Cortex acanthopanacis
From HerbLab, herbal encyclopedia of Chinese traditional medicine
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Cortex acanthopanacis(五加皮)
In Canon ofMateria Medico it was indicated that: "The herb is acrid and warm, and is used to supplement qi and cure the lame. "
Cortex Acanthopanacis is the dried root or bark of Acanthopanox gracilistylus W. W. Smith of the family Araliaceae. Acanthopanax henryi (Oliv.) 'Harms., Acanthopanox giraldii Harms., Acanfhopanax leucorrhizus Harms,, Acanthopanax sessiflorus Seem., Acanthopanox verticillatus Hoo. Are all pharmacologically used as Cortex Acanthopanacis. The root contains large quantities of glucosides and saccharides, and also possesses substances which react to sterol and triterpenordal saponins.
==ANTICANCER PHARMACOLOGICAL FUNCTIONS
1. The alcohol extract of Cortex Acanthopanacis has an inhibitory rate of 40.2-68.0% against solid Ehrlich's ascites carcinoma and sarcoma-180 in rats. 2. Cortex Acanthopanacis strengthens human body defensive function against pathogens and promotes resistance against harmful stimulants (chemical, physical and biological) from the natural environment. It has been proved that oral administration of Cortex Acanthopanacis can help human body produce large quantities of antibodies which are of significant importance for the immunity to cancers and for the increase of leukocytes. 3. The alcohol extract of Acanthopanox henry i (Oliv.) Harms, of the family Araliaceae may inhibit metastatic diffusion of Walker's cancer in rats. 4. In Japan, tests in vitro with Cortex Acanthopanacis revealed that the hot water extract of the drug had an inhibitory rate of over 90% on JTC-26.
EXPERIMENTAL FORMULAS
For cancer of the stomach:
The extract of Cortex Acanthopanacis is processed into pills containing 1.5 gram of the crude drug each and 3 pills are taken each time, 3 times daily. The drug also prevents and treats bone marrow arrest due to chemotherapy. (Shanghai Journal of Medicinal Herbs, Vol. 1, 1980) To prepare the extract, certain amount of the crude powder of the root and the stem of the herb is immersed in two-fold of 70% alcohol under room temperature for 24 hours, and then more 70% alcohol is added for continuously extracting in a steam jar for 10-12 hours. The liquid will concentrate to adhesive plaster after alcohol is recovered. Five grams of the plaster corresponds to 100 grams of the raw material.
For cancer of the digestive cancer:
10-15ml of the mixture of Pericarpium Juglandis and Cortex Acanthopanacis is taken three times a day.
To prepare the mixture, fresh fruit of walnut is immersed in 60% alcohol for 20 days, during which stirring is given once or twice daily. The extract is then filtered with 80% of the alcohol removed. Water is added to keep the concentration of the crude herb to 60%. Then 20% of the extract of Cortex Acanthopanacis is added to make the mixture. (ngjiang Research Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1975)
For the prevention and treatment of lelikopenia due to chemotherapy and radiotherapy:
Fresh Cortex Acanthopanacis (15 to 30 grams) is steamed in a cooking steamer for oral administration. (Anticancer Herbal Preparations)
Fresh fruit of walnut and the root of Cortex Acanthopanacis are immersed in white wine for two months and the immersion is widely used to treat tumors of the digestive system.
HISTORICAL COMMENTS
It was expounded in Records of Famous Physicians that: "The drug cures impotence, infection of the scrotum, dribbling urination in males, pruritus vulvae, pain along the spinal column, pain and numbness of the feet in females. It improves and replenishes the vital essence, consolidates muscles and bone, and strengthens the will power. Prolonged administration will make a person's body light and prevent him from aging."
In Prescriptions Worth a Thousand Gold it is reported that: "To cure five kinds of strain and seven kinds of impairment, the leaves, the root and the stem of Cortex Acanthopanacis are collected and taken orally with wine one gram each time, three times a day."
THE HERBLAB.ORG'S NOTE
An outstanding feature of Cortex Acanthopanacis is its regulation of the balance of body functions, kown as adaptagen action or balance effect.It is milarto lentinan that has been recently studied in Japan. Adaptagen action, as is called, is to keep a person's body in a state of non-specifically increased resistance (SNIR).
According to a report in New Scientists (Vol. 8, 1980) of England, in the 1980th Olympic Games, Soviet athletes administered a unique record-promoting drug. Cortex Acanthopanacis, also known as Siberian Ginseng. Cortex Acanthopanacis was administered by astronauts during their stopover in Salute-6 and Union 32 space station.
They took 4ml of the extract of Cortex Acanthopanacis every morning. Animals, that were frozen, heated, enclosed, radiated, exposed to altered atmospheric pressure and oxygen content or induced to develop cancer and other diseases by poisonous drugs or chemicals, were found u) survive much longer if they had been given Cortex Acanthopanacis. As an example, the survival period of the group of rats who were given Cortex Acanthopanacis was prolonged twice the original atter having received 3000 rad of T-ray.e survival period of the group of rats who were given Cortex Acanthopanacis was prolonged twice the original atter having received 3000 rad of T-ray.
