Wednesday 30 October 2013

Chinese Herbs – Zhi Zi (Fructus Gardeniae Jasminoidis)

Zhi Zi is also known as Cape Jasmine Fruit. The bitter, cold and non toxic herb has been used in TCM to treat insomnia, irritability, high fever, infection with fever, nose bleeding, blood in urine, swollen red eyes, etc., by enhancing the functions of heart, liver, lung, stomach and triple burner channels.
Ingredients
1. Gardenoside
2. Geniposide
3.  Genipin-1-β-D- gentiobioside
4. Shanzhiside
5. Gardoside
6. Scandoside methyl ester
7. Deacetylasperulosidic acid methyl ester
8. Geniposidic acid
9. Etc.
Health Benefits
1. Anti-angiogenic effect
In the study to evaluate the protective effects of crocetin against angiogenesis induced by vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Crocetin, the aglycone of crocin carotenoids, found in saffron crocus (Crocus sativus L.) and gardenia fruit (Gardenia jasminoides Ellis), showed that Crocetin inhibited phosphorylation of p38 and protected VE-cadherin expression. These findings indicate that crocetin suppresses the VEGF-induced angiogenesis by inhibiting migration and that the inhibition of phosphorylated-p38 and protection of VE-cadherin expression may be involved in its underlying mechanism of action(1).
2. Anti-influenza virus 
In the study to evaluate the antiviral activity of the extracts of Gardenia jasminoides Ellis, after infection by influenza virus strain A/FM/1/47-MA in vivo, showed that 13 compounds were confirmed or tentatively identified. This provides an accurate profile of the composition of bioactive compounds responsible for the anti-influenza properties(2).
3. Anti -obesity effects
In the study to investigate the iridoid glycoside from the fruit of Gardenia jasminoides ELLIS, showed that geniposide has an anti-obesity effect, an insulin resistance-alleviating effect and an abnormal lipid metabolism-alleviating effect, and the metabolite genipin shows a direct effect on the liver, inducing expression of a lipid metabolism-related gene as one of its molecular mechanisms(3).
4. Oral cancer
In te study to investigate the presence of DNA topoisomerase 1 inhibitor in various solvent fractions of Gardenia extract and examine the induction of oral cancer cell death upon treatment with Gardenia extract, showed that the dichloromethane fraction from Gardenia extract induces apoptotic cell death by DNA topoisomerase 1 inhibition in KB cells. These findings suggest the possibility that Gardenia extract could be developed as an anticancer modality(4).
5. Etc.
Side Effects
1. Do not use the herb in case of diarrhea or loss of appetite as a result of  spleen deficiency and Yang deficiency
2. Do not use the herb in newborn, children or if you are pregnant or breast feeding without first consulting with the related field specialist.
3. Etc.


Sources
(1) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22475394
(2) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22297738
(3) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21963504
(4) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20738175

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