What is Sinomenium acutum (Thunb.) Rehd. et Wils. and Sinomenine? Super function of Sinomenine from East?herbs cure Inflammation,Arthritis

  seminal trace...Sinomenine.Sinomenium acutum (Thunb.) Rehd. et Wils.C19H23NO4....

   Sinomenine and Its Botanical info:

 Sinomenine 98%HPLC
 Scientific Name:Sinomenium acutum (Thunb.) Rehd. et Wils.
 Habitat:West China.
 Common Name:Sinomenine
 Botanical Source:Sinomenium acutum Rehd.Et wils.
 Plant part:Stem
 Synoms: 9-alpha,13-alpha,14-alpha-Morphinan-6-one, 7,8-didehydro-4-hydroxy-3,7-dimethox;y-17-methyl-;7,8-Didehydro-4-hydroxy-3,7-dimethoxy-17-methyl-9-alpha,13-alpha,14-alph a-mo;rphinan-6-one;Coculine;Cucoline;Kukoline;Sabianine A; Sinomenine
 Chemical Name: 9-alpha,13-alpha,14-alpha-Morphinan-6-one,7,8-didehydro-4-hydroxy-3,7-dimethoxy-17-methyl-
 M.W.:329.38  Molecular Formula:C19H23NO4 CAS.No:115-53-7
 Merck Index: 13: 8620
 Synonyms of Extracts:Sinomenine (Sinomenium acutum Rehd.Et wils.)Stem Extract.;C19H23NO4;Chinese Moonseed extracts,Chinese Moonseed extracts; Sinomenium acutum (Thunb.) Rehd. et Wils extracts, Sinomenium acutum Rehd.et Wils. extracts,sinomenin C19H22NO4;bang gi extracts,fongke extracts,Radix aristolochiae fangchi;
 Sinomenine is an alkaloid isolated from the Chinese medicinal plant Sinomenium acutum. It has immunomodulating and anti-inflammatory activities. Its anti-arthritic propery is related to the anti-proliferative effects on synovial fibroblasts and lymphocytes. Other anti-rheumatic mechanisms are attributed to its ability to decrease PGE2 and leukotriene C4 synthesis, and inhibit NO production.
 


 Sinomenine and Its Botanical info:
 Sinomenium acutum (Thunb.) Rehd. et. Wils.:
 Usage of Fangji Genus:
 What is Arthritis?
 Herbs & inflammation:
 Comparative studies:
 Safety and Acute toxicity:


   Sinomenium acutum (Thunb.) Rehd. et. Wils.:

 Source: Sinomenium acutum (Thunb.) Rehd. et. Wils.
 General information: Botanical Common Name: Chinese Moonseed
 Family: Menispermaceae Juss
 Country of Origin: E. Asia - China.
 Habitat: Thickets and sparse forests to 1500 metres in western China
 Botanical Names: aristolochia fangchi, Wu; fang ji, mu fang ji,aristolochia westlandi, Hemsl.

 Other varieties:
 Botanical name of han fang ji is sinomenium acutum Rehd. et Wils.; menispermum acutum Thunb.
 Botanical name of mu fang ji is cocculus trilobus DC.
 Pronounced in Korean: bang gi
 Pronounced in Cantonese: fong ke
 Pharmaceutical name: Radix aristolochiae fangchi

 Common Name: stephania
 Distribution: Qing Yuan, Bing Gang, Lo Ding and Lo Tan of Guang Dong, Guagn Xi, Han Zhong of Shanxi, Jie Jiang etc.
 Characteristics and channel (meridian) relation: Bitter in taste, acrid and very cold. Related to channels: bladder, spleen and kidney
 Chemical ingredients(the two kinds of fang ji produced in China):
 (1).Those produced in Han Zhong are called han fang ji. Its chemicals consist of tetrandin C38H42N2O6 and fangchinoline C37H46N2O6.
 (2).Those produced in Lake Xi Hu, and Mt. Tian Mu Shan of Jie Jiang province are called mu fang ji. Its chemicals consist of mufangchinoline C14H21N14O11 and thunbergin C20H14O9.
 


   Usage of Fangji Genus:

 Han fang ji is being used pain reliever: inflammation of nerves, stiffness of the shoulders, gouts and back pain. Chinese han fang ji is being used in Bell's palsy, asthma, edema (as an diuretics).
 Mu fang ji is being used as diuretics for edema and for gonorrhea.
 Medical Functions: Lab animals receiving sinomenin injections showed increase reflex functions, spasms and paralyzed and death.
 Chinese han fang ji showed that it can regulate body temperature. Mu fang ji showed the properties of diuretics and relieve pain of nerve inflammation.

   Here as following we discuss more details of topics for reference:Inflammation and Arthritis:

 The plant kingdom is abundant in species that act as anti-inflammatories to animal tissue. If the premise is accepted that through an ecological integration most of the biological needs of humanity and the other animalsare met by our evolutionary environment, the wealth of anti-inflammatory herbs comes as no surprise. Whilst they are rarely as immediately powerful as the steroid drugs, they are very rarely as dangerous and potentially life threatening.
 It should be remembered that the steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs were developed from plant material and are still largely synthesized from saponins such as diosgenin from the Mexican Yam (Dioscorea floribunda).
 Inflammation, a process unpleasantly familiar to everyone, occurs in response to a range of traumas from sunburn and wounds, to infection and auto-immune conditions. Whatever the cause, this process is basically the same.
 It is characterized by four physical signs; warmth, redness, swelling, and pain. Warmth and redness result from dilation of the small blood vessels in the injured area and increased local blood flow. Because blood vessels become more permeable during inflammation, protein rich exudate escapes from blood plasma to the damaged tissue and causes swelling. Pain is believed to result from such chemical substances as serotonin or from tension of tissue over the inflamed area. So inflammation in auto-immune conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis is fundamentally the same as that of simple infections or wounds, however the trigger of the reaction is very different.
 The biochemistry and medical pathology of this complex process can often subtly imply that chemistry is the medical answer. Plants as whole medicines will reduce and soothe much inflammation wether we know the biochemistry or not. A review of recent studies show much confirmation about the efficacy of traditional remedies.


   What is Arthritis?

 Perhaps the most important inflammatory conditions to affect humanity are the varieties of arthritis and rheumatism. Throughout the world herbal medicine is used in its treatment. Arthritis is a general term for approximately 100 named diseases that produce either inflammation of connective tissues, particularly in joints, or noninflammatory degeneration of these tissues. The word simply means joint inflammation, but because other structures are also affected, the diseases are often called connective tissue diseases. The terms rheumatism and rheumatic diseases are also used. Besides conditions so named, the diseases include gout, lupus erythematosus, ankylosing spondylitis, degenerative joint disease, and many others. Causes of these disorders include immune-system reactions and the wear and tear of aging, while research indicates that the nervous system may often be equally involved. About one out of seven Americans exhibit some form of arthritis. Many of these diseases are characterized by inflammation in the affected tissue. The usual signs of inflammation (warmth, redness, swelling, and pain) are often present.
 In some conditions, the inflammation is an immune reaction. This may be the body's defense against invading microorganisms, but often the immune reaction against the body's own tissue is of unknown cause. The body seems to react against itself rather than against an invading microorganism. Anti-self antibodies react with intact connective tissue and synovial membranes and thus cause inflammation.
 A common auto-immune form of arthritis is rheumatoid arthritis. Whilst the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis are due to inflammation of the connective tissues, the cause is not at all clear. Characteristically the synovial membranes, or inner linings of the joint capsules, are chronically inflamed. The synovial mass proliferates and thereby destroys cartilage, bone and adjacent structures. Widespread inflammation may involve other tissue leading to painful joints, loss of mobility, and a generalized soreness and depression. Blood tests often reveal the presence of rheumatoid factors, proteins produced by the immune system in response to the rheumatic process.
 Utilizing a broad holistic approach, herbal medicine works with the whole body promoting an amelioration of the condition whilst alleviating pain and discomfort. Simply using anti-inflammatory and anti-rheumatic remedies is not enough, therapy must focus on liver function, circulation, elimination as well as quality of life and experience. Such practical therapeutic considerations go beyond the range of this book in which research findings are the focus.


   Herbs & inflammation:

 Herbalists around the world know of many plants with inflammation inhibiting and anti-arthritic properties. Whether it be Bogbean (Menyanthes trifoliata), Nettles (Urtica dioica) or the Kalahari desert herb Devil's Claw (Harpagophytum procumbens), they all work. Such remedies are under intense investigations as anti-inflammatory agents. In a well known study, 163 species of plants and fungi were tested to determine their anti-inflammatory activity. Of the species tested, 17 exhibited between 30/39% inhibition of inflammation, 21 between 40/49%, 15 between 50/59%, 4 between 60/69%, and 2 gave greater than 70 % inhibition.
 Unfortunately chemical identification of the anti-inflammatory components are usually given much more attention than therapeutic use of the herbs. This is because the plants are viewed as sources of potentially valuable drugs rather than having inherent value in themselves.
 As examples of such chemical research, consider the aerial parts of Dianthus barbatus which has yielded two saponins (barbatosides A and B) having analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities. The aglycone of each saponin was identified as quillaic acid. The glycone of barbatoside A consisted of rhamnose, arabinose, fructose, xylose, galactose, glucose and one unidentified sugar; whereas the glycone of barbatoside B contained arabinose, fructose, xylose, mannose, galactose, glucose and three unidentified sugars. Astragalin, kaempferol-3-O-[[beta]]-D-sophoroside, D-pinitol and L-leucine were also isolated. Conyza canadensis is another herbal remedy found to exhibit a significant anti-inflammatory in the laboratory. Eight sesquiterpenes have the highest anti-inflammatory activity, including beta-santalene, beta-himachalene, cuparene, alpha-curcumene, gamma-cadinene.
 Whilst much of the anti-inflammatory research concerns herbs that do not come to mind immediately to the European or North American herbalist, some of our prized remedies have received attention. Meadowsweet, with its high levels of analgesic salicylates is described in the section on the digestive system. An excellent remedy introduced into British usage by the American Physio-medicalists is Prickly Ash (Zanthoxylum americanum), now under study as a source of effective anti-inflammatory chemicals such as piperonyl-4-acrylic isobutyl amide. The name Prickly Ash has much more of a ring to it!
 Devil's Claw(Harpagophytum procumbens) is a remedy from the Kalahari desert in Namibia with a well deserved reputation as an effective rheumatic remedy. A group of glycosides called harpagosides found in the root show a marked antiinflammatory effect.6 Similarly Greater Celandine (Chelidonium majus) has revealed alkaloids that justify in chemical terms the ancient herbal wisdom about its use.
 


   Comparative studies:

 In many examinations, the herb or its components are compared to a commonly used anti-inflammatory drug such as aspirin or phenylbutazone. Results are compared to see if the effect of the herb is statistically significant. When Cucumis trigonus was studied for both analgesic and anti-inflammatory activity using a standard drug for comparison it showed statistically significant activity. Anti-inflammatory agents such as phenylbutazone, ibuprofen and Commiphora mukkul were compared. All three decreased the thickness of the joint swelling during the course of treatment, confirming the value of this Ayurvedic herb used in the treatment of Arthritis.
 A Chinese medicine known as Shosaikoto has been shown to have mild anti-inflammatory action but more importantly it significantly increased the anti-inflammatory effect of prednisolone in laboratory tests. This points to the possibility of using herbal remedies to potentiate drug treatments whilst using lower doses of the potentially dangerous chemicals involved.

   West African research:
 Most research is conducted in laboratories upon animals, with no reference to therapeutic practice with the remedies or possible future use. Much of the work coming from West Africa shows what can be done if real herbal usage is considered. Throughout the area herbal medicine is a thriving and respected part of the health care systems.
 Investigation of Ficus elastica as an anti-inflammatory was prompted by the fact that practitioners of herbal medicine in West Africa use the plant for the treatment of muscle and joint pain. The results of the investigation confirm that the herb markedly inhibited experimentally induced inflammation. This effect of Ficus elastica was very similar to that of the commonly prescribed anti-arthritis drug indomethacin. Similarly, both Ficus elastica and indomethacin inhibited the primary as well as the secondary lesions of arthritis in the rat. The impressive anti-inflammatory activity of the herb may have been due to the presence of a flavonoid.
 Much of the observation of real herbal usage of these remedies is undertaken by ethnobotanists rather than overtly medical researchers. From a survey of anti-arthritic remedies used in Igbo tribal ethnomedicine in Nigeria, they selected three plants (Lonchocarpus cyanescens, Costus afar andTerminalia ivorensis) for closer study. Twenty-five volunteers were monitored while receiving treatment from two reputable herbalists, and the result of the clinical investigation were so impressive that they prompted pharmacological and phytochemical studies on the herbs. Extracts of the herbs reduced inflammation and the associated swelling, checked diarrhoea, and ameliorated all signs associated with polyarthritis in rats.
 Many cultures have received cursory examination by the ethnobotanists, but all too rarely by open minded clinicians. Whilst the surveys carried out are excellent, as in Panthong's review of Thai herbalism, this rarely comes to the attention of therapists considering possible techniques.


   Chinese research:
 A considerable number of Chinese medical herbs have been found to be anti-inflammatory upon screening for the inhibition of acute inflammation, allergic reaction, and for the alleviation of arthritis symptoms.This research has been published exclusively in Japanese or Chinese, making it little known in the west. Many popular Chinese medical prescriptions used in the treatment of arthritis base their anti-inflammatory action on synergistic interactions of the herbs present. This makes biochemical conclusions difficult to reach as research protocols for complex mixtures pose a formidable problem for the research pharmacologist.
 Many examples can be given of the specific herbs shown to have value. A well known traditional remedy, Scutellaria baicalensis; a relative of Skullcap, has excellent properties partially attributable to the flavonoids present. It has an ancient history of use in, amongst other things, allergic conditions.
 Root and stem decoctions of Sinomenium acutum, one type of Fang-chi, have been used as a folk remedy for neuralgia and rheumatoid arthritis in many areas of the Far East. In China various plants have been identified as Fangji since antiquity. This uncertainty is a common example of the difficulty researchers have in evaluating the efficacy of herbs described in classical Chinese literature.
 In investigation of the range of traditional Fang-chi plants only Sinomenium acutum has been demonstrated to contain the alkaloid sinomenine, which is now known to be effective in neuralgia and rheumatic diseases. Sinomenine is a unique plant alkaloid, as it potently releases histamine in association with degranulation of mast cells in connective tissue, preferentially in the skin and joint capsules. The released histamine is responsible for the pharmacological actions of sinomenine, such as vasodilation, increased vascular permeability, acceleration of the thoracic and peripheral lymph flow, contraction of smooth muscles, increased peristalsis of the intestines, and stimulation of gastric acid secretion.
 This all provides a clear pharmacological basis for the anti-inflammatory action of this traditional herbal remedy.


   Ayurvedic studies:
 On pharmacological evaluation, the Ayurvedic anti-inflammatory remedy Salai guggal displayed marked activity in laboratory animals. No side effects were seen on cardiovascular, respiratory and central nervous system functions. Of great interest was the lack of ulceration in the rat stomach. Stomach ulcers are a common complication of drug treatment of arthritis.

   South American studies:
 South America is one of the richest botanical areas in the world. Under the tragic pressure of deforestation of the rain forest and resultant plant extinction much research is going into plant resources. It is a pity that economic value has to be cited as reason for preserving the forests or for considering the herbs, but we live in a crazy world. Croton lechleri, from the Upper Amazon Valley of Peru, has yielded a new anti-inflammatory alkaloid called taspine. The anti-inflammatory activity of taspine hydrochloride has been shown to have value in arthritis treatment.

   Italian studies:
 It is not just in Africa, Asia and South America that herbal remedies are used traditionally for the relief of rheumatism and arthritis. A recent paper reports on the use of more than 90 plant species as folk remedies to treat rheumatic and arthritic diseases in Northern Italy. The study focussed on the pharmacology of the mode of action of these remedies, not questioning that they have some empirical value. Rubefacient activity was shown to have its basis in moieties such as protoanemonin, isothiocyanate or allicine yielding plants and species containing capsaicin, oleoresins, volatile oils, resins and alkaloids. The effectiveness of other herbal remedies appeared to depend on their content of salicyl derivatives. A considerable number of the plant species contained chemicals for which anti-inflammatory properties have been demonstrated.


   Safety and Acute toxicity:

 Chemical Name: 9-alpha,13-alpha,14-alpha-Morphinan-6-one,7,8-didehydro-4-hydroxy-3,7-dimethoxy-17-methyl-
 CAS.No.:115-53-7 Molecular Formula: C19-H23-N-O4.  Molecular Weight:329.43
 Beilstein Reference No: 0095280.(5-21-13-00516.Beilstein Handbook Reference)
 Synonmys: Coculine;Cucoline; 7,8-Didehydro-4-hydroxy-3,7-dimethoxy-17-methyl-9-alpha,13-alpha,14-alpha-morphinan-6-one; Kukoline;Sabianine A;Sinomenine.

 Acute toxicity(LD50):

 LD50-Lethal dose,50 percent kill.Oral.Rodent-mouse.580mg/kg.
 Behavioral: somnolence (general depressed acitivity)
 Behavioral: convulsions or effect on seizure threshold.
 Reference: YHHPAL Yaoxue Xuebao.Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica.Pharmaceutical Journal(China International Book Trading Corp.,POB 2820,Beijing.Peop.Rep.China) V.1-1953-Suspended 1966-78.Volume(issue)/page/year:10,673,1963.

 LD50-Lethal dose,50 percent kill.Intraperitoneal.Rodent-mouse.285mg/kg.
 Behavioral:convulsions or effect on seizure threshold.
 Lungs,Thorax,or Respiration -respiratory depression.
 Reference: YHHPAL Yaoxue Xuebao.Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica.Pharmaceutical Journal(China International Book Trading Corp.,POB 2820,Beijing.Peop.Rep.China) V.1-1953-Suspended 1966-78.Volume(issue)/page/year:8,177,1960.


  Scientific References:

  1.What is Sinomenium acutum (Thunb.) Rehd. et Wils. and Sinomenine? Super function of Sinomenine from East?