yu xing cao

ji cai 

蕺 菜

Pharmaceutical name:

Herba cum radice houttuyniae cordatae

Biological name:

Houttuynia cordata Thunb.

Pron. in Japanese:

juyaku

Pron. in Korean:

osaengcho

Pron. in Cantonese:

粤語發音：

jyu4 seng1 cou2

Common Name:

houttuynia, pig thigh

Distribution:

along Yangzi River and in southern part of China

Properties (characteristics)﹕ 性味﹕

acrid, bitter and slightly cool

味辛，性微寒。

Channels (meridians) entered:歸經﹕

large intestine, lung

肺﹐膀胱﹐大腸經。

Actions & Indications:

rid of heat and toxin, swellings, abscesses, expels pus. Use internally or topically. Promote urination, clear damp heat diarrhea, clear painful urination, for boils, gonorrhea.

清熱解毒，排膿消癰，利尿通淋。主治肺癰吐膿，痰熱喘咳，喉蛾，熱痢，癰腫瘡毒，熱淋。

Medical Function:

Chemical ingredients:

• 癸酰乙醛(Decanoylacetaldehyde)﹐
• 月桂烯(Myrcene)﹐
• α-蒎烯(α- Pinene)﹐
• d-檸檬烯(d-Limonene)﹐
• 甲基正壬酮(2-Methyheptenone)﹐
• 莰烯(Camphene)﹐
• 乙酸龍腦酯 (Bornyl acetate)﹐
• 芳樟醇(Linalool)﹐
• 石竹烯(Caryophyllene)﹐月桂醛(Dodecanaldehyde)等。

日本產鱼腥草主成分为 (main ingredients of yu xing cao produced in Janpan:)

• 十烷酸(Decanoic acid)，占38.4%，
• 十一酮-2 (2-Undecanone) 占10.1%，以及對聚伞素﹐
• 芳樟醇(Linalool)﹐
• 桉油素(Cineole)﹐
• 麝香草酚(Thymol)等。

全草含: (whole plant contains:)

• 阿福豆甙 (Afzerin)﹐
• 金丝桃甙(Hyperin)﹐
• 槲皮素﹐
• 蘆丁﹐
• 綠原酸(Chlorogenic acid)﹐
• β-谷甾醇( β-Sitoterol)﹐
• 豆甾醇(Stigmasterol)﹐
• 菠菜甾醇(Spinasterol)等。
• 蕺菜鹼(Cordarine)。

花及果穗含(flowers and fruits contains:)

• 異槲皮甙(Isoquercitrin)。

葉含 (the leaves contain:)

• 槲皮甙 (Quercetin)
• 無機成分：氯化钾 (Potassium chloride)﹐
• 硫酸钾 (Potassium sulfate)。

本種的鱼腥氣味是由于含有癸酰乙醛 (decanoylacetaldehyde) (CH₃-(CH₂)₈-COCH₂-CHO) 所致。

The fishy smells is caused by: decanoylacetaldehyde (CH₃-(CH₂)₈-COCH₂-CHO)
　

Dosage:

10 to 25 g (do not boil for long time). External use: according to need

10～25g。不宜久煎。外用適量。

Samples of formulae:

See:Acute infection, diarrhea

Cautions:

Juice from fresh yu xing cao inhibits staphylococcus aureus. After heating, it is less effective. Heating may cause the essential oil, an active ingredient to evaporate. Thus it becomes less effective.

Toxicity is mild. Vaginal applications  have caused inflammation but symptoms  subsided after stopping the applications.

There are reports that injectiones of yu xing cao extract had caused allergic reaction of shock [32-33] and death [34],  and also had caused skin atrophy type of skin inflammation [35].

本品含揮發油，不宜久煎。