Wikstroemia, Le Ge Wang 了哥王 Indian Stringbush, Small-Leaf Salago Le Ge Wang, Pu Yin, Liao Ge Wang (TCM)

Wikstroemia indica (as Daphne indica)
The Botany of Captain Beechey’s Voyage, Hooker et al., 1825

Wikstroemia indica
Photo by Peter Woodard) (Wikimedia)

Botanical name:

Wikstroemia indica (syn. W. viridiflora, Daphne indica)

Parts used:

Root, Root-bark

Temperature & Taste:

Cold, dry. Bitter. Toxic

Classification:

B. Clear Heat and Toxin

Uses:

1. Clears Heat, Resists Toxin:
-Sore Throat, Tonsillitis
-Lung-Heat Cough, Bronchial Asthma
-Whooping Cough, Pneumonia
-Dysentery
-Boils, Abscesses, Carbuncles, Toxic Sores with pus (internally and topically)
–Acute Mastitis, Cellulitis (internally and topically)
-Insect and Snake Bites

2. Clears Heat and Damp, Promotes Urine:
-Edema, Nephritis
-Gout, Arthritis, Rheumatic Arthritis

3. Clears Heat, Resolves Masses:
-Scrofula, lymphadenitis
-Cirrhosis
-Trauma, Bruising
-Leprosy
-Tumors; Cancer (Lung, Liver, Cervical Cancer, Lymphosarcoma topically for Skin Cancer) (Glycosides, Lignans, Quinones have shown anti-cancer effect)
-Leaf and stem are also used in Cancer therapy

4. Kills Worms:
-various Worms
-Schistosomiasis

Dose:

It is decocted for longer than usual, at least 3 hours but up to 5 hours when full doses are used.
Decoction: 3–12 grams (fresh 9–15 grams)
Tincture (1 in 10 in 50% alcohol): 1–4 mls.
Used topically as a paste, in compresses, liniments etc.

Comment:

In China an injection is prepared from Wikstroemia root bark which is used for Pneumonia, bronchitis, tonsillitis, lymphadenitis, mumps, acute mastitis, cellulitis and rheumatoid arthritis.

Main Combinations:

1. Tonsillitis, Wikstroemia with Isatis Folium Da Qing Ye, Lonicera Jin Yin Hua, Forsythia Lian Qiao
2. Gout, Arthritis, Wikstroemia with Moghania Yi Tiao Gen
3. Pneumonia, Wikstroemia with Isatis Radix Ban Lan Gen, Gardenia Zhi Zi
4. Cirrhosis, Wikstroemia with Xue Fu Zhu Yu Tang (a formula)
5. Cancer: Turmeric and Wikstroemia have synergistic effects in nasopharyngeal cancer.
6. Cervicitis, a 10% decoction is used as a vaginal douche.

Major Formulas:

Cautions:

1. Toxic in overdose. Avoid long-term use. It must be long decocted (3–5 hours) to reduce toxicity.
2. Not used during Pregnancy or breastfeeding.
3. Avoid in people with Coldness or those who are weak.

Toxicity:

Overdose causes Nausea, Vomiting, Abdominal pain, Diarrhea, swelling of the Throat, difficult Respiration which may lead to unconsciousness. Cummulative toxicity may induce Vomiting and Diarrhea.

Antidotes:
1. Gastric lavage, then drink strong tea and take charcoal or tannin.
2. Strong decoction of Cinnamon and Licorice.
3. Decoction of Platycodon Jie Geng with Milk or Egg White
4. Calamus (Shi Chang Pu) 30 grams, Black Soybean (Hei Dou) 15 grams, Phragmatis Lu Gen 120 grams, Imperata Bai Mao Gen 30 grams, Lonicera Jin Yin Hua 15 grams. (Chinese Medical Herbology and Pharmacology, Chen and Chen, 2001)

Main Preparations used:

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1. GENERAL / REVIEW: – [Chemical profiling from water extract of Wikstroemia indica by UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS]. – Exploring the Q-marker of “sweat soaking method” processed radix Wikstroemia indica: Based on the “effect-toxicity-chemicals” study. –Flavones and lignans from the stems of Wikstroemia scytophylla diels – Chemical compositions extracted from Wikstroemia indica and their multiple activities. – [Studies on the chemical constituents of Wikstroemia indica]. – Bioactive components and pharmacological action of Wikstroemia indica (L.) C. A. Mey and its clinical application. – Toxicological study of a Chinese herbal medicine, Wikstroemia indica. 2. ANTI-INFLAMMATORY: – Anti-inflammatory activity of new guaiane type sesquiterpene from Wikstroemia indica. 3. ANTI-VIRAL: – A new biflavonoid with antiviral activity from the roots of Wikstroemia indica. – Antiviral activity of daphnoretin isolated from Wikstroemia indica. – Antifungal, antimitotic and anti-HIV-1 agents from the roots of Wikstroemia indica. – Identification of a protein kinase C (PKC) activator, daphnoretin, that suppresses hepatitis B virus gene expression in human hepatoma cells. 4. ANTI-FUNGAL: – Antifungal, antimitotic and anti-HIV-1 agents from the roots of Wikstroemia indica.

5. ANTI-MALARIAL: – In vitro antimalarial activity of biflavonoids from Wikstroemia indica. 6. SKIN LESIONS: – Suppression of DNCB-Induced Atopic Skin Lesions in Mice by Wikstroemia indica Extract. 7. CANCER: – Wikstromol from Wikstroemia indica induces apoptosis and suppresses migration of MDA-MB-231 cells via inhibiting PI3K/Akt pathway. – Cytotoxic oligophenols from the rhizome of Wikstroemia indica. – Daphnoretin-induced apoptosis in HeLa cells: a possible mitochondria-dependent pathway. LEUKEMIA: – Antitumor agents. 49 tricin, kaempferol-3-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside and (+)-nortrachelogenin, antileukemic principles from Wikstroemia indica. LIVER: – Identification of a protein kinase C (PKC) activator, daphnoretin, that suppresses hepatitis B virus gene expression in human hepatoma cells. LUNG: – Effect of daphnoretin on the proliferation and apoptosis of A549 lung cancer cells in vitro. NASOPHAYNGEAL: –Curcumin and wikstroflavone B, a new biflavonoid isolated from Wikstroemia indica, synergistically suppress the proliferation and metastasis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells via blocking FAK/STAT3 signaling pathway. PANCREATIC: – Lignans from the root of Wikstroemia indica and their cytotoxic activity against PANC-1 human pancreatic cancer cells.