Holistic Health Articles and Research Related to Herbal Medicines, Foods and Phytochemicals : Chinese Herbs– Hu Huang Lian or Huan Lian (Rhizoma Coptidis)

Saturday, 9 November 2013

Chinese Herbs– Hu Huang Lian or Huan Lian (Rhizoma Coptidis)

Hu huang Lian or Huang Lian is also known as coptis rhizome. The bitter and cood herb has been used in TCM as anti palette coagulation, anti arrhythmia, anti diabetic agent and to relief heat toxicity, indigestion, diabetes, inflammation of intestine, diarrhea caused by bacterial infection, high fever, restlessness, insomnia, etc., as it eliminates Empty-Heat and Damp-Heat, clears Heat, etc., by enhancing the functions of heart, large intestine, liver, and stomach channels
Ingredients
1. Berberine
2. Colchicine
3. Coptisine
4. Worenine
5. Palmatine
6. Jatrorrhizine
7. Magnoflorine
8. Kutkin
9. Etc.
Health Benefits
1. Hypoglycemic and hypocholesterolemic effects
In the investigation of the hypocholesterolemic and hypoglycemic activities of Coptis chinensis franch inflorescence (Coptis inflorescence), using animal models, found that The level of total and LDL cholesterol were reduced markedly in a dose dependent manner, in rats given Coptis inflorescence extract orally at doses of 0.25, 0.5 g/kg.day for 4 weeks. In diabetic rats induced by alloxan, Coptis inflorescence extract showed a significant (p < 0.05) blood sugar lowering activity at all experimented doses (0.125, 0.25 and 0.5 g/kg.day). The highest reduction of blood sugar was about 58% when the rats were given Coptis inflorescence extract orally at a dose of 0.5 g/kg.day for 3 weeks. The 100 g dried water extract of Coptis inflorescence contained 8.11 g total alkaloid, 3.34 g berberin, 1.08 g palmatine and 0.66 g jatrorrhizine, according to ‘Hypoglycemic and hypocholesterolemic effects of Coptis chinensis franch inflorescence” by Yuan L, Tu D, Ye X, Wu J.(1)
2. Anti-diabetic effects
In a multi-central randomized controlled study of the positive effects on regulating glycometabolism in type 2 diabetes (T2DM) patients of Chinese formula Tang-Min-Ling (TML), an improved product of the decoction of Dachaihu which has a history of more than 2000 years, has main constituents of Coptis chinensis Franch, Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi, Rheum officinale Baill and Bupleurum chinense DC., found that the Chinese medicine TML, which contains Coptis chinensis Franch as one of its components, improves glycometabolism and its possible mechanisms may involve in improvement of insulin resistance of OLETF rats, according to “Anti-diabetic effects of a Coptis chinensis containing new traditional Chinese medicine formula in type 2 diabetic rats” by Zhen Z, Chang B, Li M, Lian FM, Chen L, Dong L, Wang J, Yu B, Liu WK, Li XY, Qin PJ, Zhang JH, Tong XL.(2)
3. Oxidative damage and antioxidant responses
In the valuation of Berberine, extracted from golden thread (Coptis chinensis Franch), and its allelochemical exhibiting inhibitory effects on the growth of Microcystis aeruginosa, found that berberine-induced oxidative damage might be at least partially responsible for berberine inhibition on M. aeruginosa growth, according to ‘Oxidative damage and antioxidant responses in Microcystis aeruginosa exposed to the allelochemical berberine isolated from golden thread” by Zhang S, Zhang B, Dai W, Zhang X.(3)
4. Anti cancers
In the investigation of the synergistic effect and mechanism of anticancer activity of Zuojinwan ( ZJW), comprising Coptis chinensis Franch ( HL) and Evodia rutaecarpa (Juss.) Benth ( WZY) at a ratio of 6 : 1 (w/w) and In vivo, for its anticancer activity testing on the inhibitionj of the growth of S180 tumor, found that a clear synergistic effect on the anticancer activity was observed with ZJW, and the mechanism of antitumor growth may be due to an effect on gene expression and activities of tumor markers in serum, according to”In vivo inhibition of S180 tumors by the synergistic effect of the Chinese medicinal herbs Coptis chinensis and Evodia rutaecarpa” by Wang XN, Xu LN, Peng JY, Liu KX, Zhang LH, Zhang YK.(4)
5. Anti inflammatory effects
In the evaluation of The combined ethanol extract from the cortex of Phellodendron amurense Rupr (Rutaceae) and the rhizomes of Coptis chinensis Franch (Ranunculaceae), named RAH13, for antiinflammatory properties using animal models of acute inflammation, found that oral administration of RAH13 at a dose of 200 mg/kg showed in vivo antiinflammatory activity as potent as the effects associated with 100 mg/mL of celecoxib or 1 mg/kg of dexamethasone. These effects were seen in both acute and chronic inflammation models, suggesting that RAH13 may be effective in controlling some inflammation-related diseases, according to “Antiinflammatory effects of a combined herbal preparation (RAH13) of Phellodendron amurense and Coptis chinensis in animal models of inflammation” by Park EK, Rhee HI, Jung HS, Ju SM, Lee YA, Lee SH, Hong SJ, Yang HI, Yoo MC, Kim KS.(5)
6. Antimicrobial activity
In the investigation of the antimicrobial activity of berberine, the main antibacterial substance of Coptidis rhizoma (Coptis chinensis Franch) and Phellodendri cortex (Phellodendron amurense Ruprecht), against clinical isolates of MRSA, and the effects of berberine on the adhesion to MRSA and intracellular invasion into human gingival fibroblasts (HGFs), found that berberine may have antimicrobial activity and the potential to restore the effectiveness of beta-lactam antibiotics against MRSA, and inhibit the MRSA adhesion and intracellular invasion in HGFs, according to ‘Antimicrobial activity of berberine alone and in combination with ampicillin or oxacillin against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus” by Yu HH, Kim KJ, Cha JD, Kim HK, Lee YE, Choi NY, You YO.(6)
7. Etc.
Side Effects
1. Do not use the herb in newborn, children or if you are pregnant or breast feeding without consulting first with the related field specialist
2. Hu Huang Lian should be used with caution for those patients with vomiting due to deficiency of the stomach, splenasthenic diarrhea or diarrhea(a)
3. Etc.