Properties: Bitter, warm, toxic
Meridans Entered:
Primary: None given
Traditional Actions/Indications:
- Dispels Cold and alleviates pain
Gout and cancer
Hepatitis and liver fibrosis
Suggested Daily Dosage:
Notable Constituents:
- Colchinine
Alkaloid with anti-gout and anti-inflammatory activities. Its mechanism is not completely known but it binds to tubulin, interfering with its polymerization, interrupting microtubule dynamics, and disrupting mitosis. This leads to an inhibition of migration of leukocytes and other inflammatory cells, thereby reducing the inflammatory response to deposited urate crystals. It may also interrupt the cycle of monosodium urate crystal deposition in joint tissues, thereby also preventing the resultant inflammatory response.
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.
