Present Day Applications:

1. For tumors of different types: use huang yao zi, shan dou gen, bai yin in decoction

2.  For swelling of thyroids: use huang yao zi, xia ku cao, kun bu in decoction

3. boils, snake bites, dog bites: use fresh or dry huang yao zi; make into powder and make into paste with vinegar. Apply externally.

4. For bleeding: vomiting blood, nose bleeding, menopausal bleeding, acute tonsillitis: combine with other herbs.

Pharmaceutical name:

Rhizoma Dioscoreae Bulbiferae

Latin botanical name:

Dioscorea bulbifera L.

Pron. in Japanese:

oykushi

Pron. in Korean:

kwangyakcha

Pron. in Cantonese:

wong yok tsi

Common Name:

Tuber Dioscoreae

Other Name:

別名﹕

huang du, ling yu shu, jin xian diao xia mo, xiang yu, huang gou tou

黃獨﹐ 零餘薯﹐金線吊蝦蟆﹐香芋﹐黃狗頭。

Distribution:

Widely distributed in Asia and Africa in the wild state

Properties (characteristics):性味:

bitter, acrid, cool, slightly toxic

苦﹐辛，涼。有小毒。

Channels (meridians) entered:

歸經:

liver, lung

肝﹐肺

Actions & Indications:

rid of toxin, relieves swelling, reduces phlegm, cools blood, stops bleeding.

解毒消腫，化痰散結，涼血止血。

Medical function:

藥理作用﹕

Huang yao zi is effective in reducing swelling of the thyroid glands due to lack of iodine. It is also effective in reducing some of the swelling with unspecified causes.

Huang yao zi is effective in reducing swelling of the thyroid glands of animals caused by consuming a small amount of potassium thiocyanate (硫氰酸鉀).

It has no effect on the swelling of thyroid glands caused by the anti thyroid drugs  thiouracil (Tu) and Sod  Sulfadiazine

Bleeding inhibiting effects: abdominal injection of huang yao zi decoction to mice half an hour before surgically remove their tails, proved that it has bleeding inhibition effect.

Huang yao zi can damage the tissues of liver and kidney. Short term usage can show the damaging effect on the liver. It takes long term usage to show the damage of kidneys.

Huang yao zi extract if effective for herpes infection of the retina.

Huang yao zi can inhibit the tumor S₁₈₀ and the uterus neck tumor U₁₄  of mice.

Huang yao zi combined formula and decoction can inhibit the heart of frogs. It also can inhibit the in vitro intestine of rabits. It can stimulate the non pregnant uterus of rabbits and guinea pigs. Its effect on uterus can be suppressed by diphenhydramine (Benadryl).

Its decoction has varying inhibiting effect on fungi that cause skin infections.

Samples of formulae:

to be loaded

 Chemical ingredients:

化學成份﹕

the semi dry root contains:

1. 22.5% of cane sugar，

2. 0.69% of reduce sugar (還原糖)，

3. 2.5% of starch，

4. saponin (皂苷)，

5. tanin (鞣質),

6. Dioscornin (薯蕷皂苷元) varies according to where it is produced, some product in certain localities do not contain any.

7. diosbulbin B 黃藥子乙素，

8. β-sitosterol (β-谷甾醇)。

The whole plant contains:

1. diosbulbin A-H (黃藥子素A-H)﹐

2. D-sorbitol (D-山梨糖醇)，

3. 2,4,6,-tetrahyroxy-9,10-dihydrophenanthrahe (2,4,6,7,四羥基-9,10-二氫菲)

4. 2,4,5,6-tetrahydroxyphenanthrene (2,4,5,6-四羥基菲)。

Dosage:

用量:

9 to 15 g. For external use: smash or grind and extract juice to apply to affected areas.

用量9～15克；外用適量，搗爛或磨汁塗敷患處。

Cautions:

毒性﹕

The roots of huang yao and ling yu zi (the pearly sprouts under the leaves) contain toxin. Over- consumption can cause burning sensation of the mouth and tongue, dripping of saliva, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, constriction of pupils; if serious, cardiac paralysis, difficulty in breathing, coma and death.

Antidode: empty stomach, promote diarrhea, take egg white, or arrow root (ge gen) starch porridge,  and activated carbon; drink cane sugar solution, or intra venous feeding of glucose solution. Taking mug bean soup or boil gang mei 250 grams with 5 bowls of water and simmer till 2 bowls and use as tea.

The roots of huang yao is toxic to the liver.

Large dosages and/or long term usage can be toxic to kidneys.

大劑量或長期服用可能對腎臟有毒。

黃藥塊莖和零餘子(黃藥葉下珠芽)，含有毒成分，過服且可引起口﹐舌﹐喉等處燒灼痛，流涎，惡心，嘔吐，腹痛，腹瀉，眩孔縮小，嚴重的出現昏迷，呼吸困難和心臟麻痺而死亡。

解救方法：洗胃，導瀉，內服蛋清或葛粉糊及活性炭；飲糖水或靜脈滴注葡萄糖鹽水，亦有用綠豆湯內服；或用崗梅250克，用清水5碗煎至2碗飲服。

塊莖對肝臟有毒性。

也有報導可引起中毒性肝炎。小鼠腹腔注射25.5g/ kg塊根的水提取液，出現四肢伸展，腹部貼地，六小時內全部死 亡。