated form Herba Cynomorii by thin layer
chromatography and was quantitatively determined by
ultraviolet spectrophotometry. The results indicate that
the content of ursolic acid is 0.78%. The average
recovery rate of ursolic acid is 97.4%, RSD = 0.45% (n =
4).” “Quantitative determination of ursolic acid in
Herba cynomorii by ultraviolet spectrophotometry.”
Ding H,
Wang Y,
Wang S,
You W.
Shanxi Medical
University, Taiyuan 030001.
Zhongguo Zhong Yao Za Zhi.
1998 Feb;23(2):102-3
Other research have been done on antidiabetic Chinese
herbs. They can be found in the following articles.
1) Hong-Yen
Hsu: “Chinese Herb Theology for diabetes mellitus”,
Bulletin of the Oriental Healing Acts Institute 1978;
3 (1) : 12-17.
2) Huang
K.L et al., “Studies on the anti hyperglycemic actions
of Chinese Herbs”, 1980 – 1984. The Annual Reports of
the National Research Institute of Chinese Medicine,
Taipei Hsien, Taiwan.
3) Yoshikawa
M, Matsuda H. “Anti diabetogenic activity of oleanolic
acid glycosides from medicinal foodstuff”. Biofactors
2000: 13: 231-237.
| 
