Properties: Bitter, warm, Toxic
Meridans Entered:
Primary: Heart, Kidney, Bladder, Pericardium
Traditional Actions/Indications:
- Warms Yang and disinhibits water
Congestive cardiac failure, rheumatic heart disease, paroxymal tachycardia
Oedema, especially if caused by cardiac failure
- Expels Wind and invigorates Blood
Heart pain, angina
Palpitations
Suggested Daily Dosage: 0.3g per dose, up to 1g per day with water.
Cautions: Overdose may cause nausea, vomiting, cardiac arrhythmia, headache and balance disorders.
The MHRA list of Banned and Restricted Herbal Ingredients limits the maximum dosage to 150mg per single dose, and up to 450mg maximum daily dose.
Notable Constituents: Roughly 38 different cardiac glycosides (cardenolides) have been found in the plant, including:
- Convallatoxin
Also has a role as a vasodilator.
- Convallaside
- Convallamarin
- Perconval
- Neoconvallotoxoloside
- Desglucocheirotoxin
- Desglucocheirotoxol
- Glucoconvalloside
- Majaloside
- Convallatoxon
- Corglycon
- Cannogenol-3-O-α-L-rhamnoside
- Cannogenol-3-O-β-D-allomethyloside
- Cannogenol-3-O-6-deoxy-β-D-allosido-β-D-glucoside,
- Cannogenol-3-O-6-deoxy-β-D-allosido-α-L-rhamnoside,
- Strophanthidin-3-O-6-deoxy-β-D-allosido-α-L-rhamnoside
- Strophanthidin-3-O-6-deoxy-β-D-allosido-α-L-arabinoside
- Strophanthidin-3-O-α-L-rhamnosido-2-β-D-glucoside
- Sarmentogenin-3-O-6-deoxy-β-D-allosido-α-L-rhamnoside
- Sarmentogenin-3-O-6-deoxy-β-D-guloside
- 19-hydroxy-sarmentogenin-3-O-α-L-rhamnoside
- 19-hydroxy-sarmentogenin
- Arabinosido-6-deoxyallose
- Lokundjoside
Also contains:
- Azetidine-2-carboxylic acid
Poisonous amino acid
- Bourgeonal
Aromatic aldehyde which acts as a chemoattractant to spermatazoa making them swim twice as fast. Also the only known odour substance which males have a higher average sensitivity to than females.
Notes:
Information is taken from Zhou, Xie & Yan (2011): Encyclopedia of Traditional Chinese Medicines Vol. 5, with additional information on meridians, tastes and indications from http://cht.a-hospital.com/w/%E9%88%B4%E8%98%AD and https://www.therapeutika.ch/Convallaria+majalis.
Does not appear in any formulae listed on this site
Research Links & References: (click to display)
Research Links:
Reference Notes:
Individual herb information has sourced mainly from TCM Wiki and American Dragon for basic data and then updated manually with my own notes. Zhou, Xie and Yan (2011): Encyclopedia of Traditional Chinese Medicines, Vol. 5, and A+ Medical Encyclopaedia have been used for entries not available from those sources with additional material searched for and filled in where available. Western herbs not appearing in the Chinese literature have used Ross (2010): Combining Western Herbs and Chinese Medicine: A Clinical Materia Medica, White Rabbit Institute of Healing and therapeutika.ch. Choices of which source to use or combine have been my own.
These pages are intended to assist clinicians and are not intended for self-diagnosis or treatment for which a qualified professional should be consulted. Actions and indications are taken from traditional uses and do not necessarily reflect the evidence base which should be researched independently. Dosages are for guidance only and will vary dependening on the potency of the batch and the tolerance of the individual so should be evaluated by a professional based on individual needs.
