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Recently, Chinese Medicine is well accepted as a health care remedy. However, substitution and adulteration of Chinese herbs are commonly reported among the public in Taiwan.. It may reduce the therapeutic effect even do harm to people. Therefore, it is important to avoid the misusage of Chinese crude drugs. Between January and March in 1998, we have identified the origins of 24 common misused crude drugs from 40 Chinese pharmacy stores or Chinese clinic by random sampling in Taiwan. Among those, nine drugs (Radix Isatisis, Rhizoma Dryopteris Crassirhizomae, Herba Polygoni Avicularis, and Semen Hyoscyami) were completely substituted by other crude drugs, and the compositions of other nine drugs (Radix Astragali, Radix Cyathulae, Semen Vaccariae, Rhizoma Cynanchi Stauntonii, Radix Cynanchi Atrati, Herba Ecliptae, Herba Taraxaci, and Radix Stephaniae Fangchi) were altered by more than 85%, while the remaining six drugs (Rhizoma Pinelliae, Herba Taxilli, Herba Artemisiae Scopariae, Fructus Aristolochiae, Fructus Gardeniae, Indigo Naturalis)showed different degrees of adulteration.
Jishengs have been used to treat rheumatism, upset at gestation, and hypertension in traditional Chinese medicine. According to the preliminary study, Jishengs were derived primarily from the stems of Scurrula liquidambaricolus (HAY.) DANSER (SL) and Viscum colortum (KOM.) NAKAI (VC) in the trade market of Taiwan. We have investigated and compared their biological effects of these two species of Jishengs. The methanolic extract of SL inhibited formalin-induced later phase of licking paw response in mice, suppressed carrageenin-induced rat paw edema, liver protection, kidney protection, Antioxidation, and decreased the tension and frequency of constriction in isolated rat uterus smooth muscle. The methanolic extract of VC decreased blood pressures, liver protection, kidney protection, Antioxidation, and relaxed the isolated thoracic aorta in rats.
Jishengs usually used the stem and leave of original plants in traditional Chinese medicine. Clinical use of Jishengs in Taiwan, not only used the stem and root of SL but also included the branch of host plant Morus alba (MA). We have investigated and compared their biological effects of various part of Jishengs. The findings that whole herb of SL (include the stem and root of SL and the branch of MA) shown the most ability to inhibit formalin-induced later phase of licking paw response in mice and to suppress carrageenin-induced rat paw oedema in rats than other parts of this herb. Quercetin, one of constituent of SL may play a important role of the anti-inflammatory effect. Whole herb of SL decrease the tension and frequency of constriction in isolated rat uterus smooth muscle than other parts of this herb MA, the host plant of Jishengs also shown the ability of decrease the tension and frequency of constriction in isolated rat uterus smooth muscle.
According to the above results, we found that there is a serious problem of substitution and adulteration in some Chinese crude drugs. Jishengs, the improtant traditional Chinese medicine in Taiwan, its seems a clear rationale for exploring the effectiveness of SL in the treatment of inflammatory diseases and protection of gestation, and VC in the treatment of hypertension. The whole herb of SL shown the most ability of bioactivity than other part of this herb.
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