|  Botany
Low, stemless, glabrous,
grasslike, perennial herb with branching rhizomes. Leaves are leathery,
narrow-linear up to 30 cm long, gracefully arching and dark green. Flowers
are small, drooping, violet-purple to lilac or white, borne on erect
racemes up to 8 cm long.
Distribution
Recently introduced
io the Philippines.
Used as ground cover.
Parts utilized
Rhizomes, leaves and
roots.
Constituents
• Study
yielded five new homoisoflavonoids from the extract of tuber of O. japonicus - ophiopogonanone C, ophiopogonanone D, ophiopogonone C, ophiopogonanone E, and ophiopogonanone F, plus six other compounds.
• Study
isolated a new phenolic glycoside, ophiopojaponin D, with two other known compounds, from the tuber.
Properties
• Considered tonic and tranquilizing.
Uses
Folkloric
No reported folkloric
medicinal use in the Philippines.
• In China,
traditionally used as anti-inflammatory. Also, as tonic and tranquilizer.
• Also, used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat sicca-associated disorders and cardiovascular disease.
Others
• Six Juice Drinks: A Chinese concoction called "six juice drinks"
for diabetes, has O. japonicus as a herbal constituent.
source
Studies
• Anti-thrombotic:
(1) Study of the ethanol extract
of Radix Ophiopogon japonicus showed in-vivo inhibitory effects on venous
thrombosis probably from its endothelial cell-protective and anti-adhesive
activities, supporting the therapeutic use of the plant for thrombotic
diseases.
• Anti-thrombotic / Ruscogenin / Ophiopogonin D: Study showed the aqueous extract of Radix Ophiopogon japonicus exerted significant anti-thrombotic activity and ruscogenin and ophiopogonin D are the two active components.
• Antiinflammatory: Study of
the Radix O. japonicus extract yielded two active components, ruscogenin
and ophiopogonin D, and showed remarkable anti-inflammatory activity
supporting its traditional use in inflammatory diseases.
• Diabetes: A Chinese study on
the root tubers of O japonicus significantly lowered blood sugar of
normal and alloxan-diabetic mice. In combination with Ginseng, there
was blood sugar reduction in alloxan-induced diabetes but no significant
effect in normal mice.
• Sjogren's Syndrome: SS is an autoimmune disorder with lymphocytic infiltration of salivary and lacrimal glands, xerostomia, keratoconjunctivitis sicca. Th1/Th2 imbalance has been shown to have a role in its pathogenesis. In an autoallergic mouse model for SS, results provided a basis for the use of Ophiopogon japonicus for Sjogren's syndrome.
• Homoisoflavonoids / Radical Scavenging Effects: Study yielded 10 homoisoflavonoids from O japonicus extracts with the majority showing radical scavening effects.
• Anti-Myocardial Ischemia: O japonicus polysaccharide from Radix ophiogonis has shown antimyocardial activity. This study on a series of sulfated FOJ-5 (FOJ-5-S) showed that when the degree of substitution was in a certain range, the FOJ-5-S had excellent anti-myocardial ischemic activity.
• Cardiovascular Benefit / Anti-Ischemic / Angiogenesis: Study showed a water soluble b-D-fructan (MDG) from OJ had remarkable anti-ischemic activity and protects cardiomyocyte and HMEC-1 cells froms ischemic-induced cell damage through cytoprotective and proangiogenic effects via the S1P/bFGF/Akt/ERK/eNOS signaling pathway.
• Shengmai San / Hypolipidemic / Anti-lipid Peroxidation: SMS is a traditional Chinese medicine composed of Panax ginseng, Schisandra chinensis and Ophiopogon japonicus used for treating coronary heart disease. Study showed that SMS may reduce hepatic lipids and lipid peroxidation in rats.
Availability
Cultivated.
|
