Kuding (; pronounced ) is a particularly bitter-tasting Chinese

infusion Infusion is the process of extracting chemical compounds or flavors from plant material in a solvent such as water, oil or alcohol, by allowing the material to remain suspended in the solvent over time (a process often called steeping). An inf ...

, which due to their similarities in appearance is derived from several plant species. The two most common plants used to make kuding are the wax tree species '' Ligustrum robustum'' and the holly species '' Ilex kaushue'' (synonym: ''Ilex kudingcha''), the former being more commonly grown in

Sichuan Sichuan is a province in Southwestern China, occupying the Sichuan Basin and Tibetan Plateau—between the Jinsha River to the west, the Daba Mountains to the north, and the Yunnan–Guizhou Plateau to the south. Its capital city is Cheng ...

and Japan while the latter is most commonly grown and used in the rest of China.Subhuti Dharmananda, , Institute for Traditional Medicine, Portland, Oregon, Retrieved November 2, 2006 Tea produced from '' Ligustrum'' or many species of '' Ilex'' is caffeine-free, although not '' Ilex paraguariensis'', the source of '' mate'' drank in South America.

Folk medicine

The traditional Chinese medicinal properties associated with kuding (and many other plants) include its ability to disperse fever, clear the head and the eyes, and resolve toxin, thus being used for

common cold The common cold, or the cold, is a virus, viral infectious disease of the upper respiratory tract that primarily affects the Respiratory epithelium, respiratory mucosa of the human nose, nose, throat, Paranasal sinuses, sinuses, and larynx. ...

rhinitis Rhinitis, also known as coryza, is irritation and inflammation of the mucous membrane inside the nose. Common symptoms are a stuffy nose, runny nose, sneezing, and post-nasal drip. The inflammation is caused by viruses, bacteria, irritant ...

, itching eyes, red eyes, and

headache A headache, also known as cephalalgia, is the symptom of pain in the face, head, or neck. It can occur as a migraine, tension-type headache, or cluster headache. There is an increased risk of Depression (mood), depression in those with severe ...

. It is also said to calm fidgets and alleviate thirst, especially when one is suffering from a disease that causes fever or severe

diarrhea Diarrhea (American English), also spelled diarrhoea or diarrhœa (British English), is the condition of having at least three loose, liquid, or watery bowel movements in a day. It often lasts for a few days and can result in dehydration d ...

. It transforms phlegm and alleviates coughing, thus used in treating

bronchitis Bronchitis is inflammation of the bronchi (large and medium-sized airways) in the lungs that causes coughing. Bronchitis usually begins as an infection in the nose, ears, throat, or sinuses. The infection then makes its way down to the bronchi. ...

. Finally, it is said to invigorate digestion and improve mental focus and memory. Some research may suggest that the herb, derived from either ''Ilex'' or ''Ligustrum'', promotes blood circulation, lowers blood pressure, and lowers blood lipids, including

cholesterol Cholesterol is the principal sterol of all higher animals, distributed in body Tissue (biology), tissues, especially the brain and spinal cord, and in Animal fat, animal fats and oils. Cholesterol is biosynthesis, biosynthesized by all anima ...

. It has the reputation of preventing deterioration of the heart and brain function and maintaining proper body weight. It has also been found that Kuding made from ''L. robustum'' has similar anti-oxidative effects to

tea Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by pouring hot or boiling water over cured or fresh leaves of '' Camellia sinensis'', an evergreen shrub native to East Asia which probably originated in the borderlands of south-western China and nor ...

in addition to additional anti-inflammatory properties.

Chemistry

Triterpenes and their glycosides (saponins) are contained as bitter components, and a variety of them have been isolated from the plants that produce kuding, such as ursolic acid, pentene, lupeol,

taraxerol Taraxerol is a naturally-occurring pentacyclic Triterpene, triterpenoid. It exists in various higher plants, including ''Taraxacum officinale'' (Asteraceae), ''Alnus glutinosa'' (Betulaceae), Litsea, ''Litsea dealbata'' (Lauraceae), Skimmia, ''Ski ...

, and uvaol. Additionally, β-sitosterol, a

phytosterol Phytosterols are phytosteroids, similar to cholesterol, that serve as structural components of biological membranes of plants. They encompass plant sterols and stanol ester, stanols. More than 250 sterols and related compounds have been identified ...

, has been reported. Compared to

green tea Green tea is a type of tea made from the leaves and buds of the '' Camellia sinensis'' that have not undergone the withering and oxidation process that creates oolong teas and black teas. Green tea originated in China in the late 1st millenn ...

, catechins (about 1.7%) are reported to be less abundant, while

rutin Rutin (rutoside, quercetin-3-O-rutinoside or sophorin) is the glycoside combining the flavonol quercetin and the disaccharide rutinose (α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→6)-β-D-glucopyranose). It is a flavonoid glycoside found in a wide variety of pla ...

(about 0.4%) is more abundant. In addition, kuding is reported to contain more

zinc Zinc is a chemical element; it has symbol Zn and atomic number 30. It is a slightly brittle metal at room temperature and has a shiny-greyish appearance when oxidation is removed. It is the first element in group 12 (IIB) of the periodic tabl ...

manganese Manganese is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Mn and atomic number 25. It is a hard, brittle, silvery metal, often found in minerals in combination with iron. Manganese was first isolated in the 1770s. It is a transition m ...

copper Copper is a chemical element; it has symbol Cu (from Latin ) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pinkish-orang ...

, and

selenium Selenium is a chemical element; it has symbol (chemistry), symbol Se and atomic number 34. It has various physical appearances, including a brick-red powder, a vitreous black solid, and a grey metallic-looking form. It seldom occurs in this elem ...

, and less amino acids and

ascorbic acid Ascorbic acid is an organic compound with formula , originally called hexuronic acid. It is a white solid, but impure samples can appear yellowish. It dissolves freely in water to give mildly acidic solutions. It is a mild reducing agent. Asco ...

than green tea.

References

{{Herbal teas Chinese teas Herbal teas Traditional Chinese medicine Ilex drinks

Folk medicine

Chemistry

See also

References