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

Saturday, 16 November 2013

Chinese Herbs – Ba Qia (Rhizoma Smilacis Chinensis)

Ba Qia also known as Rhizome of chinaroot greenbrier, Smilax china L., is a genus Smilax, belonging to the family Liliaceae, native to Southeast Asia. The warm and sweet herb has been used in TCM to treat rheumatoid arthritis, muscle numbness, diarrhea, dysentery, gonorrhea and hemorrhoids, as it expels wind-dampness, alleviate pain, eliminates toxins and relieves swelling by enhancing the functions of kidney and liver channels.

Ingredients

1. Steroidal saponins

2. Solanidine

3. Alkaloid

4. Essential oil
5. Tannin
6. Sugar
7. Resin
8. Phytosterol
9. Starch

10. Etc.

Health benefits

1. Immune system
In rat study, researchers found that extracted Buttanol of Ba Qia enhances the functions of Interleukin-2 a type of cytokine immune system signaling molecule in fighting against oxidation and inhibits calcineurin (CaN) activity.
2. Chronic pelvic inflammatory disease
Also in rat study, researchers found that extracted substances of Ba Qia promote the normal levels of Interleukin-2 and tenamfetamine (INN) and can be used to reduce the symptoms and treat chronic pelvic inflammatory disease caused by E. coli.
3. Blood circulation
In mice study, Ba Qia decoction 100g were given to mice orally in 7 consecutive days, researchers found that it significantly prolongs the aPTT and inhibits platelet aggregation that suggested that Ba Qia decoction might be used to promote blood circulation, and use in the inhibition of endogenous platelet aggregation and anti-coagulation.
4. Prostate health
In rat study, researchers found that Ethyl acetate, Butanol, Saponin extracted from Ba Qia effectively reduce total prostate specific antigen (TPSA) index and treat Non-bacterial prostatitis.
5. Tumors
Publicized by JOURNAL OF BASIC AND CLINICAL ONCOLOGY in 2007 second edition, researchers found that extracted Ethyl acetate from Ba Qia contains a anti tumor property by scavenging and directly killing the tumor cells.
6. Anti-diabetes Foot Ulcer
Herbal formula formula contains six Chinese medical herbs, including Radix Astragali, Radix Rehmanniae, Rhizoma Smilacis Chinensis, Rhizoma Atractylodis Macrocephalae extracts can modify cellular glucose homeostasis, according to the study of “Influence of an anti-diabetic foot ulcer formula and its component herbs on tissue and systemic glucose homeostasis” by Chan CM, Chan YW, Lau CH, Lau TW, Lau KM, Lam FC, Che CT, Leung PC, Fung KP, Lau CB, Ho YY., posted in PubMed(1)
7. Anticonvulsant and neurotoxicity
Ethanolic extract and ethyl acetate fraction of Ba Qia reduced significantly (P < 0.001) by EESC at a dose level of 400 mg/kg and EAF at both higher dose levels (200 and 400 mg/kg). In PTZ model, the seizure latency was prolonged by all the test groups, according to the study of “Anticonvulsant and neurotoxicity profile of the rhizome of Smilax china Linn. in mice” by Vijayalakshmi A, Ravichandiran V, Anbu J, Velraj M, Jayakumari S., posted in PubMed(2)
8. Anti-inflammatory activities
Seiboldogenin was isolated from ethyl acetate fraction of Ba Qia crude extract exhibited significant inhibition (p<0.05) of carrageenan-induced hind paw oedema at the doses of 10 and 50mg/kg. Computational molecular docking showed its molecular interaction with important amino acid residues in the catalytic site of lipoxygenase, revealing its potential binding mode at molecular level. according to the study of “Anti-inflammatory activities of Sieboldogenin from Smilax china Linn.: experimental and computational studies” by Khan I, Nisar M, Ebad F, Nadeem S, Saeed M, Khan H, Samiullah, Khuda F, Karim N, Ahmad Z., posted in PubMed(3)
9. Anti-hyperuricemic and nephroprotective effects
Ba Qia exhibits anti-hyperuricemic and nephroprotective activity in hyperuricemic animals and prevents prevented the renal damage against tubulointerstitial pathologies in hyperuricemic rats, according to the study of “Anti-hyperuricemic and nephroprotective effects of Smilax china L.” by Chen L, Yin H, Lan Z, Ma S, Zhang C, Yang Z, Li P, Lin B., posted in PubMed(4)
10. Breast tumor
Six polyphenols were obtained on the basis of a bioassay-guided separation of the ethyl acetate extract from Ba Qia showed anti-tumor activities against MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 with IC50 value of 2.1-38.9mug/mL, and can induce apoptosis for MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231, according to the study of “Cytotoxic polyphenols against breast tumor cell in Smilax china L.” by Wu LS, Wang XJ, Wang H, Yang HW, Jia AQ, Ding Q., posted in PubMed(5)
11. Anti-cancer
Eight crude extracts of Smilax china L. rhizome (SCR) against HeLa cells was assessed by MTT assay and clonogenic assay, the fraction rich in flavonoids had show good activity against HeLa cells that suggest cell cycle arrest at G(1) phase and induce apoptosis as a mechanism by which KG exerts an antiproliferative effect.effect, according to the study of ” A flavonoid glycoside isolated from Smilax china L. rhizome in vitro anticancer effects on human cancer cell lines” by Li YL, Gan GP, Zhang HZ, Wu HZ, Li CL, Huang YP, Liu YW, Liu JW., posted in PubMed(6)
12. Arthritis
The decoction of Ba Qia significantly inhibit adjunctive arthritis mouse’s secondary inflammatory swelling, reduce thymus and spleen weights, decrease CD4/CD8, but had little influence on B Cell, according to the study of “[Effect of Smilax china on adjunctive arthritis mouse].[Article in Chinese]” by Lü Y, Chen D, Deng J, Tian L., posted in PubMed(7)
13. Antioxidants
Methanol extract (Me) revealed the presence of high 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging activity (IC50 7.4 microg/ml) and protective property of cell’s viability. Further fractionation with various solvent extraction and assay showed high levels of DPPH free radical scavenging activity in the ethyl acetate, butanol and water extracted fractions, according to the study of “Free radical scavenging and antioxidant enzyme fortifying activities of extracts from Smilax china root” by Lee SE, Ju EM, Kim JH., posted in PubMed(8)
14. Etc.
Side effects
1. Nausea, irritation and vomiting.
2. No other side effect is known yet.