Active ingredient of ‘mou dan pi’ fights diabetes
CM NEWS - Mou dan pi (cortex moutan, 牡丹皮, 簡稱丹皮; root bark of Paeonia suffruticosa Andrews) is one of the common herbs found in anti-diabetic traditional Chinese medicine formulae. However, what constitutes its anti-diabetic effect is established only recently in a study by researchers in Hong Kong.
To study the potential anti-diabetic mechanisms of mou dan pi, researchers at the Institute of Chinese Medicine of the Chinese University of Hong Kong used four test tube models.
As a result, mou dan pi showed significant anti-diabetic effects by inhibiting glucose uptake of the brush membrane of the intestine, enhancing glucose uptake into the human skin fibroblasts cell (skin cells that produce collagen and give rise to connective tissue), as well as into the fat cells in mice.
What is the relation of human skin fibroblasts cells and diabetes? Previous research has shown that diabetes and growth capacity of skin fibroblasts are inversely correlated. In other words, diabetes might prohibit or limit the growth of skin fibroblast cells - at least in the lab - which is related to aging for its functions of producing collagen and connective tissues.
The researchers were able to isolate an active ingredient in mou dan pi, paeonol (牡丹酚), which was confirmed to have inhibited intestinal glucose uptake. The researchers say this is the first report on the anti-diabetic effect of paeonol.
Tags: diabetesWhat is paeonol? Paeonol is the effective component of Cortex Moutan. It is proved that in modern medicine paeonol has a variety of effects including: anti-bacteria, anti-inflammation, relieving pain, anti-sensitive, strengthening the immune system. Clinical tests prove that it can inhibit the penetration of capillary vessel, so as to diminish inflammation and remove swelling.
Study also indicates that paeonol has ataractic effect against muscle tissue and skin, so it can substitute anti-irritant and anti-inflammatory medicine used in skin and mouth. Also it has unique natural mint smell, so as to remove peculiar mouth smell. And it also can reduce pain and toothache when brushing. Dispelling wind and arresting pain. It can be used as pharmaceutical material of preparations for myalgia, rheumatic pain, neuralgia, coetaneous pluribus, etc.
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Interesting information.
Another herb, Berberine, a component of goldensea, has been used in TCM as a remedy for diabetes because of its glucose-lowering properties.
I have a closely related post in my blog at http://www.amcollege.edu/blog . please check it out and let me know what you think.