Huang lian or Xuan hu lian is also known as Coptis rhizome. The bitter and cool herb has been used in TCM to as antibiotic and anti-amoeba, anti palette coagulation agent and treat heat toxicity, indigestion, diabetes, inflammation of intestine, diarrhea caused by bacterial infection, high fever, restlessness and insomnia, etc., as it clears Heat, dries Dampness, disperses Fire, expels toxins, etc., by enhancing the functions of heart, large intestine, liver, and stomach channels.

Ingredients1. Erberine C20H17NO3
2. Colchicine C21H25NO5
3. Coptisine C19H15NO5
4. Worenine C21H15NO4
5. Palmatine C22HC24 H24O5 N.OHO5NOH
6. Jatrorrhizine
7. Magnoflorine8. Etc. Health Benefits
1. Anti-Alzheimer and antioxidant activities
In the investigation of the anti-Alzheimer and antioxidant effects of six protoberberine alkaloids (berberine, palmatine, jateorrhizine, epiberberine, coptisine, and groenlandicine) and one aporphine alkaloid (magnoflorine) from Coptidis Rhizoma, found that indicate that Coptidis Rhizoma alkaloids have a strong potential of inhibition and prevention of Alzheimer's disease (AD) mainly through both ChEs and beta-amyloids pathways, and additionally through antioxidant capacities. In particular, groenlandicine may be a promising anti-AD agent due to its potent inhibitory activity of both ChEs and beta-amyloids formation, as well as marked ONOO(-) scavenging and good ROS inhibitory capacities, according to "Anti-Alzheimer and antioxidant activities of CoptidisRhizoma alkaloids" by Jung HA, Min BS, Yokozawa T, Lee JH, Kim YS, Choi JS.(1)

2. Anti cancers
In the investigation of the traditional use of huanglian from folk medicines, especially from Chinese medicine, to recent pharmacological studies of huanglian and berberine, with an emphasis on their antineoplastic effects, showed that as anticancer candidates with low toxicity, berberine and its altered structure, as well as huanglian and its formulae, will attract scientists to pursue the potential anticancer effects and the mechanisms by using technologies of genomics, proteomics and other advanced approaches. On the other hand, relatively few in vivo studies have been conducted on anticancer effects of huanglian and berberine. The clinical application of berberine or huanglian as novel cancer therapeutic agents requires in vivo validations and further investigations of their anticancer mechanisms. according to "Berberine and Coptidisrhizoma as novel antineoplastic agents: a review of traditional use and biomedical investigations" by Tang J, Feng Y, Tsao S, Wang N, Curtain R, Wang Y.(2)

3. Hepatoprotective effects
In the clarification of the ethnopharmacological relevance, hepatoprotective effect of Coptidis rhizoma aqueous extract (CRAE) and its possible mechanism, the result demonstrated that CRAE has hepatoprotective effect on acute liver injuries induced by CCl4, and the results suggest that the effect of CRAE against CCl4-induced liver damage is related to antioxidant property, according to "Hepatoprotective effects of Coptidisrhizoma aqueous extract on carbon tetrachloride-induced acute liver hepatotoxicity in rats" by Ye X, Feng Y, Tong Y, Ng KM, Tsao S, Lau GK, Sze C, Zhang Y, Tang J, Shen J, Kobayashi S.(3)
3. Axonal Regeneration
In the investigation of the therapeutic potential for central nervous system disorders of Berberine, an isoquinoline alkaloid component of Coptidis Rhizoma (goldenthread) extract, Four weeks after berberine administration (20?mg/kg i.p. once per day for 1 week), the thickness of remyelinated axons improved approximately 1.4-fold in the distal stump of the injury site. Taken together, these results indicate that berberine promotes neurite extension and axonal regeneration in injured nerves of the PNS, according to "Berberine Promotes Axonal Regeneration in Injured Nerves of the Peripheral Nervous System" by Han AM, Heo H, Kwon YK.(4)

5. Anti diabestes
In the evaluation of the effects of different compatibility proportion of Jiaotai pills on treating type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in rats with Jiaotai pill 1 group (Coptidis Rhizoma-cinnamon 2: 1), Jiaotai pill 2 group (Coptidis Rhizoma-cinnamon 4: 1), Jiaotai pill 3 group (Coptidis Rhizoma-cinnamon 10: 1) and metformin group, showed that Compared with metformin group, plasma level of HDL-C was elevated while AKP and gamma-GT were decreased significantly in rats of Jiaotai pill 1 group (P < 0.05), gamma-GT level was decreased significantly in rats of Jiaotai pill 2 group (P < 0.05), AST, AKP and gamma-GT levels were decreased significantly in rats of Jiaotai pill 3 group (P < 0.05). Compared with Jiaotai Pill 1 group, plasma levels of HDL-C was decreased while AKP levels was elevated significantly in rats of Jiaotai pill 2 group, but HDL-C was decreased in rats of Jiaotai pill 3 group (P < 0.05), according to " [Effects of different compatibility proportion of jiaotai pills on treating type 2 diabetes mellitus in rats].[Article in Chinese]" by Wang J, Lu F, Dong H, Gong Y, Xu L, Zou X, Chen G.(5)

6. Etc.

Side effects1. Do not use the herb in cases of wind heat and wind cold causes of cold and flu2. Do not use the Huang Lian in newborn, children or if you are pregnant or breast feeding with out approval first with the related field specialist3. The herb may cause allergic effect, gastrointestinal discomfort and skin rash4. Overdoses may cause acute deprivation of oxygen of the brain due to cardiac function and decrease of heme and blood cells
5. Etc.

Sources cab be found at http://medicaladvisorjournals.blogspot.ca/2012/03/chinese-herbs-in-western-view-huang_21.html

For other Chinese herbs in western view, visit http://chineseherbsinnutrientsperspective.blogspot.com/2011/10/chinese-herbs-in-western-view-health.html
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