Holistic Health Articles and Research Related to Herbal Medicines, Foods and Phytochemicals : Chinese Herbs – Kuan Dong Hua (Tussilaginis Farfarae flos)

Wednesday, 6 November 2013

Chinese Herbs – Kuan Dong Hua (Tussilaginis Farfarae flos)

Kuan Dong Hua is also known as common coltsfoot flowers. The acrid, warm herb has been used in TCM to calm cough and asthma, stimulate respiratory and cardiovascular effects, expel phlegm, etc., as it moistens the Lungs, moves Qi downwards, calms cough, transforms Phlegm, etc., by enhancing the functions of lung channels

Ingredients
1. Faradiol
2. Butin
3. Arnidiol
4. Farfaratine
5.Tussilagine
6. 14-acetoxy-7β-[3’-ethyl crotonoloxy]-notonipetranome
14-acetoxy-7β-3’-ethylcrotomoyloxy]-1α-[2’-methylbutyryloxy]-
notonipetranone
7. 7β-[3’-ethyl-crotonoyloxy]-lα-
[2’-methylbutyryloxy]-3,14-dehydro-Z-motomipetranone
8. Etc.

Health Benefits

1. Neuroprotective and antioxidant effects

In the investigation of the effects of the ethyl acetate (EA) fraction on various types of neuronal cell damage induced in primary cultured rat cortical cells, found that the EA fraction potently inhibited the neuronal damage induced by arachidonic acid. We also found that it significantly attenuated the neuronal damage induced by spermine NONOate, a stable NO generator. In addition, it inhibited the A(beta(25-35))-induced neurotoxicity and glutamate- or N-methyl-D-aspartic acid-induced excitotoxicity. It was found that the oxidative neuronal damage induced by H2O2, xanthine/xanthine oxidase, or Fe(2+)/ascorbic acid was also inhibited by the EA fraction. Furthermore, it was shown to inhibit lipid peroxidation initiated by Fe(2+)/ascorbic acid in rat brain homogenates, and scavenge DPPH radicals(1)

2. Carcinogenic activity

In the evaluation of the carcinogenicity of young, pre-blooming flowers of coltsfoot, Tussilago farfara L., in inbred strain ACI rats, divided into 4 groups: Group I received 32% coltsfoot diet for 4 days, and subsequently 16% diet until the termination of experiment. Groups II and III respectively received 8% and 4% coltsfoot diet for 600 days. Group IV was fed a normal diet as a control group, found that after 600days, all the rats in Group I survived beyond 380 days after the start of feeding and 8 out of 12 rats developed hemangioendothelial sarcoma in the liver, whereas only one out of 10 rats developed the tumor in Group II, and no tumors were observed in Group III. Chemical studies on the dried, young flowers used in this experiment suggested that the carcinogenicity of coltsfoot is most probably due to senkirkine, a hepatotoxic pyrrolizidine alkaloid(2)

3. Anti inflammatory effects

In the demonstration of that TSL, Tussilagone (TSL), isolated from the flower of buds of Tussilago farfara (Compositae),exerts anti-inflammatory activities in murine macrophages by inducing heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) expression, found that TSL may be an effective HO-1 inducer that has anti-inflammatory effects, and a valuable compound for modulating inflammatory conditions(3)

4. Antimicrobial activity

In the investigation of the antimicrobial activity of crude ethanolic extracts of 16 Siberian medicinal plants, showed that 12 showed antimicrobial activity against one or more species of microorganisms. The most active antimicrobial plants were Bergenia crassifolia, Chelidonium majus, Rhaponticum carthamoides, Sanguisorba officinalis, and Tussilago farfara(4)

5. Etc

Side Effects
1. Do not use the herb in case of cough with yin deficiency
2.Not use the herb in newborn, children, if you are pregnant or breast feeding without first consult with the related field specialist.
3. Etc.