ma dou ling

by Joe Hing Kwok Chu

Pharmaceutical name: Fructus aristolochia

Latin botanical name: Aristolochia debilis Sieb et Zucc; Aristolochia sinarum linde.; Aristolochia contorta Bge

Pronounced in Japanese: ba to rei

Pronounced in Korean: ma du ryong

Pronounced in Cantonese: ma to ling

Common Name:  birthwort fruit (closest species)

Distribution:  Hao Zhou of An Hui, Henan, Shandong, Hebei,

Jiangxi, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Jiangsu and Zhejiang .

Characteristics and channel (meridian) relation: Bitter in taste. A little spicy. Fruits, ma dou ling are cold but the roots which are called tu qing mu xiang are warm. Normal dosage is not toxic but long term usage with larger amount can be toxic. Related to  channels: lung and large intestine channels.

Chemical ingredients:   aristolochic acid, aristolochine C₃₂H₃₂N₂O_18 , magnoflorine

Usage: in coughs, phlegms, wheezing, with lung heat, hypertension with yinxu and light headedness, bleeding hemorrhoids.

Cautions: do not use in cough due to cold and deficiency or weakness, and do not use in diarrhea due to pixu (spleen deficiency). Long term usage or large dosage can damage the kidneys.

Medical Functions: Bronchodilatory effect and counter bronchospastic effect of pilocarpine, acetylcholine, and histamine. Inhibitory effect (in culture) against Staphylococcus aureus. Mild counter hypertension effect.

More     material to be loaded soon