Pharmaceutical name:

Herba cum radice houttuyniae cordatae

Biological name:

Houttuynia cordata Thunb.

Pron. in Japanese:

juyaku 

Pron. in Korean:

osaengcho

Pron. in Cantonese:

jyu4 seng1 cou2

Other Names:

ji cai 蕺菜﹐zhe er gen折耳根﹐yu chao cao魚躁草

Common Name:

houttuynia, pig thigh

Distribution:

along Yangzi River and in southern part of China

Properties (characteristics)﹕ 性味﹕

acrid, bitter and slightly cool

Channels (meridians) entered:

歸經﹕

large intestine, lung

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.

Medical Function:

藥理﹕

• The main antibiotic ingredient is decanoylacetaldehyde (an essential

• oil).

• The essential oil of yu xing cao  can inhibit HIV-1 (AIDS-virus) in vitro .

• Its potassium salt and quercitin can enhance the function of capillaries,

• and can improve blood flow and promote urination.

Chemical ingredients:

Chemical ingredients （化学成份）:

• 十烷酸 占38.4%(Decanoic acid38.4%，)

• 十一酮-2  占10.1% (2-Undecanone10.1%)，

• 對聚伞素 (ρ-Cymene) ﹐

• 芳樟醇(Linalool)﹐

• 桉油素(Cineole)﹐

• 麝香草酚 等(Thymol & etc)。

全草含 (whole plant contains:)

• 阿福豆甙 (Afzerin)﹐

• 金丝桃甙(Hyperin)﹐

• 槲皮素 (Quercitin)  ﹐

• 蘆丁(芸 香醇)  (Rutin﹐)

• 綠原酸(Chlorogenic acid)﹐

• β-谷甾醇( β-Sitoterol)﹐

• 豆甾醇(Stigmasterol)﹐

• 菠菜甾醇(Spinasterol),s

• 蕺菜鹼(Cordarine)。

花及果穗含 (flowers and fruits contain:)

• 異槲皮甙(Isoquercitrin)﹐

• 檞皮素 (quercitin )

葉含 (leaves conain:)

• 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。

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

Modern Applications:

• 1. For treating inflammation of the respiratory tract.

• 2. For treating over expansion of bronchi.

• 3. For treating whooping cough

• 4. For water retention in the chest cavity caused by cancer

• 5. For preventing  infection after surgery

• 6. For  lowering fever

• 7. For treating bacterial diarrhea

• 8. For treating jaundice type of hepatitis

• 9. For treating kidney multiple syndroms

• 10. For treating ulceration of the neck of uterus

• 11. For treating inflammation of the pelvic area

• 12. For treating simple type of inflammation of the cornea

• 13. For treating sinus inflammation of the nose

• 14. For treating inflammation ( with pus) of the middle ear

• 15. For treating measles

• 16. For treating epidemic type of tonsillitis

• 17. For treating tumors of the blood vessels

• 18. For preventing leptospira disease:

Effectiveness: out of 1603 farm workers who took  yu xing cao pills only one person contacted the disease.[30]

(formulae to be uploaded)

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].