Cordata Thunb Research Articles

Process optimization, quality evaluation, and dynamic changes of metabolites in Houttuynia cordata yogurt

Houttuynia cordata Thunb (YXC) is a significant homologous plant valued for its medicinal and culinary properties. However, there are no reports on the study of YXC yogurt. The quantities of YXC liquid, starter culture, and white sugar were used to evaluate their impact on yogurt quality, followed by metabolite profiling analysis. The optimal formula for yogurt consisted of 23 g YXC liquid, 9 g white sugar, and 0.7 g starter culture, resulting in well-balanced coagulation, delicate and smooth taste, and a unique aroma of YXC. Additionally, most differential metabolites were significantly accumulated during the production process of YXC yogurt, of which amino acids, free fatty acids, organic acids, and saccharides were associated with the texture, taste, and flavor of yogurt. Correlation analysis further suggested that saccharides, amino acids, and lipids were positively correlated with sensory quality of YXC yogurt. Collectively, YXC-based yogurt enriches the variety of yogurt products and enhances their nutritional values and flavor properties.

Impacts of Plu kaow (Houttuynia cordata Thunb.) Ethanolic Extract on Diabetes and Dyslipidemia in STZ Induced Diabetic Rats: Phytochemical Profiling, Cheminformatics Analyses, and Molecular Docking Studies.

The increasing prevalence of diabetes and dyslipidemia poses significant health challenges, impacting millions of people globally and leading to high rates of illness and death. This study aimed to explore the potential antidiabetic and hypolipidemic effects of Plu kaow (Houttuynia cordata Thunb.) ethanolic extract (PK) in streptozotocin (STZ) induced diabetic rats, focusing on its molecular mechanisms. Diabetes was induced in fasting Long Evans rats using streptozotocin (65 mg/kg b. w.), with glibenclamide (5 mg/kg/day) used as the standard experimental drug. The treated groups received oral supplementation of PK (500 mg/kg/day) for 28 days. The study evaluated blood glucose levels, lipid status, body weight, liver, kidney, and heart function biomarkers, antioxidant activity, and histological examination of various organs. Additionally, untargeted metabolomics, cheminformatics, and molecular docking were employed to elucidate the probable mechanisms of action of PK. Based on metabolomic profiling data, the PK was found to contain various putative antidiabetic agents such as kaempferol 7-neohesperidoside, isochlorogenic acid C, rutin, datiscin, and diosmin and they have been proposed to significantly (p < 0.001) reduce blood glucose levels and modulated hyperlipidemia. PK also improved the tested liver, kidney, and heart function biomarkers and reversed damage to normal pancreatic, liver, kidney, and heart cells in histological analysis. In conclusion, PK shows promise as a potential treatment or management option for diabetes and hyperlipidemia, as well as their associated complications in diabetic rats.

The comprehensive evaluation and mechanism of HOUTTUYNIA CORDATA (Thunb) injection as a complementary therapy for infantile pneumonia

BackgroundHouttuynia cordata injection (HCI), a commercialized product made from the active ingredients extracted from Houttuynia cordata Thunb, has been used clinically in China for >50 years with significant therapeutic effects on pseudorabies herpesvirus infection in vitro and H1N1 influenza virus in mice. Purpose of studyThis work is to evaluate the complementary therapeutic effect of HCI on infantile pneumonia (IP) and to explore its mechanism of action. Study designFirst, the complementary efficacy of HCI in improving IP was evaluated by meta-analysis, with only randomized controlled trials from 5 electronic databases were included in this study. Second, network pharmacology was employed to predict the underlying mechanism of HCI in improving IP. Finally, molecular docking, surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced rat IP model were used to verify the predicted results. ResultsMeta-analysis indicated that HCI can complementarily improve pneumonia by increasing cure rate and reducing the duration of fever, cough, and wheezing. Network pharmacology analysis using databases such as Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology (TCMSP), Swiss target prediction, Therapeutic target database and Genecards showed that quercetin, houttuynin and kaempferol in HCI are the main compounds that improve IP and regulate 96 pneumonia-related protein targets. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis indicated that interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), interleukin-1 β (IL-1β), protein kinase B-1, matrix metalloproteinase 9, interleukin-10, tumor protein 53, epidermal growth factor receptor, C-X-C motif chemokine 8 and interferon gamma are the ten most relevant targets of HCI in improving IP. In the gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis, 96 targets are involved in 706 GO functions and 148 KEGG pathways. Among them, TNF-α/IL-1β signaling associated with inflammatory response is considered to be an important mechanism in IP. Molecular docking, SPR and LPS-induced IP model confirmed the predicted results. ConclusionsHCI has a complementary therapeutic effect on IP, and its mechanism may be related to the inhibition of TNF-α/IL-1β inflammatory response by two flavonoid compounds.

Isolation of an α-glucosidase Inhibitor from Houttuynia cordata Thunb. and Its In vitro and In vivo Hypoglycemic Bioactivity.

The Houttuynia cordata Thunb. belongs to the Saururaceae family and is a well-known medicine and food homologous plant. Herein, the isolation of an α-glucosidase inhibitor from Houttuynia cordata Thunb. and characterization of its in vitro and in vivo hypoglycemic bioactivities are reported. We optimized the extraction conditions and isolated neochlorogenic acid (nCGA), which has α-glucosidase inhibitory activity from Houttuynia cordata Thunb. for the first time. nCGA competed with glucose for the α-glucosidase binding site, with a 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 0.711mg/mL. In vivo experiments in zebrafish showed that effects of nCGA on blood glucose varied by its concentrations. In particular, 4mg/L nCGA significantly decreased the blood glucose level and inhibited effects of α-glucosidase in zebrafish. This work provides a theoretical basis for the extraction of hypoglycemic active ingredients from Houttuynia cordata Thunb. and a foundation for the development of natural and effective α-glucosidase inhibitors.

Hydroponic cultivation enhances biomass and medicinal safety of Houttuynia cordata Thunb: An integrated physiological and multi-omics analysis

Houttuynia cordata Thunb. (H. cordata) is a significant medicinal plant in China, known for its strong effects in healthcare and disease treatment. However, wild-harvested H. cordata often accumulates heavy metal contaminants, and currently, there is no environmentally safe method for its cultivation. This study aims to explore the influence of cultivation substrates on the growth, development, and medicinal components of H. cordata, and to elucidate the potential mechanisms underlying the increased biomass of H. cordata under hydroponic conditions using multi-omics techniques. Methodologically, we employed soilless cultivation to ensure medicinal safety and used multi-omics analysis to reveal the differential metabolites and genes associated with various cultivation methods. Our findings indicate that soilless cultivation effectively reduces H. cordata’s accumulation of benzene while maintaining medicinal component levels comparable to traditional soil cultivation. Hydroponically grown H. cordata exhibits significantly higher biomass compared to other methods. The integration of multi-omics analysis shows that differential metabolites and genes in hydroponically grown H. cordata are primarily enriched in nitrogen metabolism and photosynthetic pathways. Additionally, we found that increased nitric oxide content significantly enhances H. cordata ’s photosynthesis and gene expression, promoting leaf and root growth. In conclusion, soilless cultivation reduces benzene metabolite levels in H. cordata while preserving its medicinal properties, and hydroponics facilitates its growth and development. This study lays a theoretical foundation for the industrial production of environmentally friendly, uncontaminated medicinal H. cordata.

Identification of phytoconstituents from Houttuynia cordata Thunb. as dipeptidyl peptidase-IV and sodium glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors guided by molecular docking

PurposeHouttuynia cordata Thunb. is an edible medicinal herb belonging to the Saururaceae family. Although the effects of the plant extracts on several diabetic-related parameters have been documented in the past, there is no documentation of the effects of this plant on sodium/glucose cotransporter 2 or dipeptidyl peptidase-IV- key drug targets for type 2 diabetes. The present study identified and screened phytoconstituents present in H. cordata Thunb. and characterized their ADME/Tox properties. The compounds present in aqueous and hydroalcoholic extracts of H. cordata Thunb. were identified using High-Performance Thin Layer Chromatography, and Gas Chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Compounds obeying the Lipinski's Rule of 5 and having high gastrointestinal absorption were then selected and docked with dipeptidyl peptidase-IV and sodium/glucose cotransporter 2. ResultsChromatographic analysis showed the presence of several compounds by matching their recorded spectra with the data bank mass spectra from the NIST library. ADME/Tox properties and docking of the identified compounds indicate the potentiality of the compounds as antidiabetic drug candidates. ConclusionsThe compounds from Houttuynia cordata have good binding affinities to peptidase-IV and sodium/glucose cotransporter 2 and can therefore be used as their inhibitors. However, isolation of these phytoconstituents and their in vivo activity will help give a better insight and will open a new area of investigation of individual components and their pharmacological potency.

Inhibition of LPS-Induced Skin Inflammatory Response and Barrier Damage via MAPK/NF-κB Signaling Pathway by Houttuynia cordata Thunb Fermentation Broth.

Houttuynia cordata Thunb is rich in active substances and has excellent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity. Scanning electron microscopy and gel permeation chromatography were used to analyze the molecular characteristics of the fermentation broth of Houttuynia cordata Thunb obtained through fermentation with Clavispora lusitaniae (HCT-f). The molecular weight of HCT-f was 2.64265 × 105 Da, and the polydispersity coefficient was 183.10, which were higher than that of unfermented broth of Houttuynia cordata Thunb (HCT). By investigating the active substance content and in vitro antioxidant activity of HCT-f and HCT, the results indicated that HCT-f had a higher active substance content and exhibited a superior scavenging effect on 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radicals and hydroxyl radicals, with IC50 values of 11.85% and 9.01%, respectively. Our results showed that HCT-f could effectively alleviate the increase in the secretion of inflammatory factors and apoptotic factors caused by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation, and had a certain effect on repairing skin barrier damage. HCT-f could exert an anti-inflammatory effect by down-regulating signaling in the MAPK/NF-κB pathway. The results of erythrocyte hemolysis and chicken embryo experiments showed that HCT-f had a high safety profile. Therefore, this study provides a theoretical basis for the application of HCT-f as an effective ingredient in food and cosmetics.

Antibacterial Activity Of Clay Mask From Houttuynia Cordata Leaves Extract Against Staphylococcus Aureus

Facial skin that often looks dull and not glowing can be caused by the accumulation of dead skin cells. The solution to this problem is to exfoliate using a scrub. The content of secondary metabolites in Amis-amisan leaves (Houttuynia cordata Thunb) has antibacterial activity. This study aimed to determine the antibacterial activity of the face scrub ethanol extract of amis-amisan leaves against Staphylococcus aureus. The extract was obtained using the remaceration method using 96% ethanol. Concentrations of face scrub are 10%, 20%, and 30%. Antibacterial activity using the pour plate method. The results antibacterial activity of face scrub with concentrations of 10%, 20%, and 30% are 1.127 cm, 1.282 cm and 1.460 cm, respectively. The best antibacterial activity is a 30% concentration face scrub. The physical characteristics of the organoleptic, homogeneity, pH, spreadability, adhesion, and irritation tests of the face scrub meet the specified requirements.

Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles using Houttuynia cordata Thunb rhizome extracts and their antibacterial potential against common foodborne pathogens

SummaryThe biological synthesis of functionalised nanoparticles using plant materials is considered more cost‐effective and eco‐friendly than chemical and physical methods. Hence, this study demonstrated the synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using Houttuynia cordata Thunb rhizome (HCR). The extract, prepared with distilled water, provided the required phytochemical components, such as flavonoids, terpenoids, phenols, proteins and other essential bio‐reducing agents. The AgNPs were exposed to reaction conditions, such as temperatures, pH values and AgNO3 concentrations, to identify the optimum synthesis condition and explore their impacts on particle size and antibacterial action against Gram‐positive (Staphylococcus aureus) and Gram‐negative (Salmonella enterica and Shigella dysenteriae) foodborne pathogens. The formation of AgNPs was indicated by specific surface plasmon resonance (SPR) intensity at 440–450 nm and colour changes under different reaction conditions. The structure and size distribution characterised by SEM and TEM revealed that the AgNPs exhibited a spherical‐shaped structure with irregular contours, regular distribution and aggregation. Although the average particle size ranged from 2 to 100 nm, relatively smaller sizes were detected at 10 mM (54.30), 80 °C (49.50 nm) and pH 6 (60.16 nm) conditions. The FTIR spectrum and EDX spectral signals affirmed the presence of reducing and stabilising agents in HCR extract, following the reduction of AgNPs from Ag+ to Ag0. AgNPs also exhibited excellent antibacterial activity against S. aureus, S. enterica and Sh. dysenteriae, indicating a broad spectrum for various applications in the food and pharmaceutical industries.

Quality and production enhancement of fish mint, Houttuynia cordata Thunb., cultivated in a hydroponic planting system with designed plant growth-promoting additives

Fish mint, Houttuynia cordata Thunb. (HCT) is an edible vegetable that has also been used in traditional folk medicines. As both a medicinal herb and a dietary source, HCT has been clinically proven to be a pivotal ingredient in formulas administered to alleviate COVID-19 symptoms. With the increasing market demand for imported materials, ensuring the quality consistency of HCT becomes a significant concern. In this study, the growing time for hydroponically-cultivated HCT with seaweed extract and amino acids added (HCTW) reduced by half compared to conventional soil-cultivated HCT (HCTS). Key quantified components in HCTW, flavonoid glycosides and caffeoylquinic acid derivatives, exhibited a 143% increase over HCTS. These crucial constituents were responsible for possessing antioxidant activity (IC50 < 25 μg/mL) and anti-nitrite oxide production (IC50 < 20 μg/mL). An economically-designed hydroponic system with appropriate additives is proposed to replace HCTS with improvements of growth time, overall production yields, and bioactive qualities.

Physical impediment to sodium houttuyfonate conversely reinforces β-glucan exposure stimulated innate immune response to Candida albicans.

Candida albicans is a dimorphic opportunistic pathogen in immunocompromised individuals. We have previously demonstrated that sodium houttuyfonate (SH), a derivative of medicinal herb Houttuynia cordata Thunb, was effective for antifungal purposes. However, the physical impediment of SH by C. albicans β-glucan may weaken the antifungal activity of SH. In this study, the interactions of SH with cell wall (CW), extracellular matrix (EM), CW β-glucan, and a commercial β-glucan zymosan A (ZY) were inspected by XTT assay and total plate count in a standard reference C. albicans SC5314 as well as two clinical fluconazole-resistant strains Z4935 and Z5172. After treatment with SH, the content and exposure of CW β-glucan, chitin, and mannan were detected, the fungal clearance by phagocytosis of RAW264.7 and THP-1 was examined, and the gene expressions and levels of cytokines TNF-ɑ and IL-10 were also monitored. The results showed that SH could be physically impeded by β-glucan in CW, EM, and ZY. This impediment subsequently triggered the exposure of CW β-glucan and chitin with mannan masked in a time-dependent manner. SH-induced β-glucan exposure could significantly enhance the phagocytosis and inhibit the growth of C. albicans. Meanwhile, the SH-pretreated fungal cells could greatly stimulate the cytokine gene expressions and levels of TNF-ɑ and IL-10 in the macrophages. In sum, the strategy that the instant physical impediment of C. albicans CW to SH, which can induce the exposure of CW β-glucan may be universal for C. albicans in response to physical deterrent by antifungal drugs.

Endophytic Pseudomonas fluorescens promotes changes in the phenotype and secondary metabolite profile of Houttuynia cordata Thunb.

The interactions between microbes and plants are governed by complex chemical signals, which can forcefully affect plant growth and development. Here, to understand how microbes influence Houttuynia cordata Thunb. plant growth and its secondary metabolite through chemical signals, we established the interaction between single bacteria and a plant. We inoculated H. cordata seedlings with bacteria isolated from their roots. The results showed that the total fresh weight, the total dry weight, and the number of lateral roots per seedling in the P. fluorescens-inoculated seedlings were 174%, 172% and 227% higher than in the control seedlings. Pseudomonas fluorescens had a significant promotional effect of the volatile contents compared to control, with β-myrcene increasing by 192%, 2-undecanone by 203%, decanol by 304%, β-caryophyllene by 197%, α-pinene by 281%, bornyl acetate by 157%, γ-terpinene by 239% and 3-tetradecane by 328% in P. fluorescens-inoculated H. cordata seedlings. the contents of chlorogenic acid, rutin, quercitin, and afzelin were 284%, 154%, 137%, and 213% higher than in control seedlings, respectively. Our study provided basic data to assess the linkages between endophytic bacteria, plant phenotype and metabolites of H. cordata to provide an insight into P. fluorescens use as biological fertilizer, promoting the synthesis of medicinal plant compounds.

Surface ligand modified silver nanoparticles-based SERS sensing platform for ultrasensitive detection of the pesticide thiram in green tea leaves: roles of coating agents in sensing performance.

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have been regarded as a highly promising substrate for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) sensors. In this study, we focused on the electrochemical synthesis method by developing three kinds of AgNPs using three different electrolytes: citrate (e-Ag-C), oleic acid (e-Ag-O) and fish mint (Houttuynia cordata Thunb.) extract (e-Ag-bio). The as-prepared AgNPs were characterized and then employed as SERS substrates to detect the pesticide thiram. The obtained results show that e-Ag-O exhibits the best SERS performance. The effect of the coating agent was explained by chemical and electromagnetic enhancements (CM and EM). Although thiram could absorb onto e-Ag-C at the highest level, allowing its Raman signal to be best enhanced via the CM, the smallest interparticle distance of e-Ag-O could have resulted in the largest improvement in the EM. Using e-Ag-O to develop SERS-based sensors for thiram, we obtain the impressive detection limit of 1.04 × 10-10 M in standard samples and 10-9 M in tea leaves. The linear ranges are from 10-4 M to 10-7 M and from 10-7 M to 10-9 M, covering the maximum residue levels for plant commodities established by the United States Environment Protection Agency and European Food Safety Authority (2-13 ppm ∼7.7 × 10-6 M to 5 × 10-5 M).

Ethnobotanical and Phytochemical Study of Houttuynia cordata Thunb: A Review

Houttuynia cordata Thunb. is a medicinal herb belonging to a family Saururaceae distributed in East Asian Country. It has long been used as edible vegetable and traditional medicine in China, Korea, Japan and Vietnam. Many studies describe Houttuynia cordata as predominant in bioactive compounds such as volatile oils, flavonoids, alkaloids, terpenoids, polyphenols, steroid and polysaccharides. H. cordata has varieties of pharmacological properties including antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antiviral antioxidative, anticancer and antimutagenic effects. This review aimed to collect the comprehensive information on efficacy of Houttuynia cordata with its ethnobotanical value and also provide knowledge into disease prevention and treatment. This study summarizes detailed information about ethnomedicinal value of H. cordata from searching the keywords “Uses of Houttuynia” in Google Scholor, Pubmed, Science direct and screened out articles related to ethnobotanical value. The review concluded that H. cordata has significant potential for use in pharmaceuticals and functional foods, given its numerous health benefits and low toxicity. This study suggests that, it is necessary to identify actual bioactive metabolites and understand pattern of traditional use of the plant in different location of Nepal.

A magnetic beads-based ligand fishing method Coupled with UHPLC-QTOF MS for screening and identification of α-glucosidase inhibitors from Houttuynia cordata Thunb

In this study, a method for the screening and identification of α-glucosidase inhibitors from natural products was developed. The α-glucosidase was immobilized on carboxyl terminated magnetic beads to form a ligand fishing system to screen the potential inhibitors. A total of 9 compounds were fishing out from the crude Houttuynia cordata Thunb. extract. Meanwhile, ultra-high performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QTOF MS) was used for the identification of the chemical structures, including 3 chlorogenic acid isomers, 2 flavone C-glycosides and 4 flavone O-glycosides. The combination of enzyme immobilization magnetic beads and UHPLC-QTOF MS could be used for the screening of bioactive multi-components from herbs with appropriate targets. Taking the advantage of the specificity of enzyme binding and the convenience of magnetic separation, the method has great potential for rapid screening of α-glucosidase inhibitors from complicated natural product extracts.

Is COVID-19 Related to the Recent Surge in Research on Houttuynia cordata (Thunb)?

Is COVID-19 Related to the Recent Surge in Research on Houttuynia cordata (Thunb)?

Bacteriocin-Producing Enterococcus faecium OV3-6 as a Bio-Preservative Agent to Produce Fermented Houttuynia cordata Thunb. Beverages: A Preliminary Study.

Microbial contamination affects the quality of the fermented Houttuynia cordata Thunb. (H. cordata) beverage (FHB). The present study aimed to assess the bio-preservative property of Enterococcus faecium OV3-6 (E. faecium OV3-6) during the production of FHB. The antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli, Salmonella, Bacillus cereus, and Staphylococcus aureus and the survival of E. faecium OV3-6 were studied. Then, FHB fermentation was performed with different preservatives (non-preservative, E. faecium OV3-6, cell-free supernatant of E. faecium OV3-6, and nisin) with and without representative pathogens. The maximum antimicrobial activity against S. aureus and B. cereus was observed after 18 h of cultivation in an MRS medium. E. faecium OV3-6 was used as a starter to produce the FHB, and the strain survived up to 48 h in the fermented beverage. E. faecium OV3-6 and its cell-free supernatant inhibited the growth of E. coli, Salmonella, B. cereus, and S. aureus in the stimulated FHB. The non-preservatives and nisin-containing FHB showed inhibition against Gram-positive pathogens. The FHB treated with E. faecium OV3-6 was rich in lactic acid bacteria, and the product was at an acceptable level of pH (less than 4.3). Certain limitations were identified in the study, such as lack of nutritional, metabolomics analysis, and safety and consumer acceptability of FHB. The results suggested that E. faecium OV3-6 could be used as a bio-preservative to produce fermented plant beverages (FPBs).

Development and Clinical Efficacy Evaluation of Facial Toner Containing Houttuynia cordata Thunb

The goal of this research was to develop a reliable oil-controlling toner for facial skin with a natural product, Houttuynia cordata Thunb extract (HCE). The developed HCE facial toner showed high stability and had a high satisfaction level. Clinical studies revealed that the sebum value of the skin after using the developed HCE toner for eight weeks decreased (4.6-times lower), which was statistically significant (p-value &lt; 0.05) when compared to the HCE-free toner. The sebum amount on the facial skin after using the HCE toner decreased by approximately two-times compared to the HCE-free toner. In addition, the skin moisture content increased statistically significantly (p-value &lt; 0.05) from the eighth week of treatment compared to the HCE-free toner and was 1.5- and 1.4-times higher for the left and right cheeks, respectively. The average moisture content of the facial skin treated with the HCE toner increased by 2- and 1.4-times compared to the treatment with the HCE-free toner for the left and right cheeks, respectively. Consequently, the HCE toner had anti-sebum and moisturizing efficacy, and the increased reliability of the natural product meant that it could soon be a premium commercial product.

Metabolomics and network pharmacology profiling revealed soilless cultivation reduces the accumulation of harmful compounds in Houttuynia cordata

Houttuynia cordata Thunb (HCT), an important homologous plant, has extensive medicinal and food value. Traditional Chinese medicine may have therapeutic research value for inhibiting COVID-19 toxicity. HeadSpace Solid Phase Micro-Extraction Gas-Chromatography-Mass-Spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC–MS) was used in this study to examine the edible quality, differences in growth indicators, and metabolite differences of HCT under different cultivation media (soil, sand, peat, hydroponics). Additionally, network pharmacology was used to study the active substances and key targets of Houttuynia cordata against COVID-19. The experimental analysis indicated that hydroponics produced the highest HCT yield and that the soil culture produced the highest growth parameters such as dry rate, chlorophyll content, and vitamin C content. The sand culture produced the highest total protein content, and the peat culture resulted in the highest accumulation of total flavonoids. However, compared with the soilless culture, the soil culture's environment produced more benzene and substituted derivatives and more carboxylic acids and derivatives. Hydroponics reduces the accumulation of harmful metabolites and enhances the accumulation of medicinal components in HCT. In summation, HCT is suitable for soilless cultivation and shows demonstrates strong performance in medicinal quality and growing development under hydroponics.

Ethnobotanical study on medicinal plants used by Bulang people in Yunnan, China

BackgroundDespite the popularity of modern medicine, medicinal plants remain a cornerstone of treatment for numerous diseases, particularly among ethnic groups and tribal communities around the globe. Ethnomedicine offers advantages such as ease of use, convenience, and economic benefits. Medicinal plant knowledge within Bulang ethnic community of southwest China is a valuable complement to Chinese ethnomedicine systems. Accumulated medical knowledge is due to the extensive length of occupation by Bulang People, considered the earliest inhabitants of Xishuangbanna; this has resulted in the development of various traditional treatment methods with local characteristics and unique curative effects. Therefore, there is exceeding value in exploring the medical knowledge of Bulang.MethodsA total of 175 local informants participated in the interviews and distribution of questionnaires in 10 Bulang villages in Menghai County, Xishuangbanna Prefecture, Yunnan Province, China. We documented the community of Bulang's use of medicinal herbs, and we used both the informant consensus factor (ICF) and use value (UV) methodologies to analyze the data. Furthermore, we conducted a comparative study to explore the potential of Bulang traditional medicine by comparing it to traditional Dai medicine.ResultsThe study recorded 60 medicinal plant species belonging to 41 families and 59 genera, including 22 species of herb, 22 species of shrub, nine species of trees, and seven species of liana. Araceae, Compositae, Lamiaceae and Leguminosae were found to have the highest number of species. The affordability and cultural heritage of Bulang medicine make it advantageous, Investigated Informants report that increased usage of Western medicine (88%), less availability of herbal medicine (95.43%), and the reduction in medicinal plant resources (80.57%) pose significant threats to Bulang medicine. All Bulang medicinal plants are naturally grown, with only 22 per cent being cultivated. Camellia sinensis (0.94) and Zingiber officinale (0.89) showed the highest UV values, while the function of Phyllanthus emblica L. and Houttuynia cordata Thunb. were also noted. The ICF revealed digestive system related diseases were the most commonly treated, with conditions of the motor system using the highest number of plant species. Finally, a comparison with traditional Dai medicine determined that 22 plants (36.67%) of the 60 surveyed had higher medicinal value in Bulang medicine.ConclusionBulang communities primarily source medicinal plants from the wild. Should environmental damage lead to the extinction of these medicinal plants, it could result in a shift toward modern Western medicine as a preferred medical treatment. Bulang ethnomedicine is a vital supplement to China's traditional medicine, particularly aspects of ethnic medicine relevant to daily life. Future research should emphasize inter-ethnic medical studies to reveal the untapped potential of medicinal plants.