Curculigo, Xian Mao 仙茅

Xian Mao (TCM)
Talpatri, Krishna Musali, Musali Kanda, Sveta Musali (‘Black Musali’) (Ayurveda)
Musali Siyah (Unani)
Nilappanan Kizhangu (Siddha)
Picture Kerner, Hortus sempervirens, 1806

Picture Curculigo orchioides
(Photo by 阿橋) (Wikimedia)

Picture Curculigo Xian Mao dried root (Adam 2023)

Botanical name:


Curculigo orchioides

Parts used:


Rhizome

Temperature & Taste:


Hot, dry. Pungent, Slightly Toxic

Classifications:


3J. INCREASE SEMEN
N. Tonics

Uses:


1. Strengthens the Kidneys, Tonifies the Yang:
-Impotence, Incontinence, nocturnal emission; used for sexual debility in both Ayurveda and TCM.
-irregular menstruation from Cold
-Infertility in men and women from Cold Kidneys / Yang deficiency
-water retention from Cold and weak Kidneys
-auxilliary medicine in Diabetes (Ayurveda)
-Debility; Senility; restorative tonic in Ayurveda
-‘prolongs intercourse’ (Da Ming)
-long-term use makes a person happy and maintains a good complexion. (Li Xun)
-treats Five Overstrains and Seven Damages… fills the Marrow. (Li Xun)

2. Clears Cold and Damp, Strengthens Bones, Eases Pain:
-cold obstruction with pain, weakness of the joints
-Arthritis
-Osteoporosis
-Weakness and pain of the lower back and legs
-Poor appetite and indigestion from abdominal cold.

3. Clears Cold Phlegm, Stops Wheezing:
-In Ayurveda for Cold-type Asthma and Breathlessness


Dose:


Decoction: 3–9 grams (up to a maximum of 12 grams daily);
Powder: 2–6 grams. Taken with milk in Ayurveda to correct its heat.

Comment:


Li Shi Zhen said ‘It nourishes the muscles as it is sweet, It nourishes the Joints as it is pungent. It nourishes the Qi as it is bitter, It nourishes the Bones as it is salty, It nourishes the Skin as it is slippery. It nourishes the Tendons as it is sour.

Preparation:


Any of these methods may be used to reduce toxicity:
1. Wine-prepared Curculigo Xian Mao:
  In TCM, the roots are often mixed with Rice wine, allowed to soak up the alcohol, then stir-fried or baked until dry. This moderates the harsh nature while increasing the ability to tonify Yang.
2. Black Soybean prepared Curculigo Xian Mao:
  Wash the root, then peel the rind and cut into pieces as big as a bean. Tie up in a cloth and soak in decoction of Black Soybean overnight. Then remove, mix with wine and steam. Remove and dry in the sun. (Lei Xiao)
3. Rice-prepared Curculigo Xian Mao:
  Soak the drug in water in which glutinous rice has been washed. Then remove and dry.

Correctives:


1. Asparagus adscendens root both corrects and enhances Curculigo Xian Mao. The former supports Yin and hinders the excess heat of the latter. It supplies a good Yin base for the Yang tonic activity of Curculigo Xian Mao.
2. Blended with vinegar enhances its efficacy. (Li Shi Zhen)


Main Combinations:


Curculigo Xian Mao is often combined with Asparagus adscendens root (White Musali) in India. These are known as Black and White Musali, Asparagus nourishing Yin, and Curculigo stimulating Yang. Sometimes Chlorophytum arundinaceum is listed as Black Musali.

1. Impotence, Spermatorrhea, Lower Back pain and weakness, Curculigo Xian Mao with Eucommia Du Zhong, Rehmannia Shu Di Huang
2. Impotence, Aphrodisiac:
i. Curculigo Xian Mao with Epimedium Yin Yang Huo.
ii. Curculigo Xian Mao with Asparagus racemosa, Withania, Mucuna
iii. Curculigo Xian Mao with Hygrophila, Tribulus, Mucuna, Chlorophytum
iv. Curculigo Xian Mao with Echinops, Tribulus, Withania
3. Female Debility:
i. Curculigo Xian Mao with Tribulus, Mucuna, Tinospora
ii. Curculigo Xian Mao with Dang Gui, Asparagus root
4. Cold-damp pain, cold pain in the lower back and legs, Curculigo Xian Mao with Asarum Xi Xin and Acanthopanax Wu Jia Pi.
5. Lower Back Pain from Kidney deficiency, Curculigo Xian Mao with Eucommia Du Zhong
6. To warm and strengthen the Yang:
i. Curculigo Xian Mao with Stalactite, Sulphur
ii. Curculigo Xian Mao with Velvet Deer Horn (Lu Rong), Cinnamon
7. For the Five Overstrains and Seven Damages, to improve Eyesight and increase strength: collect Curculigo Xian Mao, remove the black skin, cut into pieces, and saok in rice rinse water for 2 days. Remove, dry, powder and make Honey pills teh size of parasol seeds. Take 20 pills every morning with wine. Do not prepare with Iron equipment, and avoid milk and beef while taking. (Su Song)

Major Formulas:


Powder for Seminal Debility
Er Xian Tang
Zan Yu Dan
Musali Churna (Curculigo Powder)

Cautions:


1. Not used for Heat from Yin deficiency or those with Fire (strong Heat).
2. Avoid long-term use and overdose. Maximum daily dose in decoction is 12 grams

Antidote:
Rhubarb (Da Huang) and Mirabilite (Mang Xiao) have been used for negative effects of overdose.

Main Preparations used:




GENERAL / REVIEW:
Medicinal plants of genus Curculigo: traditional uses and a phytochemical and ethnopharmacological review.
Improvement of penile erection, sperm count and seminal fructose levels in vivo and nitric oxide release in vitro by ayurvedic herbs.
[Pharmacologic study of Curculigo orchioides Gaertn].

ANTIOXIDANT
Antioxidative and anti-proliferative potential of Curculigo orchioides Gaertn in oxidative stress induced cytotoxicity: In vitro, ex vivo and in silico studies.
Antioxidative phenols and phenolic glycosides from Curculigo orchioides.

ANTI-ALLERGY
Mast cell stabilization and antihistaminic potentials of Curculigo orchioides rhizomes.

ASTHMA
Evaluation of Antiasthmatic Activity of Curculigo orchioides Gaertn. Rhizomes.

NEUROPROTECTIVE
Protective effect of curculigo orchioides extract on cyclophosphamide-induced neurotoxicity in murine model.
Neuroprotective effects of curculigoside against NMDA-induced neuronal excitoxicity in vitro.

LEARNING & MEMORY
Ameliorative effects of curculigoside from Curculigo orchioides Gaertn on learning and memory in aged rats.

HEARING LOSS
Curculigo orchioides, natural compounds for the treatment of noise-induced hearing loss in mice.

HEPATPROTECTIVE
GC-MS analysis of curculigo orchiodes and medicinal herbs with cytotoxic, hepatoprotective attributes of ethanolic extract from Indian origin.
Antioxidant activity ofcurculigo orchioides in carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatopathy in rats.

NEPHROPROTECTIVE
Curculigo orchioides Gaertn Effectively Ameliorates the Uro- and Nephrotoxicities Induced by Cyclophosphamide Administration in Experimental Animals.

KIDNEY METABOLISM
The effect of curculigo orchioides (Xianmao) on kidney energy metabolism and the related mechanism in rats based on metabolomics.

SEXUAL DYSFUNCTION
Effect of Curculigo orchioides on hyperglycemia-induced oligospermia and sexual dysfunction in male rats.
Improvement of penile erection, sperm count and seminal fructose levels in vivo and nitric oxide release in vitro by ayurvedic herbs.
A comparative study on aphrodisiac activity of some ayurvedic herbs in male albino rats.
Effect of Curculigo orchioides rhizomes on sexual behaviour of male rats.

ESTROGENIC EFFECT
Evaluation of estrogenic activity of alcoholic extract of rhizomes of Curculigo orchioides.
DIABETES
Exploring the anti-diabetic potential of Australian Aboriginal and Indian Ayurvedic plant extracts using cell-based assays.

OSTEOPOROSIS
Curculigoside Ameliorates Bone Loss by Influencing Mesenchymal Stem Cell Fate in Aging Mice.
Curculigoside promotes osteogenic differentiation of ADSCs to prevent ovariectomized-induced osteoporosis.
Curculigoside attenuates oxidative stress and osteoclastogenesis via modulating Nrf2/NF-κB signaling pathway in RAW264.7 cells.
Curculigoside Protects against Excess-Iron-Induced Bone Loss by Attenuating Akt-FoxO1-Dependent Oxidative Damage to Mice and Osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 Cells.
Therapeutic Anabolic and Anticatabolic Benefits of Natural Chinese Medicines for the Treatment of Osteoporosis.
Structural elucidation and anti-osteoporosis activities of polysaccharides obtained from Curculigo orchioides.
A Network Pharmacology Approach to Determine the Active Components and Potential Targets of Curculigo Orchioides in the Treatment of Osteoporosis.
An O-acetyl-glucomannan from the rhizomes of Curculigo orchioides: Structural characterization and anti-osteoporosis activity in vitro.
Antiosteoporotic activity of phenolic compounds from Curculigo orchioides.
Curculigo orchioides, a traditional Chinese medicinal plant, prevents bone loss in ovariectomized rats.

ARTHRITIS
Curculigoside exerts significant anti‑arthritic effects in vivo and in vitro via regulation of the JAK/STAT/NF‑κB signaling pathway.

ULCERATIVE COLITIS
Curculigoside inhibits ferroptosis in ulcerative colitis through the induction of GPX4.

IMMUNOSTIMULANT
Curculigoside augments cell-mediated immune responses in metastatic tumor-bearing animals.
Immunostimulatory effect of methanol extract of Curculigo orchioides on immunosuppressed mice.
Immunostimulant principles from Curculigo orchioides.

CYTOTOXIC
GC-MS analysis of curculigo orchiodes and medicinal herbs with cytotoxic, hepatoprotective attributes of ethanolic extract from Indian origin.

CANCER
Antioxidative and anti-proliferative potential of Curculigo orchioides Gaertn in oxidative stress induced cytotoxicity: In vitro, ex vivo and in silico studies.
Triterpene glycosides from Curculigo orchioides and their cytotoxic activity.

ENHANCEMENT OF CHEMOTHERAPY
Enhancement of cancer chemotherapeutic efficacy of cyclophosphamide by Curculigo orchioides Gaertn and its ameliorative effects on cyclophosphamide-induced oxidative stress.

AMELIORATES CHEMOTHERAPY TOXICITY
Curculigo orchioides protects cisplatin-induced cell damage.