Coix Seed
Market name:薏苡仁 Photo location:Museum of Materia Medica, Inst. of Nat. Med. TMPW No.:10087 |
Plant name:Coix lacryma-jobi Linné var. mayuen Stapf Photo location:Hokkaido, Japan Photo date:1982 Photographer:K. Komatsu |
Synonym | |
Latin name | Coicis Semen |
Botanical source: Family name | Gramineae |
Botanical source: Plant name | Coix lacryma-jobi var. ma-yuen Stapf (IPNI:60461956-2) |
Part used | Dried ripe seed |
Empirical criteria for quality selection | The bigger and whitisher grain without insect damage is considered as good quality. |
Constituents | Lipids: Palmitic acid, Myristic acid, Linolic acid, Glycerides of cis-8-octadecenoic acid, etc Other aliphatic and related compounds: Coixenolide Polysaccharides: Starch Sterols: β-Sitosterol, Campesterol, Stigmasterol Amino acids: Glutamic acid, Leucine, Tyrosine, Valine Alkaloids: Coixol |
Pharmacological effects | Respiratoy action (low dose; accelerated, high dose; palsy), pulmonary vasodilation. |
Indications | As diuretic, antiinflammation, painkiller and draining pus, it is applied to treat edema, rheumatoid, neuritis and suppurate. In folk use, removement wart and tonic. |
Diseases | Edema, Oliguria, Fever, Feeling of heavy and dull, Feeling of pressure in the chest, Diarrhea, Swelling and pain of joint, Numbness, Lung suppurations, Appendicitis, Muddy and watery stool, Leukorrhea |
Formulas | keishibukuryoganryokayokuinin , jinryobyakujutsusan , choyoto , toryuto , makyoyokukanto , yokuininto , yokuibushihaishosan |
Meridian tropism | Spleen, Stomach, Lung |
Property | Slightly cold |
Flavor | Sweet, Bland |
Classification in "Shen-non Ben-cao Jing" | Superior |
TCM: Classification | Diuretics with removing dampness |
TCM: Medicinal effects | To invigorate the spleen function and promote diuresis, to alleviate arthritis, to arrest diarrhea, to remove heat and facilitate the drainage of pus. |
Remarks | Listed in the Japanese Pharmacopoeia 18th ed. |
References | TN: T. Namba & Y. Tsuda ed., Outline of Pharmacognosy, a Textbook, 3rd ed., Nankodo Co., Ltd., Tokyo, 1998. |
DNA sequences of medicinal plants
Gene Region | |||||||||||||||||||
Nuclear | Chloroplast | Mitochondria | |||||||||||||||||
Botanical source: Plant name | 5Ss | 18S | ITS1 | 5.8S | ITS2 | 26S | others | trnH-psbA | matK | trnK | trnK-rps16 | trnT-L | trnL | trnL-F | rbcL | rpoC1 | ndhF | others | |