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

Tuesday, 12 November 2013

Chinese Herbs – Fu Ling (Sclerotium Poriae Cocos)

Fu Ling, fu shen or fu ling pi is also known as Poria. The bland, sweet and neutral herb has been used in TCM as as diuretics and to treat urinary difficulty, diarrhea, water retention, headache, dizziness, palpitations, etc., as it eliminates Water, strengthens the Spleen, calms the Mind, etc., by enhancing the functions of heart, spleen, lung and kidney channels.
Ingredients
1. pachymose
2. Albuninoid
3. Pachymaran
4. b-pachyman
5. b-pachymanase,
6. Pachymic acid,
7. Tumulosic acid,
8. Eburioic acid,
9.Pinicolic acid,
10. Etc.
Health Benefits
1. Immune enhancer
In the investigation of a novel immunomodulatory protein (P. cocos immunomodulatory protein; PCP) purified from the dried sclerotium of P. cocos (Schw.) Wolf using DE-52 cellulose and gel filtration chromatography, found that results obtained with peritoneal macrophages from TLR4-deficient C57BL/10ScN mice revealed that PCP-induced activation and PCP cell surface binding were significantly attenuated. Moreover, enzymatic deglycosylation decreased PCP-mediated responses, indicating that the glycosylated portion of PCP was a key factor in PCP signaling through TLR4 in peritoneal macrophages. These findings suggest that PCP is a new potential immune stimulator within P. cocos and that TLR4 is primarily responsible for PCP signaling in murine macrophages., according to “A novel immunomodulatory protein from Poria cocos induces Toll-like receptor 4-dependent activation within mouse peritoneal macrophages” by Chang HH, Yeh CH, Sheu F.(1)
2. Anti fungal activity
In the investigation of an antifungal strain HT16 isolated from locusts, showing strong inhibition to Pen. expansum. Based on its in vitro effectiveness, HT16 was characterized as a strain of Paenibacillus polymyxa by phenotypic tests and 16S rDNA sequence analysis, found that the antifungal component HT16 secreted was only induced by Poria cocos sclerotium (PCS), and it remained active after sterilization at 121 degrees C for 15 min. The protein was purified by ammonium sulfate precipitation, heating process, and ultrafiltration using a 10 kDa cut-off membrane. The molecular weight of the purified antifungal protein, which was determined by mass spectrometry, was 4517 Da.
3. Anti tumors
In the evaluation of the structures of six new lanostane-type triterpene acids isolated from the epidermis of the sclerotia of Poria cocos of 15alpha-hydroxydehydrotumulosic acid (5), 16alpha,25-dihydroxydehydroeburicoic acid (9), 5alpha,8alpha-peroxydehydrotumulosic acid (10), 25-hydroxyporicoic acid H (11), 16-deoxyporicoic acid B (12), and poricoic acid CM (16) on the basis of spectroscopic methods, against the Epstein-Barr virus early antigen (EBV-EA) activation induced by 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) in Raji cells, found that all of the compounds except for 1, 3, 4, and 8 exhibited inhibitory effects with IC50 values of 195-340 mol ratio/32 pmol TPA. Compound 12 and poricoic acid C (13) exhibited inhibitory effects on skin tumor promotion in an in vivo two-stage carcinogenesis test using 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA) as an initiator and TPA as a promoter, according to “Triterpene acids from Poria cocos and their anti-tumor-promoting effects” by

Akihisa T, Nakamura Y, Tokuda H, Uchiyama E, Suzuki T, Kimura Y, Uchikura K, Nishino H.(3) 4. Apoptosis
in the evaluation of a lanostane-type triterpene acid, dehydrotrametenolic acid (3beta-hydroxylanosta-7,9(11),24-trien-21-oic acid), isolated from the sclerotium of Poria cocos (Polyporaceae), found that Dehydrotrametenolic acid selectively inhibited the growth of H-ras transformed cells with a GI(50) value of 40 microM. FACS analysis indicated that the compound exerted its anti-proliferation effects through cell cycle arrest at G2/M phase and accumulation of sub-G1 population. Dehydrotrametenolic acid-induced apoptosis was further confirmed with chromosomal DNA fragmentation, caspase-3 activation, and degradation of PARP and Lamin A/C degradation, according to “Dehydrotrametenolic acid selectively inhibits the growth of H-ras transformed rat2 cells and induces apoptosis through caspase-3 pathway” by Kang HM, Lee SK, Shin DS, Lee MY, Han DC, Baek NI, Son KH, Kwon BM.(4)
5. Etc.

Side Effects
1. Do not use the herb in case of spleen deficiency
2. Overdoses may cause weaken the eye
3. Do not use the herb in case of kidney deficiency with urinary incontinence
4. Do not use the herb in newborn, children or if you are pregnant or breast feeding without consulting with the related field specialist.
5. Etc.