Qing Dai - Indigo naturalis

Professional Data
 Pin Yin
Qing Dai
 
 Latin
Indigo naturalis
 Introduction Back to Top
Natural Indigo is the dried powder or mass prepared from the leaf or the stem and leaf of Baphicacanthus c sia (Nees) Bremek. (Fam. Acanthaceae), Polygonum thinctorium Ait. (Fam. Polygonaceae) or Isatis indigotica Fort. (Fam. Cruciferae).
 Western medical Back to Top
qing dai is indicated in the treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia, epilepsy, hepatitis, whooping cough, mumps, colonitis and skin diseases, etc..
 Eastern medical Back to Top
  • Pattern: Clears Heat, removes Toxin, disperses lumps, eliminates spots, cools Blood and stops bleeding.
  • Properties: Salty, cold.
  • Channels entered: Liver, Lung and Stomach.
 Chemical constituents Back to Top
The main ingredients of qing dai include ndirubin, indigo, b-sitosterol and laccerol, etc..
 Pharmacological actions Back to Top
Anti-tumor effect

Indirubin and qingdainone other ingredients in qing dai had anti-tumor activity. Indirubin had certain inhibitory effect on W256 sarcoma in rats, Lewis lung cancer, S180 scarcoma, breast cancer, liver cancer of ascitic type and ehrlich carcinoma in mice. In addition, indirubin had inhibitory effect on the DNS synthesis of bone marrow cells chronic in granulocytic leukaemia and DNA synthesis of WBC in acute and subacute granulocytic leukaemia.

Anti-bacterial effect

Ethanol infusion of qing dai had in vitro inhibitory effect on staphylococcus aureus, staphylococcus albus, anthrax bacillus, shigella dysenteriae, pneumobacillus, comma bacillus and leptospira, etc.. Tryptanthrin contained in qing dai had inhibitory effect on some dermatomyces.

Other effect

qing dai could improve the immune funtion and protect the liver. It also had anti-inflammatory, anti-convulsive, sedative, coagulation-promoting and wBC lowering effects.

 Clinical Studies Back to Top
Chronic myeloid leukemia

Indirubin was made into tablets, 150~200mg daily for adults, and in rare cases, the dosage could be 300~400mg, being taken in three times, for 1~6 months. 314 cases ov chronic myeloid leukemia were treated, and the total remission rate was 59.87%, total effective rate was 87.26%.

Epilepsy

qing dai, peng sha and shan yao (in the ratio of 1:3:6) were grounded into fine powder, 0.5g each tablet, 5g each time for adults, tid, after meals. 375 cases of epilepsy were treated, 3 cases were cured, 99 markedly effective, 226 effective and 47 ineffective.

Hepatitis

qing dai, ming fan and shan yao were grounded into fine powder in the ratio of 1:4:6, 6g daily, being taken in 2~3 times, other medications were also applied. Among 38 treated acute hepatitis, 36 cases were free of clinical symptoms, and hepatic functions restored; 2 cases were improved.

Whooping cough

qing dai, hai ge fen, 30g each and chuan bei mu, sheng gan cao 15g each were grounded into powder, 1.5g each time, tid after meals. 24 cases of infantile whooping cough were treated for 7~10 days. 15 cases were cured after 5~7 days, 8 after 8~10 days, another cases were cured in combination with 2 weeks' anti-bio treatment.

Mumps

ma xiang 30g and qing dai 10g were mixed with vinegar to apply externally to the affected area of mumps. 9 cases were treated and cured.

Colonitis

qing dai 2g, huang 1.5g, er cha 1g and ku fan 0.5g were grounded into powder and mixed with water for retention enema, once each night. 42 cases of chronic colonitis were treated together with herbs. 22 cases were cured, 12 basically cured and 8 effective.

Skin diseases

qing dai was used in the treatment of eczema, impetigo herpetifomis, shingles and psoriasis etc..
 
 References Back to Top

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