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)