Chinese Herbs In Western View - Tu Fu Ling (Rhizoma Smilacis Glabrae) Health benfits and Side Effects

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Tu Fu Ling is also known as Smilax. The sweet, bland, cool and non-toxic herb has been used in TCM to treat leptospirosis, acute dysentery, acute or chronic inflammation of kidneys, mercury toxin, psoriasis, fungal infection, etc., as it expels toxins, disperses Dampness, softens the joints, etc. by enhancing the functions of stomach and kidney channels.

Ingredients
1. β-sitosterol palmitate
2. β-sitosterol
3. Daucosterol
4. 1-O-hexadecanoyl-3-O-β-D-galactop yranosyl-glycerol,4
5. Astilbin
6. Quercetin
7. Taxilfolin
8. Quercetin-4′-O-β-D-pyranglucoside
9. Isoastilbin
10. Etc.

Health Benefits
1. Irritant contact dermatitis
in the study to determine whether this topical CHM extract exerts preventive and/or therapeutic effects, we assessed its efficacy in both allergic contact dermatitis and irritant contact dermatitis murine models, found that CHM extract could provide an alternative regimen for the prevention and treatment of irritant contact dermatitis(1).

2. Arthritis
In the study to examine the therapeutic effects of astilbin, a flavanoid isolated from Rhizoma Smilacis Glabrae, on arthritis and to compare it with cyclosporine A (CsA), showed that stilbin may act as an efficient therapeutic agent for arthritis like CsA but with less toxicity. Its mechanism includes a selective suppression on lymphocyte functions via reducing MMP and NO production(2).

3. Immunomodulatory activity

 In the study to examine the activity of Rhizoma Smilacis Glabrae (RSG) and its mechanism on the secondary inflammation of adjuvant arthritis (AA) , found that the administration of RSG (400 and 800 mg/kg) during the later phase significantly inhibited the swelling of the adjuvant-non-injected footpad of AA rats. The lipopolysaccharide-induced production of IL-1, TNF and NO by peritoneal macrophages was significantly reduced. In contrast, the extract significantly recovered the decrease in weight gain of the AA rats and Concanavalin A-induced T lymphocyte proliferation and IL-2 production by their splenocytes, while prednisolone (10mg/kg) showed a significant aggravation(3).

4. Anti-inflammatory activity
in the study to evaluate the aqueous extract from Rhizoma smilacis glabrae (RSG) (RSG ext) inhibition in the effector phase of delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) without suppressing humoral immune response, found that RSG ext may act as a therapeutic agent of immunoinflammatory diseases through a selective suppression on the cellular immune response involved in inflammations as well as through a direct anti-inflammatory mechanism including inhibiting PGE2(4).

5. Etc.

Side Effects
1. Do not use the herb with tea
2. Do not use the herb in case of liver and kidney Yin deficiency
3. Do not use the herb in newborn, children or if you are pregnant or breast feeding without first consulting with the related field specialist.
4. Etc. 

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For other Chinese herbs in western view, visit http://chineseherbsinnutrientsperspective.blogspot.com/2011/10/chinese-herbs-in-western-view-health.html 

For other health articles, please visit http://medicaladvisorjournals.blogspot.com/ 

Sources
(1) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22004502
(2) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14504671 
(3) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12576202
(4) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9425621 

http://medicaladvisorjournals.blogspot.com

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