Trichosanthes Fruit
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Herbs for Clearing Phlegm
Trichosanthes Fruit
Latin:
Fructus Trichosanthis
Origin:
The ripe fruit of Trichosanthes kirilowii Maxim. (Trichosanthes Fruit) or Trichosanthes uniflora Hao (oneflower snakegourd), a perennial herbaceous vine, of the gourd family (Cucurbitaceae). Native to east Asia, the plant is grown in forest edges and thickets in China, Japan, Mongolia, Vietnam and Malaysia.
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The perennial climber grows to about 6 m at a fast rate. It has sharply lobed leaves, forked tendrils, clusters of five-petaled white flowers that are borne at the ends of long stalks that arise from the leaf axils, and clusters of oval, prickly, single-seeded fruits. It is in flower from July to September. The flowers are monoecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but both sexes can be found on the same plant) and are pollinated by insects. The plant cannot grow in the shade. It requires moist soil.
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In China, trichosanthes is distributed everywhere but mainly produced in the provinces Hebei, Henan, Anhui, Zhejiang, Shandong, Jiangsu, etc. Harvested in autumn, the shells and seeds are dried separately for use when raw; or, the kernels can be made into cream for use.
Also called Chinese Cucumber and Chinese Snakegourd.
Properties:
Sweet and slightly bitter in flavor, cold in nature, it is related to the lung, stomach and large intestine channels.
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Functions:
Removes heat-phlegm, relieves stuffiness of the chest to resolve masses and relaxes the bowels to relieve constipation.
Trichosanthes fruit is commonly used in Chinese herbalism, where it is considered to be one of the 50 fundamental herbs.
Applications:
1. Treats coughing and dyspnea (difficult breathing) due to phlegm-heat:
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This herb can clear heat from the lungs and resolve phlegm.
a) Infantile prolonged diaphragm-fever, coughing and dyspnea with phlegm:
This herb is used alone for the treatment of such ailments, e.g., Runfei San in the book 'Elucidated Recipes'. Clinically it is often used in combination with windweed rhizome (Rhizoma Anemarrhenae), thunberg fritillary bulb (Bulbus Fritillariae Thunbergii), etc.
, 百拇医药 b) Coughing with thick and yellowish sputum and tightness in the chest with difficulty in defecation due to accumulation of phlegm-heat in the interior:
This herb can also be used in combination with skullcap root (Radix Scutellariae), jack-in-the-pulpit (Rhizoma Arisaematis) with bile, immature citron or trifoliate orange (Fructus Aurantii Immaturus), etc., e.g., Qingqi Huatan Wan.
c) Asthmatic tracheitis (inflammation of the trachea) and asthma due to pulmonary heart disease:
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Recently it has been effective in the treatment of the captioned diseases with trichosanthes fruit injection.
2. Treats obstruction of qi in the chest, accumulation of pathogens in the chest, etc.:
This herb can not only remove and dissolve phlegm-heat, but also relieve stuffiness of the chest to reduce masses. Recently it has been used alone or in a compound preparation for coronary disease, resulting in good effects.
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a) Obstruction of qi in the chest due to stagnation of phlegm-heat in the chest and obstruction of the chest-yang:
The herb is used in combination with onion bulb (Bulbus Allii Macrostemi), e.g., Gualou Xiebai Baijiu Tang and Gualou Xiebai Banxia Tang.
b) Sensation of fullness in the chest with pain under finger pressure due to accumulation of phlegm-heat in the chest:
It is used in combination with Chinese goldthread rhizome (Rhizoma Coptidis) and pinellia tuber, e.g., Xiao Xianxiong Tang.
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c) Coronary disease mainly due to stagnation of qi:
This herb is used in combination with agalloch eaglewood, aromatic turmeric root-tuber (Radix Curcumae), nutgrass flatsedge rhizome (Rhizoma Cyperi), etc.
d) Coronary disease mainly due to blood stasis:
This herb is used in combination with red-rooted salvia root (Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae), peach kernels, safflower, etc.
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3. Treats pulmonary abscess, acute appendicitis, acute mastitis, etc.:
The herb can subdue swelling and resolve masses.
a) Coughing out of bloody and purulent sputum due to pulmonary abscess:
It is used in combination with houttuynia, reed root, etc.
b) Acute appendicitis:
This herb is used in combination with patrinia root, sargent gloryvine stem (Caulis Sargentodoxae), etc.
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c) Initial attacks of acute mastitis with redness, swelling, heat and pain:
It is used in combination with Chinese angelica, olibanum and myrrh, e.g., Shenxiao Gualou San in the book 'The Complete Effective Recipes for Women'. It can also be used in combination with dandelion (Herba Taraxaci), honeysuckle flower (Flos Lonicerae), Great burdock achene (Fructus Arctii), etc.
4. Treats constipation caused by dryness in the intestines:
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This herb can relax the bowels to relieve constipation.
It is often used in combination with hemp seed, bunge cherry seed (Semen Pruni), etc.
Dosage and Administration:
10-20 g., the whole trichosanthes fruit.
6-12 g., trichosanthes fruit peel.
10-15 g., trichosanthes fruit seed.
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Decoct for oral administration.
Cautions on Use:
Sweet in taste, cold in nature and slippery in property, this herb should be avoided by anyone with loose stools due to deficiency of the spleen or anyone with damp-phlegm or cold-phlegm.
It is against common monkshood rhizome (Rhizoma Aconiti).
Reference Materials:
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'Other Medical Records of Famous Physicians' :
"Clears obstruction of qi in the chest, making the human face look pleasant and lustrous."
'The Compendium of Materia Medica' ;
"Moisturizing the lungs, removing fire in the lungs, arresting coughing, washing away phlegm stagnated in the chest, relieving sore throat, curing diabetes, lubricating the large intestine and healing skin and external diseases."
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'The Narration of Materia Medica' :
"Trichosanthes fruit (Fructus Trichosanthis) is fluid, thick, fatty and moistening, so it is an herb to deal with the stagnation of phlegm due to heat and dryness. Therefore it is used for cold-phlegm, damp-phlegm, phlegm stagnated due to qi deficiency and phlegm accumulated due to food stagnancy, all of which are harmful with no benefit."
Toxic or Side Effects:
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Modern Researches:
This herb contains triterpenoid saponins, organic acids and their salts, resins, saccharides and pigments. The seed contains fatty oil, saponins, etc. Trichosanthes fruit peel contains a variety of amino acids and alkaloids.
Both the saponins contained and the total amino acids in the peel have expectorant effects and they can also reduce blood fat.
The peel of the fruit is used to treat a number of ailments, including cancer, jaundice, retained placenta, bronchial infections with thick phlegm and sore throat.
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Trichosanthes fruit seed has a purgative effect.
The fruit can inhibit Staphylococcus aureus, Diplococcus pneumoniae, hemolytic streptococcus, Bacillus pyocyaneus, Bacillus influenzae, Bacillus dysenteriae, B. typhi, B. paratyphi, E. coli, pseudomonas, Vibrio cholerae, V. proteus, etc. The fruit is traditionally prepared as a winter soup to ward off colds and influenza.
The fresh root has been noted for centuries as an abortifacient--a sponge soaked in its juice was placed in the vagina and induced an abortion in the second trimester of pregnancy. The root is taken internally in the treatment of diabetes, dry coughs, and to assist in the second stage of labour.
The root and/or the seed is powdered and used in the treatment of mammary cancer.
According to 'Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses' (Dorling Kindersley, London, 1995), recent research has isolated a protein called 'trichosanthin' in the roots and this is undergoing trials as a possible remedy for AIDS., 百拇医药