Toggle Nav

Search

Currency

Research Archive

Welcome to our Chinese medicine and acupuncture research news pages. We add to the content of these pages continuously as more research news comes in. Browse through the complete archive below or use the category links on the right.

Please note that the most twenty recent research archive items are free to view but access to the thousands of items in the archive require a journal subscription.

Nanofibres explain healing properties of yunnan baiyao

Categories: Herb research

American scientists using atomic force microscopy (AFM) have discovered nano-scale fibres in Yunnan Baiyao, the traditional Chinese herbal medicine used to treat wounds. AFM images revealed an abundance of uniform nanofibres, about 25nm in diameter and 86-726nm in length, in a solution of Yunnan Baiyao powder. The authors suggest that the unique adhesive and structural properties of nanofibres may ...

Herbal extract protects neurones

Categories: Herb research

A compound extracted from a Chinese herb traditionally used in the treatment of cancer has been shown to have potent neuroprotective activity. Gambogic amide, derived from the resin of the Garcinia hanburryii tree (known as gamboge or tom rong), provides protection by mimicking the behavior of nerve growth factor (NGF). Both molecules bind to neuronal TrkA receptors and trigger activation of numer ...

'Dragon's blood' kills stomach ulcer bug

Categories: Digestive & Bowel disorders, Herb research

Researchers in China have identified the active ingredients of 'dragon's blood', a resin derived from the herb Xue Jie (Draconis Sanguis), which are responsible for its beneficial effects on peptic ulcers and ability to stop bleeding. Twenty-two different compounds identified from the powdered stems of the plant were tested for effects on Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), the bacterium known to cau ...

Acupuncture improves absorption of scutellaria extract

Categories: Acupuncture research, Herb research

Acupuncture can improve absorption of baicalin, one of the active components of Huang Qin (Radix Scutellariae). Chinese scientists divided twenty rats randomly into two groups. Group A was treated with a combination of oral administration of Scutellaria baicalensis extracts and acupuncture at the acupoints Jizhong DU-6, Dazhui DU-14 and Zhongwan REN-12 Group B was treated with oral Scutellar ...

Multiple disease fighting activities of scutellaria

Categories: Herb research

Huang Qin (Radix Scutellariae) is a popular multi-purpose Chinese medicinal herb traditionally used to treat inflammation, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, and bacterial and viral infections. Accumulating evidence is now demonstrating that Scutellaria also possesses potent anticancer activities. The flavone baicalin, which can be extracted from Scutellaria, has been found by German scientist ...

Ginseng is an anti-inflammatory

Categories: Herb research

Cell culture experiments carried out by Chinese researchers have revealed an anti-inflammatory action of ginseng (Ren Shen). They identified nine separate compounds called ginsenosides in ginseng extract. By testing the effects of individual ginsenosides on cell cultures, they showed that seven of them could inhibit the expression of inflammatory markers and suppress cellular pathways associated w ...

Astragalus enhances wound healing

Categories: Herb research

Extracts of the root of Astragalus membranaceus (Huang Qi) have been observed to significantly accelerate cutaneous wound healing. According to a Korean team who observed the process of wound healing at a microscopic level, topically applied Astragalus extract achieves this by suppressing inflammation and stimulating cell growth and angiogenesis (formation of blood vessels) in the wound area. Use ...

CINNAMON INDUCES BLOOD VESSEL FORMATION

Categories: Herb research

Cinnamon extract, which has been used in Chinese medicine to improve blood circulation, can induce angiogenesis (formation of blood vessels). Korean researchers observed the effect of ethanol extract of Cinnamomum cassia (Gui Zhi) on angiogenic processes and found that it induced endothelial cell proliferation, migration and the formation of tubule-like structures in vitro. In in vivo studies, the ...

Goji berries protect the eye

Categories: Herb research, Eye disorders

In vivo studies have shown that anti-oxidant phytochemicals from Gou Qi Zi (Lycium barbarum fructus, aka Chinese wolfberry or goji berry) can protect eye tissues from oxidative damage. American researchers studying type-2 diabetic mice observed that wolfberry extract could protect retinal pigment epithelial cells from the oxidative stress caused by hyperglycaemia. The researchers have previously s ...

BU GU ZHI STIMULATES BONE GROWTH

Categories: Herb research

Extracts of Bu Gu Zhi (Psoralea corylifolia fructus), a plant known as a Kidney yang tonic in Chinese medicine, can increase bone growth in vivo. The plant, whose Chinese name means 'tonify bone resin' is considered a common weed in Asia and is known colloquially as 'scruffy pea'. Studies in rabbits showed that a total of 275% more new bone was present in bone defects grafted with Bu Gu Zhi extrac ...

Devil's dung fights swine flu

Categories: Herb research, Fever/infectious diseases

Antiviral compounds extracted from the foul-smelling herb Ferula assafoetida (Chinese name: A Wei, aka Devil's Dung) show greater activity against the H1N1 swine flu virus than the drug amantadine. Taiwanese scientists found that the roots of the plant, used as a remedy during the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic, contain nine phytochemicals that show more potent cytotoxic activity against the H1N1 influ ...

HUANG LIAN'S ANTI-CANCER EFFECTS

Categories: Cancer, Herb research

A review paper from Hong Kong traces the use of Huang Lian (Coptidis rhizoma) from traditional Chinese medicine (CM) to recent pharmacological studies of Huang Lian and its major component, berberine. The modern discovery of anti-cancer effects for Huang Lian and berberine are strongly linked with the traditional concepts and rules for using Huang Lian in CM practice. From a traditional standpoint ...

CHEN PI HAS ANTIOXIDANT PROPERTIES

Categories: Herb research

Chen Pi (dried tangerine peel) exhibits strong antioxidant and free radical-scavenging activities, which are due to its high content of ascorbic acid and citric acid. Japanese biochemists prepared water and ethanol extracts of Chen Pi and examined their antioxidant and radical-scavenging properties. These properties may help explain the therapeutic effects of Chen Pi. (Potent antioxidant and radic ...

NANOFIBRES EXPLAIN HEALING PROPERTIES OF YUNNAN BAIYAO

Categories: Herb research

American scientists using atomic force microscopy (AFM) have discovered nano-scale fibres in Yunnan Baiyao, the traditional Chinese herbal medicine used to treat wounds. AFM images revealed an abundance of uniform nanofibres, about 25nm in diameter and 86-726nm in length, in a solution of Yunnan Baiyao powder. The authors suggest that the unique adhesive and structural properties of nanofibres may ...

Herbs boost immunity

Categories: Immunity, Herb research

In a study on 16 healthy subjects it was found that Echinacea purpurea, Huang Qi (Astragali Radix) and Gan Cao (Glycyrrhizae Radix) were effective in boosting key blood lymphocytes, the basic building block of the immune system. Echinacea and Gan Cao stimulated proliferation of CD4 T cells, CD8 T cells and NK cells, all three herbs (administered either singly or in combination) were able to activa ...