[Variety Source]

This product is the mature seed of the cruciferous herbaceous plant Lepidium apetalum (Lepidium apetalum Willd.) or Descurainia sophia (L.) Webb ex Prantl. The former is called "North Pepperweed Seed" and is mainly produced in Hebei, Liaoning, Inner Mongolia, Jilin and other places; the latter is called "Southern Pepperweed Seed" and is mainly produced in Jiangsu, Shandong, Anhui, Zhejiang and other places. In summer, when the fruits are mature, the plants are harvested, dried in the sun, and the seeds are rubbed out to remove impurities. They can be used raw or fried.

[Property]

bitter and acrid, extremely cold. act on lung and bladder channels.

[Efficacy]

purging the lung and relieving panting, disinhibiting water and dispersing edema.

[Indications]

1. It is used for symptoms of excessive phlegm and saliva, wheezing and coughing, and inability to lie down. This product is bitter and pungent powder, cold in nature and clearing away heat. It is specially designed to purge water and phlegm-fire in the lungs and relieve asthma and cough. Often use Chinese Date to slow down its nature, such as "Golden Chamber" Pepperweed Seed Chinese Date Lung-Draining Decoction . Commonly used clinically: cultivated puple perilla fruit, White Mulberry Root-Bark, Bitter Apricot Seed, etc. for purging the lung and relieving panting.
2. Used for edema, pleural fluid retention, hydrops in the chest and abdomen, difficulty in urination, etc. This product relieves lung qi obstruction, dredging and regulating water passage, disinhibiting water and dispersing edema. To treat abdominal retention of water due to dampness-heat obstruction, use Stephania Tetrandra, Pricklyash Seed, Rhubarb Rhizoma, that is Stephania, Pricklyash Seed, Pepperweed and Rhubarb Pill, to treat thoracic accumulation syndrome, combined with Bitter Apricot Seed and Rhubarb Rhizoma , Mirabilite, namely Major Chest Bind Pill, is used in modern times in combination with other medicinals to effectively treat exudative thoracic membrane inflammation.

In modern clinical practice, this product can be ground into powder and taken alone, or combined with Pulse-Reinforcing Powder or Ginseng and Aconite Decoction to treat lung heart disease. For heart failure, edema has better curative effect in those with dyspnea and dyspnea.

[Documentation]

1. Benjing: "Maintains the concentration of qi, diet Hanre, breaks the strong and expels evil spirits, and facilitates water channels."
2. Bielu: "Sweat bladder water, retention of hot air, evil water coming out from between the skin, swollen face."
3. Kaibao Bencao: "Cure abnormal rising of qi cough, fix panting." , except for phlegm-fluid retention in the chest."

[Usage and Dosage]

Decoct and take, 5-10g; grind into powder and take, 3-6g.

[Modern Pharmacology]

Northern Pepperweed Seed contains cardiotonic substances, india mustard seed glycosides, fatty oils, proteins, sugars, etc., while Southern Pepperweed Seed contains volatile oil (the oil contains benzyl isothiocyanate, allyl isothiocyanate, etc. ), fatty oils, cardiac glycosides (its name is common jasmin orange leaf and twig glycoside A), etc.

1. Both pepperweed seed alcohol extracts have cardiotonic effects, which can enhance myocardial contractility and slow down the heart rate.
2. It can increase the output of a weak heart and reduce venous pressure. Large doses can cause symptoms of cardiac glycoside poisoning such as arrhythmia.
3. This product also has diuretic effect.