This product is the dried and mature fruit of motherwort herb (Leonurus heterophyllus Sweet) of the Lamiaceae family. It is produced all over China. In autumn, when the fruits are mature, the above-ground parts are harvested, dried in the sun, and the fruits are cut to remove impurities.

[Character]

Annual or biennial grass; stems erect, 30-120cm tall, bluntly rectangular, slightly hairy. The leaf outline changes greatly. The leaves on the lower part of the stem are oval and have long stalks; There are many flowers, born in the leaf axils, in the shape of whorls. Corolla pink to lavender. The small nut is brown, Sparganium Rhizome-shaped, one end is slightly wider and seems to be truncate; the other end is narrower and blunt, 2 to 3 mm long and about 1.5 mm wide. The peel is thin, the cotyledons are white, and rich in oil. Odorless, bitter taste. The flowering period is from June to September, and the fruiting period is from September to October.

sweet and acrid, slightly cold. Little poison. act on liver channel.

[Efficacy]

invigorating blood to regulate menstruation, clearing heat and improving vision.

[Indications]

Women's menstrual irregularities, dysmenorrheal, amenorrhea, postpartum stasis, abdominal pain; liver heat headache, dizziness, red eye swelling and pain, and strange nebula disorders.

[Documentation]

1. Benjing: "It improves vision, improves essence, eliminates water vapor, and takes long-term use to lighten the body."
2. Bielu: "Cure blood counterflow, fever, headache and upset."
3. "Rihuazi": "Treatment of postpartum hemorrhagic swelling."
4. Kaibao Bencao: "Fry it, pound it and twist it, take the juice and take it as dead fetus."
5. "Lu Yanyan materia medica": "Remove heat."
6. Gangmu: "Cures wind and heat, smoothes qi and activates blood, nourishes liver, benefits the heart, calms the soul, regulates women Jingmai, metrorrhagia leukorrhea, postpartum and before the fetus. disease."
7. Bencao Qiuyuan: "Replenishes essence, unblocks blood vessels, nourishes liver. If liver qi is deficient and stagnant, resulting in Jingmai being out of tune, metrorrhagia and leukorrhea are the most suitable."

[Usage and Dosage]

Oral administration: decoction, 6-9g; or take into pills or powder.

[Precaution]

Use with caution in those with dilated pupils, blood deficiency without blood stasis, and yin deficiency metrorrhagia.

[Modern Pharmacology]

Motherwort Fruit contains motherwort herb alkali, Japanese betony herb alkali and 26% fatty oil. The main component of the oil is oleic acid, accounting for 63.75% of the total oil, and linolenic acid accounting for 21.13%. It also contains 0.04% of vitamin A-like substances. The main components of fatty oil are linoleic acid (42.62%), linolenic acid (29.93%), oleic acid (20.23%), Windmill Palm acid (5.40%), stearic acid (1.57%), etc., in addition to 17 kinds of Amino acids and 24 mineral elements.

1. Hypertensive effect: Motherwort Fruit water extract or alcohol-water extract has a slight antihypertensive effect on intravenous injection in anesthetized animals.
2. Excessive dosage of motherwort herb can paralyze the central nervous system, causing temporary respiratory excitement and then paralysis; it has a curare-like paralysis effect on motor nerve endings (inhibitory paralysis). In some areas of China, such as Changshu, Jiangsu, it is customary to fry Motherwort Fruit and grind it into powder for pancakes or mix it into fried rice noodles as a tonic eye food, which can easily cause poisoning. According to 25 cases of poisoning, symptoms started within 4 to 10 hours after eating 20 to 30 grams at a time. Some cases also started to develop symptoms after eating 500 pills continuously within 10 days. Symptoms include sudden general weakness, inability to move the lower limbs, paralysis, soreness and pain all over the body, chest tightness, profuse sweating, and collapse, but consciousness and speech are clear, and tongue coating and pulse are mostly normal. Death may not occur after rescue.