''Stephania tetrandra'' is a

herbaceous Herbaceous plants are vascular plants that have no persistent woody stems above ground. This broad category of plants includes many perennials, and nearly all annuals and biennials. Definitions of "herb" and "herbaceous" The fourth edition ...

perennial A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wide ...

vine A vine ( Latin ''vīnea'' "grapevine", "vineyard", from ''vīnum'' "wine") is any plant with a growth habit of trailing or scandent (that is, climbing) stems, lianas or runners. The word ''vine'' can also refer to such stems or runners thems ...

of the family Menispermaceae native to China and Taiwan. It grows from a short, woody

caudex A caudex (plural: caudices) of a plant is a Plant stem, stem, but the term is also used to mean a rootstock and particularly a basal stem structure from which new growth arises.pages 456 and 695 In the strict sense of the term, meaning a stem, " ...

, climbing to a height of around three meters. The leaves are arranged spirally on the stem, and are peltate, i.e. with the leaf petiole attached near the centre of the leaf. Its root is used in

traditional Chinese medicine Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is an alternative medicine, alternative medical practice drawn from traditional medicine in China. It has been described as "fraught with pseudoscience", with the majority of its treatments having no logica ...

(TCM).

Distribution and habitat

''Stephania tetrandra'' occurs in shrublands at village margins, open fields, and roadsides in South Central and

East China East China () is a geographical and a loosely defined cultural region that covers the eastern coastal area of China. A concept abolished in 1978, for economical purposes the region was defined from 1949 to 1961 by the Chinese Central Govern ...

in Anhui, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, and Zhejiang provinces, and in

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the northe ...

Etymology in Chinese medicine

''Stephania tetrandra'' is among the 50 fundamental herbs used in TCM. The standard pinyin according to the ''Chinese erbalPharmacopia of the People's Republic of China'' () is: fen fang ji (), but it is more commonly known as ''Han Fang ji'' ().

Traditional medicine

Fen fang ji is used in traditional Chinese medicine to dispel wind and dampness to relieve pain and to promote diuresis. It is classified as acrid, bitter and cold. The part used is the root.

Chemistry

''Stephania'' contains

tetrandrine Tetrandrine, a bis-benzylisoquinoline alkaloid, is a calcium channel blocker. It is isolated from the plant ''Stephania tetrandra'', and other Chinese and Japanese herbs. Pharamacology It has anti-inflammatory, immunologic and antiallergenic e ...

, a potent smooth muscle relaxant. ''Stephania''

alkaloid Alkaloids are a class of basic BASIC (Beginners' All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code) is a family of general-purpose, high-level programming languages designed for ease of use. The original version was created by John G. Kemeny and Th ...

s have

curare Curare ( /kʊˈrɑːri/ or /kjʊˈrɑːri/; ''koo-rah-ree'' or ''kyoo-rah-ree'') is a common name for various alkaloid arrow poisons originating from plant extracts. Used as a paralyzing agent by indigenous peoples in Central and Sout ...

-like action, and can selectively inhibit T-cell-dependent immune reactions. The root contains many isoquinoline alkaloids: tetrandrine (0.6-0.9%), fangchinoline (0.5%), cyclanoline (0.1%) and dimethyltetrandrine iodide (muscle relaxant). The root also contains flavanoids. The main active

s are: tetrandrine (12 to 23 grams/kg) and fangchinoline (0.3–3 mg/kg). Also present are: dimethyltetradine iodide, cyclanoline, menisine, menisidine, oxofangchirine, stephenanthrine,

stepholidine (−)-Stepholidine is a proto berberine alkaloid found in the plant '' Stephania intermedia''. Stepholidine activity includes dual D2 receptor antagonist and D1 receptor agonist An agonist is a chemical that activates a receptor to produce ...

and bisbenzylisoquinoline. Fenfangjines F, G, H, and I.

Other herbs sometimes used as Fang Ji

Other plants named ''fang ji'' (, roughly "snakebite remedy") are sometimes substituted for it. Notable among these is ''guang fang ji'' (), '' Aristolochia fanchi'', whose main toxic component is

aristolochic acid Aristolochic acids () are a family of carcinogenic, mutagenic, and nephrotoxic phytochemicals commonly found in the flowering plant family Aristolochiaceae (birthworts). Aristolochic acid (AA) I is the most abundant one. The family Aristolochi ...

, a potent

carcinogen A carcinogen is any substance, radionuclide, or radiation that promotes carcinogenesis (the formation of cancer). This may be due to the ability to damage the genome or to the disruption of cellular metabolic processes. Several radioactive subst ...

and nephrotoxin. Other herbs sometimes used as Fang Ji include '' Cocculus trilobus'', '' C. orbiculatus'', '' Aristolochia fangchi'', and ''

Sinomenium acutum ''Sinomenium'' is a genus of plant in family Menispermaceae first described as a genus in 1910. It contains only one known species, ''Sinomenium acutum'', native to China, northern India, Nepal, Japan, northern Thailand, and also Korea. Fossil r ...

'' (Japanese Han Fang Ji or Qinfengteng).

Warnings, contraindications for substituted herbs

When ''Aristolochia fanghi'' is substituted for ''Stephania tetrandra'', the resultant guang fang ji preparations can contain toxic amounts of

Ingestion can lead to

renal failure Kidney failure, also known as end-stage kidney disease, is a medical condition in which the kidneys can no longer adequately filter waste products from the blood, functioning at less than 15% of normal levels. Kidney failure is classified as eit ...

and even death; ''Aristolochia'' is used in TCM only with great caution. In May, 2000, the FDA began detaining any plants or medicines suspected of containing aristolochic acid, unless laboratory testing indicated they were negative for aristolochic acid. The traditional route of ingestion of guang fang ji is via water

decoction Decoction is a method of extraction by boiling herbal or plant material (which may include stems, roots, bark and rhizomes) to dissolve the chemicals of the material. It is the most common preparation method in various herbal-medicine systems. De ...

. Since aristolochic acid has low water solubility, water decoction is believed to be a safer route than taking guang fang ji as an uncooked powder.

References

External links

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Stephania and Chinese Herb Nephropathy
{{Taxonbar, from=Q1023664 Medicinal plants tetrandra Plants used in traditional Chinese medicine Flora of China Flora of Taiwan