Popular Chinese Herbs - Ai Ye (Folium artemisiae argyi)

Traditional Chinese medicine
Ai Ye is also known as Mugwort leaf, a species of A. Vulgaris, belonging to the family Asteraceae, native to native to temperate Europe, Asia, northern Africa and Alaska and is naturalized in North America. The bitter, acrid and warm herb has been used in TCM as antibiotic and anti virus and to relax the smooth muscles of bronchi and stop bleeding as it helps to relieve pain, warm the channels and disperses cold by promoting the functions of spleen, liver, kidney channels.

Ingredients
A. Volatile oils
1. Alpha -phellandrene
2. Camphenbe
3. Alpha-cedrene
4. Transcarveol
5. Bornyl acetate
6. Elemol, isoborneol
7. Alpha-terpineol
8. Beta-caryophyllene
9. Carvone
10. Cadinene
11. Etc.
B. Triterpenes
1. Alpha-amyrin
2. Beta-amyrin,
3. Friedelin, 9beta,
4. Methoxy-9beta
5. Etc.
C. Terpenes
1. Matricarin
2. Hanphyllin
3. 13-dihydroalteglasin
4. Etc.
D. Others
1. Flavone alcohol
2. Eupatilin,
3. Beta-sitostero
4. Silicon
5. Etc.

Health benefits
1. Beta-sitostero
Beta-sitostero enhances the ratio of HDL in blood levels of cholesterol, and is used in treating hypercholesterolemia by inhibiting cholesterol absorption in the intestine. Over-doses can cause premature coronary artery disease and tendon xanthoma.
2. Desacetoxymatricarin
Cytotoxic and antitumour activities in Ai ye may have anticarcinogenic potential by exhibiting a significantly higher antiproliferative action on cancer cell lines in some researches.
3. Anti-inflammatory properties
Ai ye contains certain compounds such as beta-caryophyllene by ehnacing the immune system in protecting the body against bacterial and virus intruders and irregular cells cause of inflammation.
4. Skin protector
Ai Ye beside acts a precursor of ursolic acid, alpha-amyrin contains a property of anti elastase activity by preventing UV-B irradiation damages to the skin through prevention of lipid peroxidation and PGE2 release inhibition, but also protect the skin inflammation disorder by inhibiting activity against 5-LOX-catalyzed leukotriene production and delayed-type hypersensitivity response in mice, according to the study of “Inhibition of 5-lipoxygenase and skin inflammation by the aerial parts of Artemisia capillaris and its constituents” by Kwon OS, Choi JS, Islam MN, Kim YS, Kim HP., posted in PubMed(1)
5. Anesthetic and Analgesic properties
Beta-caryophyllenein found in Ai ye can react in various ways on the peripheral and central nervous systems in relieving pain and used as anesthesia in relieving pain during local surgery.
6. Anti parasite Trichinosis
Trichinosis is a parasitc disease eating raw or undercooked pork or wild game infected with the larvae of a species of roundworm, causing disgestive disorder, including diarrhea, etc., periorbital edema and myositis. Extract of the aerial parts of A. vulgaris and A. absinthium have exhibited the function of the herbs in reducing the presentence of larva significantly, according to the study of “Comparison of the effects of Artemisia vulgaris and Artemisia absinthium growing in western Anatolia against trichinellosis (Trichinella spiralis) in rats” by Caner A, Döşkaya M, Değirmenci A, Can H, Baykan S, Uner A, Başdemir G, Zeybek U, Gürüz Y., posted in PubMed(2)
7. Gut and airways disorders
Antioxiadants, including alkaloids, coumarins, flavonoids, saponins, sterols, etc. from the extract of extract of Artemisia vulgaris (Av.Cr) have shown a property of exhibited protective effect against castor oil-induced diarrhea and CCh-mediated bronchoconstriction in rodents, according to the study of “Antispasmodic and bronchodilator activities of Artemisia vulgaris are mediated through dual blockade of muscarinic receptors and calcium influx” by Khan AU, Gilani AH., posted in PubMed(3)
8. Antioxidants
extract of the plant have shown activity of inhibition of inhibited cerebral I/R-induced oxidative stress by decreasing TBARS, and restoring levels of SOD and GSH and may be used as a protective agent against disorders associated with oxidative stress, according to the study of “Evaluation of antioxidant and free-radical scavenging potential of Artemisia absinthium” by Bora KS, Sharma A., posted in PubMed(4)
9. Cancer
Methanol, ethyl acetate, dichloromethane and n-hexane extracts from aerial parts of seven species of Artemisia have exhibited the activity in antiantiproliferation of the growth of caner cells, according tothe study of “Antiproliferative effects of extracts from Iranian Artemisia species on cancer cell lines” by Taghizadeh Rabe SZ, Mahmoudi M, Ahi A, Emami SA., posted in PubMed(5)
10. Etc.

Side effects
Overdose
1. It can cause inflammation of the skin mucus.
2. Orally, it can cause irritation of the of the digestive tract
3. Allergic effect
Thionin-like protein with a bulky arabinogalactan-protein moiety, a pollen allergen of the composite plant mugwort can cause alergic effect to certain people affected by rawweed pollen, according to the study of “A new allergen from ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia) with homology to art v 1 from mugwort” by Léonard R, Wopfner N, Pabst M, Stadlmann J, Petersen BO, Duus JØ, Himly M, Radauer C, Gadermaier G, Razzazi-Fazeli E, Ferreira F, Altmann F., posted in PubMed(a)
4. It can damage the walls of blood vessels and cause hyperemia
5. Nervous tension
6. Do not the medicine, if you are pregnant.
7. Etc.

Chinese Secrets To Fatty Liver And Obesity Reversal
Use The Revolutionary Findings To Achieve 
Optimal Health And Loose Weight

Back to Popular Chinese Herbs  http://kylejnorton.blogspot.ca/p/chinese-herbs.html

Back to Kyle J. Norton Home page http://kylejnorton.blogspot.ca   

Sources
(1) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21975819
(2) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18325496
(3) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19751814
(4) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21999109
(5) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21592012
(a) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20576600