Present Day Applications:

現代應用﹕

being used in heart and brain diseases due to lack of blood circulation.

用于缺血性心腦血管疾病的治 療 。

Pharmaceutical name:

英文藥 名﹕

Radix Puerariae

Flos Puerariae

Botanical name:

學名﹕

Pueraria lobata (Willd.) Ohwi；

Pueraria  thunbergiana (S. etZ.) Benth.；

Pueraria  hirsuta (Thunb.) Schneid.；

Pueraria  pseudohirsuta Tang et wang

Pueraria thomsonii Benth.

Pron. in Japanese:

日語發音﹕

kakkon

Pron. in Korean:

韓語發音﹕

kalgun

Pron. in Cantonese

粵音﹕

got3 gan1

Other Names:

別名﹕

gan gen 乾 根﹐ gan ge gen 乾葛根

Common Name:

英文名﹕

kudzu root, pueraria

Distribution:

產地﹕

Hunan, Henan, Guangdong, Zhejiang, Southeast Asia, North America.

湖南，河南，廣東，浙 江，東南亞，北美洲等地。

Properties

(characteristics)﹕

性味﹕

acrid, sweet, neutral

辛，甘，性平。

Channels (meridians) entered:

歸經 ﹕

spleen, stomach

脾﹐胃。

藥理﹕

Medical Functions:

• effect on smooth muscle: it contains ingredients that can contract and relax the smooth muscles

• effect on coronary blood vessels: relaxes the blood vessels

• anti-arrhythmia

• enhances the function of the heart

• lowers blood pressure and lowers the resistance of peripheral  blood vessels

• beta energetic blocking effect

• inhibits platelet coagulation

• lower blood sugar

• inhibits growth of cancer cells and induces differentiation of cancer cells. (Normally cancer cells do not differentiate, so it never loses its potential for growth. )

• anti-oxidation

• improves memory

• improves eyesight

  The following will be translated. If you need them in a hurry, consult our Research Librarian

  http://www.ceps.com.tw/ec/ecjnlarticleView.aspx?atliid=376225&issueiid=28832&jnliid=2479

  　

Actions & Indications:

主 治﹕

Diaphoretic (producing or increasing perspiration), antispasmodic, muscle relaxant, antipyretic, help to ripen measles, stopping diarrhea.

Being used in fever and headache in cold or flu, spastic muscles, thirst, diabetes, diarrhea, acute ileus (intestine blockage), measles ripening difficulty, in alcohol hangover, alcohol withdrawal, angina, hypertension, smoking, alcohol, early stage of acute deafness.

Shoots are used as a lactagogue.

The starch is being used in treating diarrhea. Do not add sugar to the starch. See a commercial package of starch here.

Chemical ingredients:

化 學成份﹕

Dosage:

用量﹕

3 to 12 g (dried herb). Fresh herb can be used a few times more.

Samples of formulae

:處方舉例﹕

Name of Formula: ge gen tang

方名﹕葛 根湯

Modern Research:

現 代研究﹕

Ge gen was first described in the Chinese materia medica, Shen Nong Ben Cao  ( 200 B.C.) .  Both the roots and flowers of ge gen have been used to treat alcohol abuse, drunkenness, and hangover ( "jiu du" or alcohol poisoning) safely and effectively in China for more than a millennium. [1]

Now it has been tested in addiction to smoking and is considered to have the same effect, reducing the addiction in a month time.

Puerarin promotes osteoblast to differentiate by influencing the activity of ALP and promotes bone formation by the meditation of estrogen receptor. [1]

Toxicity & Cautions:

Allergy reaction of injectiones of puerarin: there are cases of hemolytic reaction and resulted in death.

Not to use in cases of instant sweating during summer.

Using too much can damage the digestive function.