ABSTRACT
This study took herbal medicinePoria cocosas an example to establish a method to explore the potential function of herbal medicine. And then, the new function was identified through the systematic study. It was able to improve the application range of herbal medicine and the clinical therapeutic effects. The established database management system ofPu-Ji-Fanghad been used for the searching ofPoria cocosin the treatment of different diseases in order to receive the compound prescription containedPoria cocos in different diseases. Then, indications recorded in herbalism literatures through dynasties and thePharmacopoeia of People’s Republic of China(Chinese Pharmacopoeia) were compared. Through statistical analysis and logical judgment, as well as the combination of modern pharmacological research results and clinical therapeutic evaluations, the overall understanding on conventional and potential functions ofPoria cocos were received. The results showed that the functions ofPoria cocos summarized through dynasties contained alleviating thirst, eliminating phlegm, enhancing memory, astringent, relieving cough and vomiting, invigorating blood circulation, promoting appetite and securing fetus, as well as treatment of deficiency, vomiting, stroke, diabetes, cough, cold damage syndrome, convulsion and other syndrome, were not recorded in theChinese Pharmacopoeia. It was concluded that tonifying kidney, relieving cough and phlegm, relieving vomiting, alleviating thirst, expelling wind, relieving convulsion and securing fetus were the potential function ofPoria cocos, which should arouse the attention from the academic community.
ABSTRACT
Through the investigation ofGentiana macrophylla in herbalism literatures, ancient prescriptions and theChinese Pharmacopoeia 2010 edition, we found that functions from ancient herbalism and prescriptions were in conformity with those from theChinese Pharmacopoeia. However, other functions recorded in ancient literatures such as dissipating wind, calming the liver to stop wind, clearing heat-fire, stopping bleeding, relieving cough were not included in theChinese Pharmacopoeia. With modern studies on pharmacodynamics and clinical applications, these functions were primarily conformed as the lost potential functions ofG. macrophylla.
ABSTRACT
This study was aimed to investigate the functions and indications ofRehmannia glutinosa from old herbalism documents. The database management system ofPu-Ji-Fang was used to summarize the whole function, which was compared with theChinese Pharmacopoeia 2010 edition. The results showed that besides the same function,R. glutinosa was also widely used in the treatment of various heat syndromes, deficiency, sore ulcer, traumatism, irregular menstruation, arthralgia, blood stasis, apoplexia, cough, restlessness, and etc. With modern studies on pharmacodynamics and clinical applications, potential functions ofR. glutinosa were primarily conformed as clearing heat-fire (clearing heat-toxin), tonifying, promoting blood circulation to remove blood stasis, soothing nerves, calming liver to extinguish wind, and removing wind-damp syndromes.