Holistic Health Articles and Research Related to Herbal Medicines, Foods and Phytochemicals : Chinese Herbs – Ma Bo (Fructificatio Lasiosphaerae seu Calvatiae)

Monday, 4 November 2013

Chinese Herbs – Ma Bo (Fructificatio Lasiosphaerae seu Calvatiae)

Ma Bo is also known as Pearly puffball. The acrid and neutral herb has been used in TCM to treat pain in the throat, coarse voice, inhibit bacteria and use xternally for nose bleeding and bleeding due to injuries, etc., as it clears the Lungs, expels toxins stops bleeding, etc., by enhancing the function of lung channels.
Ingredients

Health Benefits
1. Anti-Cancer Effects
Researchers at the College of Life Sciences, National Chiayi University, in the study of Anti-Cancer Effects of Protein Extracts from Calvatia lilacina, Pleurotus ostreatus and Volvariella volvacea, found that The PO and VV protein extracts induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, glutathione (GSH) depletion and mitochondrial transmembrane potential (ΔΨ(m)) loss in SW480 cells. Pretreatment with N-acetylcysteine, GSH or cyclosporine A partially prevented the apoptosis induced by PO protein extracts, but not that induced by VV extracts, in SW480 cells. The protein extracts of CL, PO and VV exhibited therapeutic efficacy against human colorectal adenocarcinoma cells and human monocytic leukemia cells. The PO protein extracts induced apoptosis in SW480 cells partially through ROS production, GSH depletion and mitochondrial dysfunction. Therefore, the protein extracts of these mushrooms could be considered an important source of new anti-cancer drugs(1)
2. Human colorectal cancer
Scientists at the Toko University, Puzih City, in the investion of Calvatia lilacina protein-extract induces apoptosis through glutathione depletion in human colorectal carcinoma cells, reported that a novel protein extract isolated from Calvatia lilacina (CL) can induce cell death against four types of human colorectal cancer cells. Importantly, CL was shown to be free of apoptotic effects against normal rat liver cells. We have also identified that CL-induced glutathione (GSH) depletion is the major contributor responsible for the apoptotic cell death induction of SW 480 cells, as evidenced by the observation that exogenously added N-acetylcysteine (NAC), or GSH, but not vitamin C, could offer a near complete protection of CL-treated cells against apoptotic cell death. Furthermore, the participation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) evoked a drop in the transmembrane potential (Delta Psi(m)) in the CL-induced apoptotic cell death(2)
3. Antiproliferative and antimitogenic activities
In the study to exmaine the antiproliferative and antimitogenic activities of the extracted Fresh fruiting bodies of the mushroom Calvatia caelata, with 10 mM Tris-HCl buffer (pH 7.2) showed that Calcaelin inhibited translation in rabbit reticulocyte lysate with an IC 50 value of 4 nM and displayed a heat-labile RNase activity of 1.58 U/mg toward yeast tRNA. It exhibited an antimitogenic activity toward mouse splenocytes, and it reduced the viability of breast cancer cells. There was no hemagglutinating, antibacterial or antifungal activity(3)
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Side Effects
1. Do not use in case of voice loss as a result of wind cold
2. It may cause allergic reaction, including dizziness, throat feels swollen, heaviness in chest, itchiness , rash. etc.
3. Do not use the herb in newborn, children, or if you are pregnant or breast feeding with first consulting with the related field specialist.
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