Gan Lan - Canarium album

Professional Data
 Pin Yin
Gan Lan
 
 Latin
Fructus Canarii
 Introduction Back to Top
Fructus canarii is the dried ripe fruit of Canarium album Raeusch. (Fam. Bruseraceae). The drug is collected in autumn when ripe, and dried.
 Western medical Back to Top
This herb is often indicated in the treatment of throat diseases, acute bacillary dysentery, etc..
 Eastern medical Back to Top
  • Pattern: Clears and benefits the throat, generates Fluid, quenches thirst, removes Toxin.
  • Properties: Sweet, astringent, sour, neutral.
  • Channels entered: Lung and Stomach.
 Chemical constituents Back to Top
The main chemical constituents contained in this herb are protein, fat, carbohydrate, calcium, and Vit C, etc..
 Pharmacological actions Back to Top

None.
 Clinical Studies Back to Top
Acute bacillary dysentery

100g fresh gan lan along with kernels were made into 100ml juice after 2~3 hours' decoction in 200ml water. The juice was taken in 3~4 times. 1 dose every day, till stools returned to normal. Retention enema could be made with this juice if stool condition didn't improve and stool culture kept positive, 1~2 times every day, 3 days in succession. 49 cases of acute bacillary dysentery were treated. After the administration, fever was removed within 12 hours averagely, times of defecation returned to normal within 2.8 days, stool condition restored within 3.8 days, and stool culture turned negative within 4.1 days.

Skin diseases

Decoction of gan lan could be used as wet dressing to treat acute inflammatory skin diseases. This method could effectively diminish inflammation and decrease effusion.

 
 References Back to Top

Except those noted, all references come from Weng Weiliang, et al., Clinical Chinese materia medica, Henan Science & Technology Press, 1998