He Shou Wu is a commonly encountered Chinese herbal medicine with significant medicinal value, used in treating numerous ailments. Can individuals with hepatitis B consume He Shou Wu? Let's explore this further.
He Shou Wu (scientific name: Fallopia multiflora (Thunb.) Harald.), also known as Polygonum multiflorum, purple crow vine, or night-crossing vine, is a perennial climbing vine belonging to the Polygonaceae family. Its thick, fleshy roots are elongated oval-shaped and dark brown.It grows in mountain valley thickets, under forests on slopes, and along stream banks in rocky crevices. It is native to southern Shaanxi, southern Gansu, East China, Central China, South China, Sichuan, Yunnan, and Guizhou. Its root is used medicinally to calm the mind, nourish blood, activate circulation, detoxify (stop malaria), and reduce abscesses. Processed He Shou Wu (prepared He Shou Wu) is used to replenish essence and blood, darken hair, strengthen tendons and bones, and tonify the liver and kidneys. It is a common and valuable medicinal herb.
1. Effects on the Central Nervous System: Using the mouse jump test and dark avoidance test, a 60g/kg oral administration of Polygonum multiflorum decoction significantly counteracted scopolamine-induced memory acquisition impairment in mice.
2. Hypolipidemic and anti-atherosclerotic effects: Oral administration of Polygonum multiflorum ethanol extracts at 0.084, 0.84, and 8.4 g/kg for 6 consecutive weeks inhibited increases in plasma total cholesterol, triglycerides, free cholesterol, and cholesterol esters in hyperlipidemic quails, while delaying the formation and progression of cerebral atherosclerosis.
3. Effects on the hematopoietic system: Intraperitoneal injections of Polygonum multiflorum decoction alcohol precipitate at concentrations of 1 g/ml and 0.2 g/ml demonstrated, via the in vivo diffusion chamber method, a growth-promoting effect on rat bone marrow granulocyte progenitor cells.When administered orally as warm infusions at 30 g/kg for 14 consecutive days to hemorrhagic blood deficiency mice, processed He Shou Wu (prepared by high-pressure method) increased red blood cell count and hemoglobin content, whereas raw He Shou Wu showed no significant effect.
4. Effects on Immune Function: Decoction extracts of raw Polygonum multiflorum, Polygonum multiflorum steamed with black bean juice for 32 hours (Product 1), and Polygonum multiflorum subjected to nine cycles of steaming and sun-drying with black bean juice (Product 2) were administered orally at 6 g/kg for 7 consecutive days.Results indicated that Product 1 enhanced the phagocytic activity of mouse peritoneal macrophages against chicken erythrocytes and counteracted the immunosuppressive effects of prednisolone on macrophages. Product 1 increased erythrocyte immunity, elevated the C3b receptor rosetting rate of mouse erythrocytes, reduced the immune complex rosetting rate, and counteracted the immunosuppressive effects of prednisolone. Raw Rehmannia root and Product 2 showed no significant effects.
5. Effects on Metabolism: Oral administration of 350 mg/mouse cold ethanol extracts of raw and processed Polygonum multiflorum increased hepatic glycogen content sixfold in kidney-deprived, starved mice, with raw Polygonum multiflorum showing no effect.In vitro culture studies using Polygonum multiflorum injection at concentrations of 0.16, 0.03, and 0.01 mg/ml significantly enhanced DNA replication in rat neonatal liver cells.
6. Anti-aging effects: Water-soluble components of Polygonum multiflorum at concentrations of 0.1 and 1.0 g/ml reduced monoamine oxidase B (MAO-B) activity in rat and mouse brains (MAO-B activity is elevated in elderly humans and aged animals).He Shou Wu decoction administered at 1 g/ml (0.5 ml/animal) via gavage for 7 consecutive days increased adrenal gland weight in aged mice and elevated superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity.
7. Anti-platelet aggregation: Feeding rats 4 g/kg Polygonum multiflorum powder in their diet for 8 consecutive weeks counteracts ADP-induced platelet aggregation.
8. Toxicity: The LD50 of crude Polygonum multiflorum ethanol cold macerate administered intraperitoneally to mice is 5.5 g/kg. No mouse deaths occurred with 300 g/kg of processed Polygonum multiflorum ethanol cold macerate administered intraperitoneally.The LD50 of raw He Shou Wu ethanol macerate administered orally to mice was 50 g/kg, while no deaths occurred at 1000 g/kg of processed He Shou Wu ethanol macerate. That concludes our introduction on whether individuals with hepatitis B can consume He Shou Wu. We hope this information proves helpful. Wishing you good health and smooth sailing this winter.