Benefits of Codonopsis

Tangeretin

April 16, 2019

Icariin

April 16, 2019

Codonopsis

Codonopsis also known as Dang Shen as well as Poor Man's Ginseng is a type of perennial plant that is native to Asia.

Codonopsis has been utilized as a Chinese medicinal herb for thousands of years. While in modern times we tend to think herbs are used as merely spices for our recipes, Dang Shen has been utilized as an herbal remedy to boost one's overall health and well being.

Dang Shen does share many benefits as the traditional ginseng however it is available at a much cheaper price and because of this fact it has been called the Poor Man's Ginseng.

Anti-Inflammatory - Six triterpenoid saponins, including a new compound named codonolaside III, were isolated from the roots of Codonopsis lanceolata.

The spectral and chemical data revealed the structure of codonolaside III to be 3-O-[β-D-xylopyranosyl -(1→3)-β-D-glucuronopyranosyl]-3β,16α-dihydroxyolean-12-ene-28-oic acid 28-O-[β-D-xylopyranosyl-(1→4)-α-L-rhamnpyranosyl-(1→2)][β-D-glucopyranosyl -(1→4)]-α-L-arabinopyranosyl ester.

The xylene-induced mouse ear edema inhibitory effect assay disclosed codonolaside and codonolasides I – III as the major anti-inflammatory constituents in this crude drug.

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Brain Booster - Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by memory impairment. Codonopsis lanceolata (C. lanceolata) has been employed clinically for lung inflammatory diseases such as asthma, tonsillitis, and pharyngitis.

The present study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of fermented C. lanceolata (300, 500, and 800 mg/kg) on learning and memory impairment induced by scopolamine by using the Morris water maze and passive avoidance tests.

To elucidate possible mechanism of cognitive-enhancing activity, we measured acetylcholinesterase (AchE) activity, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and cyclic AMP response element-binding protein (CREB) expression in the brain of mice. Administration of fermented C. lanceolata (800 mg/kg) led to reduced scopolamine-induced memory impairment in the Morris water maze and passive avoidance tests.

These results indicate that fermented C. lanceolata can ameliorate scopolamine-induced memory deficits in mouse and may be an alternative agent for the treatment of AD.

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Anti-Diabetic - There is emerging evidence that the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which leads to dysfunction of pancreatic β‐cells, is a major factor in the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Antioxidation is one of the therapeutic strategies to overwhelm the imbalance in ROS production.

In this study, a herbal formulation SR10, comprising Radix Astragali, Radix Codonopsis and Cortex Lycii, was examined for its antidiabetic and antioxidative effects using the diabetic +db/+db mouse model.

The results showed that SR10 was effective in decreasing the blood glucose level in chronic treatment by improving β‐cell function. The activities and expression of antioxidant enzymes, catalase and superoxide dismutase, were up‐regulated when treated with SR10. Moreover, SR10 treatment did not exhibit any toxic effect to the host.

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Antioxidant - The objectives of this study were to compare the antioxidant activities by high pressure extraction of Codonopsis lanceolata from different cultivation areas; Hoeng-sung, Jeju island, and China. Total phenolic acid contents of Hoeng-sung, Jeju, China were estimated as 732.11, 640.25, and 584.85 mg QUR/100 g DW, respectively.

In general, antioxidant activities of Codonopsis lanceolata were increased by high pressure extraction process. Based on these results, higher contents of flavonoids and total polyphenols were found extracted by high pressure extraction of Codonopsis lanceolata grow in Hoeng-sung area than others.

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Anti-Cancer - Codonopsis pilosula was used as an adjuvant in 76 cancer patients during radiotherapy and its protective effect on hematopoietic and immunologic function was studied.

No influence on Hb and WBC of the patients with radiotherapy. It could reduce the immunosuppressive effect of radiotherapy on delayed hypersensitive reaction, the lymphocyte response to PHA and IL-2.

No difference between treated and control groups in most humoral immune indices such as IgG, IgA and C3, but had slight increase in IgM in treated patients, while significant decrease in control.

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Anti-Tumor - Codonopsis lanceolata L. (Campanulaceae) has long been used in traditional Korean medicine to treat bronchitis, cough, and inflammatory diseases, however, the efficacy of anti-tumor activities remains to be defined.

In this study the effects of Codonopsis lanceolata (C. lanceolata) on proliferation, migration and adhesion in lung (A549, H1299) and ovarian cancer (SKOV-3) cells were investigated.

To assess and compare the pharmacological effects and production places of C. lanceolata, the ethanolic extracts of C. lanceolata from different places in Korea (Hongseong, Yecheon, Yeongwol, Yanggu, Gangjin, and Hoengseong) were prepared.

Taken together, these findings provide the first description of anti-tumor efficacy of C. lanceolata from different production places in Korea, and suggest that C. lanceolata from Hoengseong county may have therapeutic potential in lung and ovarian cancers.

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