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

Thursday, 14 November 2013

Chinese Herbs – Chai Hu (Radix Bupleuri)

http://www.tcmtreatment.com/herbs-pictures/chai%20hu.jpg

Chai Hu is also known as Bupleurum Root. The bitter, slightly cold herb has been used in TCM to cold and influenza, alternating chill and fever, malaria, irregular menses, prolapse of uterus and rectum, etc., as it regulates and clears Heat, drains the Liver, resolves depression and stagnation, raises Yang, etc by enhancing the functions of liver, gall bladder, pericardium, triple burner channels.

Ingredients
1. β-terpinene
2. imonene
3. β-fenchene

4. ulegone

5. Isoborneol
6. β-terpineol
7. α-copaene
8. Humulene
9. A-farnesene

10. Aromadendrene

11. Cis-caryophyllene

12. β-elemene,

13. Gamma-muurolene

14. Patchoulane

15. Pootkatone

16. Ledol

17. Etc.

Health Benefits
1. Lung cancer
Bupleuri radix, a traditional Chinese herb, has been widely used to treat liver diseases such as hepatitis and cirrhosis. In the evaluation of he acetone extract of Bupleurum scorzonerifolium (AE-BS) and its effect against lung cancer cells found that A549 cells treated with AE-BS showed typical morphologic features of apoptosis, and the percentage of apoptotic cells was approximately 38 % on day 1. In the TRAP assay, AE-BS-treated cells demonstrated significantly lower telomerase activity on day 3. This result indicates that the AE-BS could suppress the proliferation of lung cancer cells via inhibition of telomerase activity and activation of apoptosis, according to “Acetone extract of Bupleurum scorzonerifolium inhibits proliferation of A549 human lung cancer cells via inducing apoptosis and suppressing telomerase activity” by Cheng YL, Chang WL, Lee SC, Liu YG, Lin HC, Chen CJ, Yen CY, Yu DS, Lin SZ, Harn HJ.(1)
2. Liver fibrogenesis
In the investigation of traditional Chinese herb, Bupleurum scorzonerifolium and its inhibition of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) activation in vitro, found that kaerophyllin in Bupleurum scorzonerifolium protected the rat liver from TAA-caused injury and fibrogenesis by suppressing hepatic inflammation and inhibiting HSC activation, possibly through upregulation of PPAR-γ expression, according to “Protective effects of kaerophyllin against liver fibrogenesis in rats” by Lee TF, Lin YL, Huang YT.(2)
3. Antioxidant effects
In the assessment of crude polysaccharide (CP) of Bupleurum scorzonerifolium Willd and its effect on immunopharmacologic functions found that the protective mechanisms of crude polysaccharide from the anti-UVB B. scorzonerifolium cell clone against UVB-induced photodamage occur by the inhibition of UVB-induced reactive oxygen species production, lipid peroxidation and DNA damage, according to “Crude polysaccharide from an anti-UVB cell clone of Bupleurum scorzonerifolium protect HaCaT cells against UVB-induced oxidative stress” by Dai J, Ma H, Fan J, Li Y, Wang J, Ni H, Xia G, Chen S(3)
4. Anti-aging
In the observation of the effect of isochaihulactone (also known as K8), a lignan compound of Bupleurum scorzonerifolium, on H(2)O(2)-induced cytotoxicity in neuronally differentiated PC12 cells (nPC12) found that isochaihulactone exerts potent anti-aging effects against D-gal in mice possibly via antioxidative mechanisms, according to “Isochaihulactone protects PC12 cell against H(2)O(2) induced oxidative stress and exerts the potent anti-aging effects in D-galactose aging mouse model” by YU SL, LIN SB, YU YL, CHIEN MH, SU KJ, LIN CJ, WAY TD, YIANG GT, LIN CC, CHAN DC, HARN HJ, CHEN YL.(4)
5. Immune system
In the analyzing isochaihulactone and chaihunaphthone, together with eleven known compounds isolated from the root of Bupleurum scorzonerifolium and testing for theirs Immunosuppressive effects found that In biological testing, eugenin and saikochromone potently inhibited CD28-costimulated activation of human peripheral blood T cells, according to “Immunosuppressive flavones and lignans from Bupleurum scorzonerifolium” byChang WL, Chiu LW, Lai JH, Lin HC.(5)
6. Antidepressant
In the study of Xiaoyaosan, a famous Chinese prescription, including Chai Hu (Radix Bupleuri) and its anti depression effect, found that high dose xiaoyaosan was the most effective and amitriptyline equaled middle dose xiaoyaosan as shown by metabolomics strategy and behavior tests. Some common and characteristic metabolites on the anti-depression of xiaoyaosan and amitriptyline were obtained. The work showed metabolomics is a valuable tool in studying the efficacy and potential biomarkers of therapeutic effect of complex prescriptions, according to “Metabolomics study on the anti-depression effect of xiaoyaosan on rat model of chronic unpredictable mild stress” by Dai Y, Li Z, Xue L, Dou C, Zhou Y, Zhang L, Qin X.(6)
7. Etc.
Side Effects
1. Overdoses can be toxicity and cause headaches, dizziness, vomiting, tremors, gastroenteritis, etc.
2. Long term uses can be toxic to kidney
3. No not use the herb in children or if you are pregnant with out permission of related field specialists.
4. Etc.