Speaking of Wood Fragrance, many may recognize it as a plant-based Chinese herbal medicine. Its therapeutic effects for various ailments surpass those of many other medicinal herbs, making its medical applications relatively widespread. So what are the functions and benefits of Wood Fragrance? Let's explore below.
Wood Fragrance serves multiple purposes: it can be used medicinally, consumed as food, and even valued for ornamental purposes.
Pharmacological Effects of Wood Fragrance
Antispasmodic
It directly relaxes intestinal spasms in guinea pigs. It counteracts smooth muscle spasms induced by acetylcholine and histamine. Its antispasmodic effect is similar to but weaker than papaverine.
Promoting Qi Flow and Relieving Pain
It excels at regulating the middle burner and dispersing stagnation, treating epigastric and abdominal distension-pain, poor appetite, and vomiting caused by spleen-stomach qi stagnation.
Regulating Qi and Soothing the Liver
Used for costal pain resulting from liver-gallbladder qi stagnation.
Strengthening the Spleen and Eliminating Stagnation
It regulates gastrointestinal qi stagnation, treating abdominal pain, diarrhea, and tenesmus.
Anti-emetic
Effective against vomiting in acute gastroenteritis and nervous hiccups.
Hypotensive effect
Intravenous administration of lactone compounds (50mg/kg), magnolol (35mg/kg), dihydro-magnolol (65mg/kg), and dihydro-magnolol (60mg/kg) produced hypotensive effects in anesthetized dogs.The oil fraction devoid of lactones (10 mg/kg) and 12-methoxy dihydro-woodland lactone (25 mg/kg) exhibited stronger hypotensive effects, primarily due to direct vasodilation and cardiac inhibition.
Smooth Muscle Inhibition
All components at concentrations of 1–10 μg/ml produced a relaxing effect on isolated rabbit duodenum and antagonized the effects of acetylcholine, histamine, andbarium chloride in isolated guinea pig ileum. The de-lactone oil exhibited the strongest relaxing effect, while dihydro-muxin lactone demonstrated the most potent antispasmodic activity among the lactone components, similar to papaverine. All fractions also exhibited antispasmodic effects against bronchospasm induced by acetylcholine and histamine sprays in guinea pigs.
Effects on the Respiratory System
In vitro guinea pig trachea and lung perfusion experiments demonstrate that the aqueous extract, alcoholic extract, essential oil, and total alkaloids of Aquilaria can counteract the spasmogenic effects of histamine and acetylcholine on the trachea and bronchi.The lactone components in the volatile oil—including total lactones, Aquilaria lactone, and dihydro-Aquilaria lactone—as well as the delactone volatile oil can counteract bronchoconstriction induced by histamine, acetylcholine, and barium chloride, with dihydro-Aquilaria lactone exhibiting the strongest effect.
Warming the Middle Burner and Harmonizing the Stomach
As stated in Compendium of Materia Medica: "Saussurea is a herb for the Qi aspect of the Triple Burner, capable of regulating the ascending and descending movements of various Qi." Clinically, it is frequently used for vomiting and diarrhea caused by spleen-stomach Qi deficiency and impaired transporting and transforming functions.
Effects on the Cardiovascular System
Low concentrations of sandalwood essential oil and various lactones isolated from it can inhibit the activity of isolated guinea pig and rabbit hearts to varying degrees, and also inhibit isolated frog hearts. Small doses of water or alcohol extracts can stimulate intact frog and dog hearts, while large doses have an inhibitory effect.Intravenous injection of 1-2 mg of Yunmuxiang alkaloids stimulates the in vivo cat heart, with a more pronounced effect on the ventricles than on the atria.
Antibacterial Effects
The volatile oil at a concentration of 1:3000 inhibits the growth of Streptococcus, Staphylococcus aureus, and Staphylococcus albus, while showing weak effects on Escherichia coli and Corynebacterium diphtheriae; the total alkaloids exhibit no antibacterial activity.The decoction of this herb exhibits only mild inhibition against Salmonella paratyphi A, while proving ineffective against seven pathogenic bacteria including Staphylococcus aureus and Shigella. Separate reports indicate the decoction inhibits ten fungal species, including Trichophyton rubrum and its Mongolian variant.