xie bai 薤白，jiu bai 韭白，jiu cai 韭菜

Pharmaceutical name 英文藥名﹕Herb Alliituberosi
Botanical name 學名﹕Allium tuberosum Rottler
Other Names 別名﹕jiu 韭，shan jiu 山韭，feng ben 豐本，bian cai 扁 菜，cao zhong ru 草鐘乳，qi yang cao 起陽草，chang sheng jiu 長生韭，lan ren cai 懶 人菜。
Common Name 其他外文名﹕English: Chinese leeks，Tagalog, Cebuan: kutsay，Nepalese: dundoku sag，Indonesian: bawang kucai。
Distribution 產地﹕
whole China.
全中國。
Properties (characteristics) 性味﹕
Seed: acrid, sweet, warm
葉：甘 ，辛，鹹，溫。
根：辛。
韭子：辛，甘，溫。
Channels (meridians) entered 歸經﹕
Seed: kidney, liver.
Leaves: stomach, liver, kidney.
Roots: liver.
韭菜籽：腎，肝。
葉：胃，肝，腎。
根：肝。
Medical functions 藥理﹕
The sulfur compound in jiu cai can help absorb vitamin A and B1.
Effect on cardiovascular system: its sulfur containing substance and ascorbic acid can improve the activities of endotthelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOs) thus  promoting vasodilation and lowering blood pressure, improving capillary circulation, and anti arterio-sclerosis.[7]
May inhibit stomach and asophagus cancer. [4]
jiu cai extract inhibited cancer cell growth and induced apoptosis in vitro. Oral administration of jiu cai extract significantly reduced lung metastases [5]
韭菜中的硫化物能幫助人體吸收維 生素B1及維生素A
有抗胃癌，食道癌之作用。[4]
韭菜提取物抑制腫瘤細胞的生長和誘導的凋亡。中國韭菜提取物口服顯著降低肺癌的轉移[5]。
Actions & Indications 主治﹕
Jiu cai is used as stimulating tonic. It possesses the effects of improving digestion, enhancing mental alertness, warming. Roots and leaves and be juiced and can be used for anti inflammation, arresting bleeding and pain. It is suitable for gan shen yin xu (liver-kidney yin deficient) with sweating during sleep, bed wetting, frequent urination, impotence, priapism, spermatorrhea, esophagus cancer, nausea, dysentery, abdomen pain, menses sickness, pain during menses, bleeding not during menses, vagina discharge, injuries from impact, vomiting blood, nose bleeding.  Being use inyinxu (yin deficient), immature ejaculation and spermtorrhea.
為振奮性強壯藥，有健胃，提神，溫暖作用。根，葉搗汁有消炎止血，止痛之功。適用於肝腎陰虚盜汗，遺尿，尿頻，陽痿，陽強不倒，遺精，夢遺，噎隔 (食管癌)，反胃，下痢，腹痛，婦女月經病，痛經，經漏，帶 下以及跌打損傷，吐血，鼻衄等症，用於補陰 虛，精關不固等。
Chemical ingredients 化學成份﹕
Four new steroidal saponins have been isolated from the seeds of Allium tuberosum: 26-O-β-d-glucopyranosyl-(25S,20R)-20-O-methyl-5α-furost-22(23)-en-2α,3β,20,26-tetraol 3-O-α-l-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→2)-[α-l-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→4)]-β-d-glucopyranoside (1); 26-O-β-d-glucopyranosyl-(25S,20R)-5α-furost-22(23)-en-2α,3β,20,26-tetraol 3-O-α-l-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→2)-[α-l- rhamnopyranosyl-(1→4)]-β-d-glucopyranoside (2); 26-O-β-d-glucopyranosyl-(25S,20S)-5α-furost-22(23)-en-2α,3β,20,26-tetraol 3-O-α-l-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→2)-[α-l- rhamnopyranosyl-(1→4)]-β-d-glucopyranoside (3); and 26-O-β-d-glucopyranosyl-(25S,20S)-5α-furost-22(23)-en-3β,20,26-triol 3-O-α-l-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→2)-[α-l-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→4)]-β-d-glucopyranoside (4).【1】
The plant contains: vitamin C, B1, B2, niacin, carotene, carbohydrates, and mineral. It also contain high level of fiber.
韭菜籽：四種新的甾體皂甙曾於韭菜籽分離出來。請看以上英文部分。
韭菜含 ：維生素C，維生素B1，維生素B2，尼克酸，胡蘿卜素，碳水化合物及礦物質。韭菜還含有豐富的纖維素。
Dosage 用量﹕
100 g to 200 g per meal.
Seed used in decoction: 6~12 g; or make into powder or pills.
每餐100克至200克。
韭子用量：6～12克，煎湯；或入丸散。
Toxicity & Cautions 毒素與禁忌﹕
It is not suitable for those who are yinxu (yin deficient). Because of its abundance of coarse fiber, it is not easy to be digested. Easting too much can irritate the the wall of the intestines and cause diarrhea.
According to Ben Cao Gang Mu eating too much jiu cai can lead to blurry eyesight and confusion or even coma 【2】. It should be avoided especially after drinking alcohol.
陰虛及 熱性病症的人不宜食用。韭菜的粗纖維多，不易消化吸收，，否則大量粗纖維可刺激腸壁而引起腹瀉。
《本 草綱目》 ：“韭菜多食則神昏【3】目暗，酒後尤 忌”。
凝集素 （lectins)
【1】【1】http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/jf001062b
【2】Jiu cai (Chinese leek) is high in oxalic acid. People with metabolism problems such as diabetes may be prone to developing kidney stones of calcium oxalate. Calcium oxalate can damage the kidneys and cause coma.
【3】神昏指昏迷，譫妄，昏蒙等神志異常的表現，是溫病常見的急危重證之一。本條是指腎臟機能衰竭而 致昏迷。韭菜含草酸很高。多吃（尤其有糖尿病者）能致草酸鈣之形成。草酸鈣的腎結石鋒利能損傷腎臟而致昏迷。
[4] http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=1882005
[5] J Altern Complement Med. 2001 Oct;7(5):517-22.
(by Joe Hing kwok Chu)

ze xie 澤瀉

Pharmaceutical name 英文药名：Alismatis Rhizoma
Biological name 拉丁學名：Alisma orientale (Sam.) Juzep.﹔Alisma plantago-aquatica L.var. orientale Sam.
Other Names 別名：
fu ze xie 福 澤 瀉, jiang ze xie 建澤瀉
Common Name 英文名：alisma
Distribution 分布：
It is mainly produced in Fu Jian province, so it is also called fu ze xie or jian ze xie.
主產於福建。所以也稱 為福澤瀉或建瀉。
Properties (characteristics) 性味：
sweet, bland, cold
甘 ，淡，寒。
Channels (meridians) entered 歸經：
kidney, bladder
歸腎，膀胱經。
Actions & Indications 主治：
for edema, painful and difficult urination (dysuria), diarrhea , leucorrhagia, caused by damp heat in the lower burner (xia jiao) which include urinary tract infection, vaginal yeast infection or vaginal bacteria infection.
下焦濕熱以致水腫、 小便不利、 泄瀉(泌尿系統或消化系統感染)、淋濁帶 下及痰飲等。
Medical Function 药理：
(1) lowers blood lipids: total cholesterol, inhibits hardening of main artery
(2) diuretic
(3) prevents fatty liver
(4) anti-pyretic (lowering fever)
(5) anti-bacterial (inhibits mycobacterium tuberculosis)
(6) hypoglycemic
(7) hypotensive
(8) galactagogue (promote milk secretion)
(9) anti tumor
(10) induces interferon
(11)  anti-allergic
(1)降血脂，可使血清總膽固醇及甘油三酯含量降低﹐能抑制主動脈粥樣硬化斑的形成
(2)利尿
(3)抗脂肪肝
(4) 退熱
(5) 抗菌 (抗肺癆菌)
(6) 降血糖
(7) 降血壓
(8) 促奶分泌
(9) 抗癌
(10) 增加干擾素
(11) 抗過敏
Chemical ingredients 化学成份：
alisol A、B、C / 瀉醇 A、B、C
alisol A monoacetate / 澤瀉醇A單乙酸酯
alisol B monoacetate / 澤瀉醇B單乙酸酯
alisol C monoacetate / 澤瀉醇C單乙酸醋
epialisol A / 表澤瀉醇 A
alismol / 澤瀉薁醇
alismoxide / 澤瀉薁醇氧化物
16β-methocyal-isol B monoacetate  / 16β-甲氧基澤瀉醇B單乙酸酯
16β-hydroxyal-isol B monoacetate / 16β-羥基澤瀉醇B單乙酸酯
sitosterol-3-O-steroyl-β-D-glucopyranoside / 谷甾醇-3-O-硬脂酰基 -β-D-吡喃葡萄糖甙
choline / 膽鹼
sugar / 糖
K, Ca, Mg etc / 鉀、鈣、鎂等元素。
Dosage 用量：
5- 10 g.
5~10克。
Modern Research:
Infusion of water extract of ze xie into abdomen cavities of laboratory mice at 36.36g/kg and those with venous injection of ze xie extract of .098g/kg and also those fed with 4g/kg did not show any mortality. Feeding 1 g and 2 g/kg (equals 20 and 40 times the amount of clinical usage) for 3 months, the animals were healthy. Their blood level of ALT and hemoglobin did show any differences with the control group. But, in examination, the cells of livers and kidney showed different degree of murkiness and mutation. The results of large dosages were more obvious. It showed that it might be the result of administered of the herb. The heart tissues did not show any changes.[3]
Cautions 禁忌：
Do not use in case of damp cold, spermatorrhea or leukorrhagia due to kidney yang deficiency.
Because of ze xie possesess diuretic effect, might not suitable for yin deficient condition.
See modern research above.
May cause intestinal irritation with prolonged usage.
因腎陽虛而致白帶﹐精滑者忌服。長期服用可能刺激腸臟。大劑量可能對肝臟與腎臟有害。
澤瀉有利尿作用，可能不利於陰虛者。
(by Joe Hing Kwok Chu)

yuan zhi 遠志

Pharmaceutical name: Radix Plygalae Tenuifoliae
Biological name: Polygala tenuifolia Willd. & Polygala sibirica L. (卵葉遠志)
Distribution:
Shanxi, Shaanxi, Hebei, Henan, Jilin
山西，陝西，河北，河南，吉林。
Properties (characteristics) 性 味:
bitter, acrid, slghtly warm
苦，辛，略溫。
Channels (meridians) entered 歸經:
heart, lung
心，肺。
Actions & Indications:
for insomnia, forgetfulness, palpitation with fright, cough with abundance of phlegm, cough with difficulty in expelling phlegm, emotional and disorientation with abundance of phlegm, seizures, anxiety, listlessness, boils, abscesses, sores, tumor of breasts, swollen and painful breast,
用 於 失 眠﹐ 健 忘﹐ 驚 悸﹐ 咳 嗽 痰 多 ， 咳 嗽 咯 痰 不 爽﹐ 痰 迷 神 昏﹐ 癲 癇 發 作﹐ 煩 躁 不 安﹐神 志 不 清﹐ 瘡 瘍 腫 毒﹐ 瘡 癰 初 起﹐ 乳 癰 腫 痛 等 。
Medical function 藥理作用﹕
(1). Expectorant effect
       In studies with mice, a water decoction of 15g/kilo of body weight, taken internally, had an expectorant effect. This could be because the ingredient saponin stimulates the mucus lining of the stomach. This in turn triggers the bronchii to secrete more mucus. According to the traditional Materia Medica, the part of yuan zhi that has been used is the skin of the root. But now the whole root is used, including the middle part. But according to chemical ingredients, the skin of the root and the middle part are different. With mice, using the skin alone, the smallest effective amount is 1.25 grams/kilo. Using the middle wooden part of the root alone, the amount of 50 grams/kilo has no effect at all. The wooden part of the root contains very little saponin -- only 4 per cent of the amount contained in the skin. There is also a report that 1 gram /kilo of yuan zhi decoction infused into the stomachs of anesthetized dogs had no expectorant effect.
(2). Calming effect
(3)  Lower blood pressure
(4)  Blood thinning effect
(5)  Effect on uterus
(6) Anti cancer effect
(7) Antibiotic effect
藥理作用﹕
(1) 袪痰
(2) 鎮靜
(3) 降血壓
(4) 溶血作用
(5) 對子宮作用
(6) 抗突 變﹐抗癌作用
(7) 抗菌
Chemical ingredients 化學成份﹕
1. (onjisaponin) A, B, C, D, E, F, G[1, 2] ; (tenuifolin); (2beta, 27-dihydroxy-23-carboxyoleanolic acid 3-beta-O-glucoside); (tenuigenin A); (tenuigenin B).
2. (onjixanthone); (1, 6-dihydroxy-3, 7-dimethoxy xanthone); (1-hydroxy-3, 6, 7-trimethoxy xanthone)[4].
3. (5-anhydro-D-sorbitol); (N-acetyl-D-glucosamine)[5].
4. (3, 4, 5-trimethoxy-cinnamic acid)[1]; (polygalitol); (tenuidine).
Dosage 用量:
5 to 10 g in decoction.
5 ~ 10 克。入煎劑。
Cautions 禁 忌 ：
Not to use in cases of heat is abundance, and where heat toxin and the body functions are over active. Use caution in cases of pixu (spleen deficient).
實 熱 熾 盛﹐ 熱 毒 陽 盛 者 忌 服 ， 脾 虛 者 慎 服 。
(by Joe Hing Kwok Chu)