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

Saturday, 16 November 2013

Chinese Herbs – Bai Jiang Can (Bombyx Batryticatus)

Bai Jiang Can or Jiang Can also known as silkworm, corpe of sick silkworm, the salty, acrid and neutral herb has been used in TCM to treat epilepsy, swollen and painful throat, Bell’s palsy, and itchy skin as it enhances the spleen and qi function by promoting the functions of liver and lung channels.

Ingredients
1. Ammonium oxalate
2. Chitinase
3. Beauvericin
4. Asparagine
5. Fibrinolysin

6. Etc.

Health Benefits
1. Hippocampal neurons (brain system responsible for spatial memory and navigation)
Bombycis corpus extract (BCE) releasing glutamate has been implicated in the neural damage after cerebral ischemia and other neural insults, these results suggest that BCE may contribute significantly to protect human brain to such damage, according to the study of “Bombycis corpus extract (BCE) protects hippocampal neurons against excitatory amino acid-induced neurotoxicity” by Koo BS, An HG, Moon SK, Lee YC, Kim HM, Ko JH, Kim CH.(1)
2. Localized neurodermatitis (Skin diseases)
Jiang can (Bai Jiang Can, Bombyx Batryticatus) in modified yangxue dingfeng tang (a decoction for nourishing the blood and expelling wind), has exhibited a better and stable effect for the localized neurodermatitis, according to the study of “Treatment of the localized neurodermatitis by plum-blossom needle tapping and with the modified yangxue dingfeng tang–a clinical observation of 47 cases” by Weiying L, Yuanjiang D, Baolian L(2)
3. Lipid peroxidation and protection of antioxidative enzymes.
Bombycis corpus(BC), a is a drug consisting of the dried larva of silkworm has denomstrated the effect against Abeta -induced cytotoxicity in cultured astrocyte cells through the inhibition of lipid peroxidation and protection of antioxidative enzymes, according to the study of “Bombycis corpus extract prevents amyloid-beta-induced cytotoxicity and protects superoxide dismutase activity in cultured rat astrocytes” Kim HJ, Lee WH, Yoon CH, Jeong JC, Nam KS, Kim HM, Choo YK, Lee MC, Kim CH.(3)
4. Ovarian cancer
Bai Jiang Can contains high amount of Asparagine, a chemical compound may be considered for next steps in the development of ASNS as a biomarker for ovarian cancer treatment, according to the study of “Asparagine synthetase: a new potential biomarker in ovarian cancer” by Lorenzi PL, Weinstein JN(4)
5. Anti bacterial and fungal activity
Beauvericin shows the potential use of the endophytic fungus for its biological role in providing its host plant with protection, as well as the possible development of beauvericin as an antibacterial, according to the study of “Beauvericin from the endophytic fungus, Fusarium redolens, isolated from Dioscorea zingiberensis and its antibacterial activity” byXu L, Wang J, Zhao J, Li P, Shan T, Wang J, Li X, Zhou L.(5)
6. Impotent
Dimethyladenosine may be a lead compound of Bai Jiang Can for the development and improvement of vasculogenic impotence drugs through phosphodiesterase inhibition and NO production in endothelial cells., according to the study of “Purification of a dimethyladenosine compound from silkworm pupae as a vasorelaxation substance” by Ahn MY, Shim SH, Jeong HK, Ryu KS.(6)
Side Effects
1. Do not take if you suffer from high blood pressure (not controlled) or have a heart condition(a)
2. Do not take the herb if you are pregnant or breast feeding with out approval of related field specialist.
3. Etc.