Esophagitis treated with TCM herb Adenophora

What is Adenophora(Nan Sha Shen)?
Medicinally it mainly refers to the root of Adenophora tetraphylla (Thunb.) Fisch. and Adenophora Stricta Miq. In addition, other species of the same genus in Campanulaceae are also used medicinally. They are Adenophora hunanensis Nannf., Adenophora khasiana (Hook. F. et Thoms.), Adenophora potaninii Korsh, Adenophora pereskiifolia, Adenophora capillaris Hemsl., Adenophora polyantha, Adenophora axilliflora, Adenophora stenanthina (Ledeb.) Kitag, Adenophora coronopifolia Fisch., Adenophora buueyana Diels, Adenophora lilifolioides Pax et Hoffm., Adenophora paniculata Nannf., and more. Hence, other names of this herb include Radix Adenophorae in Latin name, root of straight ladybell, and so on. In China, it is mainly produced in Anhui, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang. It is usually collected in Spring and Autumn. The following steps are to remove fibrous roots, scrape off raw bark when it is newly dug up, clean, dry, and cut into thick slices or short segments. And it is used raw.

Adenophora tetraphylla is a perennial. Stout root is carrot-shaped and with wrinkles. Erect stem is single and 60 to 150cm in height. Leaves are in 4 whorls, sessile or with a short handle; blade is elliptic or lanceolate, 4 to 8cm long, 1.5 to 3cm wide, and with serrate margin, green upper surface, and pale green and densely pubescent lower surface. Large panicle is with pedicel in different sizes; each pedicel has a small bract; calyx teeth are 5, thin, straight, and green mixed with slightly black; corolla is bell-shaped, blue-purple, in shape of small narrow pot, and with 5 lobes; stamens are 5 and yellow; ovary is inferior, blue-purple, and with rounded apex, 9-lobed stigma, and style that stretches out of corolla; flower disc surrounds the base of style. 3-chamber capsule is oval. Bloom time is from July to August. And habitat is sunny slops.

Adenophora root health benefits
It is reported that 12 cases of esophagitis were ever treated with pills that were made up of adenophora root, Mai Men Dong (Mondo Grass), honeysuckle flower (Jin Yin Hua), and more. The patients should put the pills in mouth on an empty stomach, let it melt, and slowly swallow, 3 to 5 times a days. As a result, 8 cases were cured; 3 cases were improved; 1 case had failed to respond to the treatment. – Fu Jian Zhong Yi Yao (Fujian Chinese Medicine & Medicinals), 1982;4:28.

Modern pharmacological actions of adenophora root
1) Adenophora hunanensis can improve cell-mediated immunity and non-specific immunity. In addition, it still can suppress humoral immunity and regulate the immune balance;

2) Adenophora tetruphylla has expectorant effect, which however is weaker than that of Zi Wan (Radix Asteris);

3) 1% infusion of A. stricta has significant cardiac function on isolated toad heart;

4) In vitro tests, A. stricta infusion (1:2) has anti-fungal effect.