Xian Mao - Curculigo Orchoides

Professional Data
 Pin Yin
Xian Mao
 
 Latin
Rhizoma Curculiginis
 Introduction Back to Top
Common Curculigo Rhizome is the dried rhizome of Curc ligo orchioides Gaertn. (Fam. Amaryllidaceae) The drug is collected in autumn and winter, removed from root stock and fibrous root, washed clean, and dried.
 Western medical Back to Top
This herb is indicated in the treatment of impotence, emission, enuresis, abdominal pain, etc..
 Eastern medical Back to Top
  • Pattern: Warms the Kidney, strengthens yang, removes and dispels Cold and Damp.
  • Properties: Acrid, hot.
  • Channels entered: Kidney.
 Chemical constituents Back to Top
The main chemical constituents of common curculigo rhizome include resin, fat, tannide, curculigoside, lycorine, b-sitosterol, etc..
 Pharmacological actions Back to Top
Effects on endocrine system

Gastrogavage of water extract of xian mao to rats at the dosage of 1g/100g bid for 5 days can obviously increase the weight of ovary, uterus, and posterior pituitary.

Gastrogavage of compound water decoction of xian mao, xian ling pi and rou cong rong in the proportion of 2:2:3 to rats with hypothyroidism at the dosage of 5g per day for 8~9 days can restore the normal oxygen consumption in the liver tissue, improve sympathetic-adrenal medulla function, increase the promoting function of catecholamine to energy metabolism and increase basal metabolic rate as well.

Effects on nervous system

Intraperitoneal injection of lycorine at the dosage of 5mg/kg to rats can obviously prolong the latent period of the conditional reflex, partly suppress positive conditional reflex and then restore it. Injection of 2mg/kg to mice has obvious sedative effect. At the dosage of 12mg/kg, it can prolong the sleeping time induced by pentobarbitale sodium, and has obvious analgesic and antifebrile actions.

Effects on cardiovascular system

Water extract of xian mao can dilate coronary artery and increase the cardiac output. Intravenous injection at the dosage of 6mg/kg to rabbits with bradyarrhythmia can significantly increase the heart rate. xian mao can also slightly lower the blood pressure.

Other functions

Lycorine can inhibit the anaerobic glycolysis of mice ascites carcinoma cells so that it can disturb its sugar metabolism to some extent. Intraperitoneal injection of lycorine at the dosage of 6mg/kg can increase the excretion of uric acid.

Water extract of xian mao can promote the survive of antibody onload="highlight();" and prolong its function.

 Clinical Studies Back to Top
Infantile primary nephrotic syndrome

Supplemented Er Xian Tang: xian mao, yin yang huo, rou cong, ba ji tian, bu gu zhi, shan yu rou, shan yao, bai zhu, xuan shen, mai dong, quan gua lou, 9g each; tu si zi, sheng yi yi ren, 30g each. This formula was applied in the period of quitting hormone and remission stage. Treat the patients according to TCM differentiation for 1~1.5 years. Except for 3 cases among the treated 60 cases, all were relieved to various extent.

Chronic atrophic gastritis

Bu Shen Fu Wei Tang (experiential formula): xian mao, ba ji tian, rou cong rong, 15~30g each; bei sha shen, bie jia, mai dong, shi hu, 12~20g each; dang shen, fu ling, huang qi, bai zhu, shan yao, 20~30g each; chai hu, bai shao, zhi shi, yuan hu, 10~15g each; yin yang huo, 12g; gan cao, 8g; modify the formula according to accompanied symptoms and signs, water decoction, 1 dose every day, being taken in three times, 45 days as a course of treatment. 94.5% of the treated 384 cases were effective.

Idiopathic edema

Xian Qi Yin: xian mao, yin yang huo, 15g each; huang qi, 30g; jiao bai zhu, fu ling, ze xie, 20g; fang ji, mu gua, 10g each; lou ku, 5g. Modify the formula according to TCM formula, water decoction, 1 dose every day, for 5~15 days. 34 out of the treated 38 cases were effective.
 
 References Back to Top

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