Menispermum, Bei Dou Gen 北豆根

Asiatic Moonseed
Bei Dou Gen, Bian Fu Ge Gen (TCM)
Menispermum dauricum
Komarov (Komorov), V.L., Flora of the U.S.S.R., vol. 7 (?)

Menispermum dauricum
(Photo by yakovlev.alexey) (Wikimedia)

Botanical name:

Menispermum dauricum

Parts used:

Rhizome

Temperature & Taste:

Cold, dry. Bitter

Classification:

B. Clear Heat and Poison

Constituents:

Alkaloids: dauricine (approx. 50% of the total alkaloid content), daurinoline, dauricoline, dauricinoline, daurisoline, menisporphine, dihydro-menisporphine, daurisporhine, daurisporphirnoline, acuturnine, acuturnidine, acuturninine, stepharine, stepholidine, sinornenine, disinornenine

Uses:

1. Clears Heat, Resists Poison:
-Sore Throat, Cough from Wind-Heat or Heat Poison
-Mumps
-Snake and Insect bite

2. Clears Wind-Damp, Eases Pain:
-Wind-Damp muscle and joint Pain

3. Clears Damp-Heat:
-Diarrhea, Dysentery
-auxiliary for Jaundice
-swollen painful Hemorrhoids

4. Clears Heat and Toxin, Resolves Masses:
-Tumors, Cancers (inc. Prostate, Breast, Bladder, Gastric, Pancreatic etc.)
-the alkaloids have a marked anti-cancer effect

Dose:

Decoction: 3–9 grams
Powder: 500mg–2 grams

Comment:

This is similar in use to the American Menispermum canadense. However, as we cannot be certain if they can be considered synonymous, we have separated them.

Main Combinations:

1. Sore Throat:
i. acute Sore Throat, Menispermum Bei Dou Gen with Licorice
ii. chronic Sore Throat Menispermum Bei Dou Gen with Scrophularia Xuan Shen and Rehmannia Sheng Di Huang
iii. strong Heat and Toxin, Menispermum Bei Dou Gen with Coptis Huang Lian
2. Lung Heat Cough:
i. Menispermum Bei Dou Gen with Scutellaria Huang Qin and Licorice
ii. Menispermum Bei Dou Gen with Platycodon Jie Geng, Scutellaria Huang Qin, Licorice
3. Mumps, Menispermum Bei Dou Gen with Isatis Ban Lan Gen, Forsythia Lian Qiao
4. Damp-Heat Jaundice:
i. Menispermum Bei Dou Gen with Artemisia Yin Chen Hao and Rhubarb (Da Huang)
5. Dysentery:
i. Menispermum Bei Dou Gen with Pulsatilla Bai Tou Weng, Rhubarb (Da Huang)
ii. Menispermum Bei Dou Gen with Cynanchum paniculatum Xu Chang Qing, Scutellaria Huang Qin
6. Wind-Damp pain of the muscles and joints:
i. Menispermum Bei Dou Gen with Angelica Du Huo, Eucommia Du Zhong
ii. Menispermum Bei Dou Gen with Angelica Du Huo, Clematis Wei Ling Xian, Cinnamon twig (Gui Zhi)

Major Formulas:

Cautions:

1. Not used in cold and weakness of the Spleen and Stomach
2. Avoid overdose.

Toxicity:

Overdose causes abdominal pain, acid regurgitation, vertigo, sweating, chest oppression, restlessness, nausea, vomiting, low blood pressure

Main Preparations used:

---

ANTI-INFLAMMATORY: –Intestinal anti-inflammatory effect of the rhizome extracts of Menispermum dauricum DC. on trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid induced ulcerative colitis in mice. –Protective Effects of Total Alkaloids from Menispermum dauricum against Airway Inflammation in Asthmatic Mice. –[Anti-inflammatory effects of total alkaloids, polyhydroxyphenol-alkaloids, and non-phenol-alkaloids of the rhizome of Menispermum dauricum DC] ANALGESIC –Analgesic bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloids from the rhizoma of Menispermum dauricum DC. IMMUNOMODULATORY –Gas chromatography (GC) fingerprinting and immunomodulatory activity of polysaccharide from the rhizome of Menispermum dauricum DC. –Structure Characterization, Immunological Activity, and Mechanism of a Polysaccharide From the Rhizome of Menispermum dauricum DC. ANTI-THROMBOTIC, ANTI-PLATELET AGGREGATION –[Effect of phenolic alkaloids of Menispermum dauricum on thrombosis and platelet aggregation]. –[Effect of dauricine on rat and human platelet aggregation and metabolism of arachidonic acid in washed rat platelets]. DOPAMINE ANTAGONIST –Menisperdaurines A-W, structurally diverse isoquinoline alkaloids from Menispermum dauricum and their dopamine D1 receptor activities. –Isoquinoline alkaloid dimers with dopamine D1 receptor activities from Menispermum dauricum DC. ANTI-HYPOXIC: –[Chemical constituents from rhizome of Menispermum dauricum and their anti-hypoxic activities]. ASTHMA –Protective Effects of Total Alkaloids from Menispermum dauricum against Airway Inflammation in Asthmatic Mice. ULCERATIVE COLITIS –Intestinal anti-inflammatory effect of the rhizome extracts of Menispermum dauricum DC. on trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid induced ulcerative colitis in mice. PROTECT FROM ISCHEMIC BRAIN INJURY –Phenolic alkaloids from Menispermum dauricum rhizome protect against brain ischemia injury via regulation of GLT-1, EAAC1 and ROS generation. –[Protective effect of phenolic alkaloids from Menispermum dauricum on myocardial cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury in rabbits]. –[Protective effects of phenolic alkaloids from Menispermum dauricum on inflammatory injury following focal cerebral ischemia-reperfusion in rats].

ALZHEIMERS –The Isoquinoline Alkaloid Dauricine Targets Multiple Molecular Pathways to Ameliorate Alzheimer-Like Pathological Changes In Vitro. –Oxoisoaporphine Alkaloids: Prospective Anti-Alzheimer’s Disease, Anticancer, and Antidepressant Agents. ANTI-DEPRESSANT –Oxoisoaporphine Alkaloids: Prospective Anti-Alzheimer’s Disease, Anticancer, and Antidepressant Agents. –Comparison of the antidepressive effects of trans-resveratrol and 5-methoxy-7H-dibenzo[de,h]quinolin-7-one. CANCER –Oxoisoaporphine Alkaloids: Prospective Anti-Alzheimer’s Disease, Anticancer, and Antidepressant Agents. –Characterization and antitumor activities of a polysaccharide from the rhizoma of Menispermum dauricum. –Cytotoxic oxoisoaporphine alkaloids from Menispermum dauricum. BLADDER –Dauricine can inhibit the activity of proliferation of urinary tract tumor cells. BREAST –A Strategy for Quality Control of Menispermum dauricum DC Based on Cytotoxic Activity and HPLC Fingerprint Analysis. CERVICAL –Induction of apoptosis in human cervical carcinoma Hela cells with active components of Menispermum dauricum. GASTRIC: –Anti-tumor effects of phenolic alkaloids of menispermum dauricum on gastric cancer in vivo and in vitro. –Inhibitory effects of phenolic alkaloids of Menispermum dauricum on gastric cancer in vivo. OVARIAN –Anti-ovarian cancer potential of two acidic polysaccharides from the rhizoma of Menispermum dauricum. PANCREATIC –Phenolic alkaloids from Menispermum dauricum inhibits BxPC-3 pancreatic cancer cells by blocking of Hedgehog signaling pathway. Other Research reported in Chinese sources: –Anti-bacterial –Anti-Hypertensive –Anti-arrhythmia –Anti-tussive –Expectorant –Muscle-relaxing