Friday, 1 November 2013

Chinese Herbs – Ting Li Zi (Semen Descurainiae seu Lepidii)

Ting Li Zi is also known as Pepperweed/Tansymustard Seed. The acrid, bitter and cold herb has been used in TCM to treat whooping cough, pleurisy, idiopathic pneumothorax, pulmonary edema, ascites, acute nephritis, etc., by enhancing the functions of lung, heart, liver, stomach and bladder channels.

Ingredients
1. Stophanthidin
2. Evomonoside
3. Helvticoside
4. Evbioside
5. Erysimoside
6. Glucosinolates,
7. Benzyl isothiocyanate
8. Allyl isothiocynatge
9. Allyl isothiocyanate
10. 3-butenyl isothiocyanate
11. Etc.

Health Benefits
1. Phytotoxicity and antioxidant activity 
In the study to evaluate the possible in vitro phytotoxic effects of 27 flavonoids on the germination and early radical growth of Raphanus sativus L. and Lepidium sativum L.,  2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) test confirms the antioxidant activity of luteolin, quercetin, catechol, morin, and catechin. The biological activity recorded is discussed in relation to the structure of compounds and their capability to interact with cell structures and physiology. No correlation was found between phytotoxic and antioxidant activities(1).
2. Immunomodulatory activity
In the study to evaluate the immunomodulatory activity of protein extracts (PEs) of 14 Moroccan medicinal plants, found that the first group represented by Citrullus colocynthis, Urtica dioica, Elettaria cardamomum, Capparis spinosa and Piper cubeba showed a significant immunosuppressive activity. The second group that showed a significant immunostimulatory activity was represented by Aristolochia longa, Datura stramonium, Marrubium vulgare, Sinapis nigra, Delphynium staphysagria, Lepidium sativum, Ammi visnaga and Tetraclinis articulata(2).
3. Airways Disorders
in the study of Pharmacological Basis for the Medicinal Use of Lepidium sativum in Airways Disorders,
indicated that bronchodilatory effect of Lepidium sativum is mediated through a combination of anticholinergic, Ca(++) antagonist and PDE inhibitory pathways, which provides sound mechanistic background for its medicinal use in the overactive airways disorders(3).
4. Antidiarrheal and antispasmodic activities
in the study to provide the pharmacological basis for the medicinal use of Lepidium sativum in diarrhea using in vivo and in vitro assays, found that  Lepidium sativum seed extract possesses antidiarrheal and spasmolytic activities mediated possibly through dual blockade of muscarinic receptors and Ca(++) channels, though additional mechanism(s) cannot be ruled out and this study explains its medicinal use in diarrhea and abdominal cramps(4).
5. Etc.

Side Effects
1. Do not use the herb in case of whooping cough and cough as a result of lung qi or spleen deficiency
2. Do not use the herb in newborn, children or if you are pregnant or breast feeding without first consulting with the related field specialist.
3. Etc.


Sources
(1) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22754304 
(2) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22301818
(3) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22291849
(4) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22006354

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