Peony Root
Market name:芍薬 Photo location:Museum of Materia Medica, Inst. of Nat. Med. TMPW No.:906 |
Plant name:Paeonia lactiflora Photo location:Toyama Pref., Japan Photographer:K. Komatsu |
Synonym | |
Latin name | Paeoniae Radix |
Botanical source: Family name | Paeoniaceae |
Botanical source: Plant name | Paeonia lactiflora Pallas (IPNI:711802-1) |
Part used | Dried root from which epidermis has been removed |
Empirical criteria for quality selection | Good paeonia root is thick, long, straight, hard and easy to grind. The unbarked one is astringent and bitter in taste. (TN) |
Constituents | Monoterpenoids: [P. lactiflora Pall. var. trichocarpa Stern.]: Paeoniflorin, Albiflorin, Oxypaeoniflorin, Paeoniflorigenone, Paeonilactones; [P. albiflora Pall. var. trichocarpa Bunge (metabolites)]: Paeonilactone-A, Paeonilactone-B, Paeonilactone-C; [P. albiflora Pall.]: Paeoniflorin, Oxypaeoniflorin, Benzoylpaeoniflorin, Desbenzoylpaeoniflorin, Albiflorin, Paeoniflorigenone, 6-OAcetylpaeoniflorigenone, and the following are metabolites: 7S-Paeonimetaboline I, 7R-Paeonimetaboline I, 6-OAcetylpaeonimetaboline I, Paeonimetaboline II, Paeonimetaboline III, Paeonilactone-A(Metabolite-A1), Paeonilactone-B(Metabolite-A2), Metabolite A1-acetate, 7S-Paeonimetaboline-6-O-3,5-dinitrophenyl carbamate, 7R-Paeonimetaboline-6-O-3,5-dinitrophenyl carbamate, 7S-8-(2-Carboxyethylthio)paeonimetabolin I, 7R-8-(2-Carboxyethylthio)paeonimetabolin I, 7S-8-(2-Hydroxyethylthio)paeonimetabolin I, 7R-8-(2-Hydroxyethylthio)paeonimetabolin I, 7S-8-Benzoylthiopaeonimetabolin I, 7R-8-enzoylthiopaeonimetabolin I, 7R-8-(Carboxymethylthio)paeonimetabolin I, 7S-8-(Carboxymethylthio)paeonimetabolin I, 7R-8-(2'-Carboxyethylthio)paeonimetabolin I, 7S-8-(2'-Carboxyethylthio)paeonimetabolin I, 7R-8-(5'-Carboxyethylthio)paeonimetabolin I, 7S-8-(5'-Carboxyethylthio)paeonimetabolin I, Pentaacetylpaeoniflorin, Tetraacetylpaeoniflorin, Albimetaboline I, Albimetaboline II; [P. albiflora (metabolites)]: 7S-Paeonimetaboline I, 7R-Paeonimetaboline I, Paeonimetaboline II, Paronimetaboline III Triterpenoids: [P. albiflora]: Palbinone Tannins: Tetra~Undecagalloylglucose, d-Catechin, Procyanidin B-1; [P. lactiflora var. trichocarpa]: Tetragalloylglucose, Pentagalloylglucose, Hexagalloylglucose; [P. albiflora]: Gallotannins Other aromatic compounds: [P. lactiflora var. trichocarpa]: Benzoic acid |
Pharmacological effects | Antiinflammatory, antihypertensive, sedative (paeoniflorin). Inhibition of stress ulcer. Antispasmodic, improvement of experimental spatial cognitive impairment (water extract, paeoniflorin). Central antispasmodic effect (paeoniflorin, paeonimetabolin I). Antibacterial (Staphylococcus aureus and all). |
Indications | Painkiller and antispasmodic. It possesses reinforcement and astringent properties. It is used in the treatment of spasm of rectus abdominis, pain of gastrointestinal convulsion and liver, algomenorrhea, convulsion of limbs and vertigo. |
Diseases | Vertigo, Bleary eyes, Irregular menstruation, Night sweats, Pain due to flatulence of hypochondrium, Restlessness, Depression, Tenesmus, Diarrhea, Abdominal pain, Spasm of muscle and pain |
Formulas | ishoho , ifuto , ireito , uzukeishito , uzuto , ureitsukisan , unkeito , unseiin , ogikeishigomotsuto , ogikenchuto , ogibekkoto , ogonkahangeshokyoto , ogonto , oren'akyoto , kairosan , kagenryokakusan (kyoteiken) , kakkonkajutsubuto , kakkonkahangeto , kakkonkokato , kakkonto , kakkontokasenkyushin'i , kamishimotsuto , kamishoyosan , kamishoyosankasenkyujio , karokeishito , kigikenchuto , kyukikyogaito , kyukichoketsuindaiichikagen , keigairengyoto , keishieppito , keishikaogito , keishikakakkonto , keishikakeito , keishikakobokukyoninto , keishikashakuyakushokyoninjinto , keishikashakuyakudaioto , keishikashakuyakuto , keishikajutsubuto , keishikabushito , keishikaryukotsuboreito , keishikaryojutsubuto , keishikyokeikabukuryobyakujutsuto , keishishakuyakuchimoto , keishito , keishinieppiitto , keishinieppiittokajutsubu , keishibukuryogan , keishibukuryoganryokayokuinin , keimakakuhanto , kenchuto , kojito , goshitsusan , goshakusan , gorinsan , saikatsugekito , saikatsutokasenkyushin'i , saikokeishito , saikoseikanto , saikosokanto , saishakurikkunshito , shigyakusan , shikonboreito , shichimotsukokato , shimotsuto , shakuyakukanzoto , shakuyakukanzobushito , shakkan'oshimbuto , shokenchuto , shoseiryuto , shoseiryutokakyoninsekko , shoseiryutokasekko , shozokumeito , shomakakkonto , shoyosan , shinsentaitsuko , shimbuto , jiinkokato , jiinshihoto , jiketsujunchoto , jijintsujito , jijinmeimokuto , juzentaihoto , jurokumiryukiin , seinetsuhokito , seinetsuhoketsuto , sesshoin , senkanmeimokuto , sokeikakketsuto , daisaikoto , daisaikotokyodaio , daibofuto , chukenchuto , choreitogoshimotsuto , tokiinshi , tokikenchuto , tokisan , tokishigyakukagoshuyushokyoto , tokishigyakuto , tokishakuyakusan , tokishakuyakusankaogichoto , tokishakuyakusankaninjin , tokishakuyakusankabushi , tokito , dokkatsukakkonto , ninjin'yoeito , hainosan , hainosankyuto , fuhishomyakusan , bushito , bunshinkiin , hoyokangoto , hontonto (kinkiyoryaku) , bofutsushosan , mashiningan , yokuininto , yokukankashakuyaku , yokukansankashakuyakuoren , renjuin |
Meridian tropism | Liver |
Property | Slightly cold |
Flavor | Sour, Bitter |
Classification in "Shen-non Ben-cao Jing" | Middle |
TCM: Classification | Tonics |
TCM: Medicinal effects | To subdue hyperactivity of the liver and relieve pain, to nourish blood and regulate menstruation, and to check excessive perspiration. Used for headache and dizziness, costal and abdominal pain, spasmodic pain of the limbs, anemia, menstrual disorders, spontaneous sweating and night sweating. |
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 | |