Complementary and Alternative Healing
University
lei gong teng,
Tripterygium wilfordii Hook. F.
Translated and edited by: Joe Hing Kwok Chu
1. Description
6. Common Name
7. Distribution
8. Properties (characteristics)
(1). Effects on immune system
(2). Effects on anti-inflamatory
(3).
12. Other Research
13. Modern Clinical Application
15. Antidotes
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The herb of lei gong teng comes from the roots, leave and flowers of the tripterygium wilfordii Hook. f. It is collected during summer and autumn. Lei gong teng is a deciduous scandent vine growing to 12 meters, with brown, angular, downy twigs. The leaves are light green glabrous on top and paler, glaucous and pubescent on beneath, with crenate margins and pointed apexes, ovate to elliptic, 5-15 cm long, 2.5 - 7 cm wide. The scented hermaphrodite (having male and female organs) flowers, which bloom in September, are small and whitish with five petls and are about 9 mm across, in terminal panicles in July. Fruits are 3-winged, and brownish red about 1.5 cm long.
The plant can grow in light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. It can survive in acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soil. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires moist soil.
Pharmaceutical name: Radix Tripterygium wilfordii
Latin botanical name: Tripterygium wilfordii Hook. f.
Pron. in Cantonese: lui kong teng
Common Name: three-wing-nut
Distribution: native of southern part of mainland China, Taiwan, Burma
Properties (characteristics): bitter and very toxic
Actions & Indications: for: anti-inflammation, kills worms, resolves toxin, treating proteinuric real disease, using as immuno supressive agent on autoimmune diseases.
1. Saponins:
(1). wilforgine, wilforgine-B,wifordine, wilfornine, wilfortrine, wilforttrine-D, wilforzine[1-3], wilformine [4], wilfordinc acid, hyudroxywilfordie acid [5],wilfornine [6], neowilforine [7]
(2). celacinnine, celafurine, celabenzine, celallocinnine [8-9]
(3). triptofordinine A-1, A-2 [10], triptofordin D-1, D-2, E [11], triptofordin A, B, C-1 C-2 [12],triptofordin F-1, F-2, F-3, F-4 [13]
2.
(1). triptolide, tripdiolide, triptonide,[14-15],tripterolide[16].
(2.). triptolidenol [16-17], tripnolide [18],neotriptophenolide, triptophenolide methyl ether [19], isoneotrip-tophenolide, hypolide methyl ether [20].
(3).
triptonoterpene, triptonoterpene methyl ether [17], triptonoterpenol [21]12-ydroxy-abieta-8, 11, 13 -trien-3-one, 11-hydroxy-14-methoxy-abieta-8, 11-hydroxy-14-methoxy-abieta-8, 11, 13-trien-3-one [22].
3.
(1). wilforlide A, wilforlide B [23].
(2). tritotriterpenoid lactone [24], tretotriterpenic acid A [25,26],tritotriterpenic acid B [27], tritotriterpenic acid C [28], 3-epikatonic acid [29], polpunonic acid, triptodihydroxy acid methy ester [30], tripterine [31].
(3).
3,24-dioxofridelan-29-oic acid [29], salaspermic acid [29,32].
4. wilfornide [20]
5. 1,8-dihydroxy-4-hydroxymethyl anthraquinone [33].
6. syringareisnol [34].
7. dulcitol, glucose [31], tanin
1. Effects on immune system
2. Effects on anti-inflamatory
Triptolide
and tripdiolide
,
(
)
are highly effective in treating cancer.
Using alcohol extract of lei gong teng, triptolide or tripdiolide on mice with leukemia L1210, (50~400mcg/kg), showed that the therapy was highly effective [58].
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The effective dosage for mice with L1210 and P388 was 0.1mg/kg. Using triptolide of 0.25mg and 0.2mg/kg on mice with leukemia L615, has proved to prolong the survival rates to more than 159.8% and 87.8% respectively and also has caused some of the mice to survive long term. Using spleen cell L615, once a month continually for three months to attack the cancer cells that survived long term, did not affect the survival rate of the mice or cause them to get ill [24,58,59].
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4. Effects on contraception
5. Effects on urinary system
6. Effects on anti organism and worms
7. Other Effects
8. Inside body
9. Effects of toxicity
Other Research: Four compounds purified from T. wilfordii may confer protection against the FSGS (focalsegmental gomerulosclerosis) factor.a
1.proliferative arthritis¡@
2. inflammation of spinal cord
3. lupus
4. purpura
5. kidney inflammation
6. asthma
7. tuberculosis of the lungs
8. psoriasis
9. dermatitis
10. Reiter syndrome
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Research on Pharmacological Processes: to be loaded
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1. Toxic reactions: dizziness, palpitation, weakness, nausea, vomiting, stomach ache, diarrhea, pain in liver and kidney areas, bleeding in the digestive tract, even respiration and circulation exhaustion and death.
2. decrease of total blood cell counts (2)
3. mutation type of illness: using lei gong teng tincture for external use can cause mutation type of illness. (3)
4. Long term use of lei gong teng could significantly decrease bone mineral density of levels in female systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)b
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Prevention
1). For external use: use ointment and avoid tincture.
2). Pay attention to the dosage according to the body constitution of individual patients.
3). Avoid using on patients with liver problems.
Antidotes for toxicity
1). Empty stomach and induce diarrhea.
2). During the early stages, use adrenocortical hormone. Dexamethasone 5~10mg with added 50% glucose 40 ml can be used in IV administering, followed with dexamethasone of 1.5mg, 3 times a day for 2~3 weeks. anisodamine (654-2) can also be used.
3). Use dextran 40 (low Molecular Dexran, Rheomacrodex) 500ml IV administering, when toxin has been absorbed but no symptom of toxication. 20% solution of Manitol for IV administering, and furosemide 40mg (Frusemide, Fursemide, Lasix) for muscle injection. Pay attention to the balance of electrolytes and correct acidosis immediately.
4). Skin allergy can be treated with antihistamines or with traditional Chinese herbs for heat dispersing and toxin neutralizing.
Other related websites:
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Note: If you need the complete bibliography in a hurry, please email our Research Librarian. There is a set up charge. Most of them are from sources of Chinese writings.
(a). M. Sharma, R. Sharma, XL Ge, R.S.Rdy, E.T.McCarthy, V. J. Savin, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, U.S.A.
(b). Department of dermatology, Huashan hospital, Shanghai Medical University, Shanghai 200040, China (Huang L and Feng SF); Radiology Institute, Shanghai Medical University, Shanghai 200040, China (Wang HF).
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