High blood pressure, hematemesis treated with TCM Cirsium

What is Cirsium(Da Ji)? Globally it has many different species, in which the most common ones are cirsium vulgare, cirsium arvense, cirsium horridulum, and more. However none of the above-mentioned species is used for medicinal purpose. In TCM, it mainly refers to the dried aerial parts or roots of Cirsium japonicum DC. in the family Asteraceae. But sometimes a few other plants in the same genus are also considered as medicinal herbs. They are Cirsium maackii Maxim. [C. japonicum DC. Var. Maackii (Maxim.) Nakai]., Cirsium spicatum Matsum, Cirsium pendulum Fisch., Cirsium chlorolepis Petrak, Cirsium eriophoroideum (Hook. f.) Petrak, Carduus crispus L., and Carduus nutans L. However, now we are going to focus on the cirsium japonicum here since it is the most common used one.

Also known as Japanese thistle herb and Herba seu Radix Cirsii Japonici in Latin, this is a perennial herb, 0.5 to 1m high. Root is in clusters, conical, fleshy and with tan surface. Stems are erect, with thin vertical stripes and white silky hairs at base. Basal leaves are clustered, stalked, oblanceolate or obovate-lanceolate, 15 to 30cm in length, pinnatifid, with dentate edge. Since it features its effusive flower heads, the inflorescence is terminal capitulum. Achenes are oblong, with multilayered pappus, pinnate, and in the dark gray color. It blossoms from May to August and fruits from June to August.

And its whole plant contains alkaloids and volatile oil. Roots contain Taraxasteryl acetate, Stigmasterol, α-Amyrin, β-Amyrin, and β-Sitosterol.
Cirsium japonicum health benefits

As previously mentioned, this is an herb with awesome healing power and it has what it takes to live up that fame. But how it works and is it safe to use? Next we are going to explore it a bit deeper and find the answers for you.

Modern pharmacology
1. Antibacterial effect. Root decoction or the whole plant extract, at the concentration of 1:4,000, can in vitro inhibit the growth of human toxic Mycobacterium tuberculosis. And alcohol infusions, at the concentration of 1:3,000, begin to inhibit human Mycobacterium tuberculosis. As demonstrated here the inhibitory concentration of water decoction is higher than that of alcohol infusion.

2. Effect on blood pressure. Water extract, ethanol-water extract and ethanol extract can lower blood pressure when used in anesthetized animals like dogs, cats, and rabbits. Cirsium can inhibit heart rate and cardiac contractility in isolated frog heart and rabbit heart. It also reduces dogs’ blood pressure, has Tachyphylaxis, and inhibit BOC pressor reflex. All the evidences showed that Cirsium’s antihypertensive effect and inhibition of heart rate are closely related to the inhibition of cardiac contractility.

3. Hemostatic effects. Animal experiments showed that it promotes the first stage of clotting process, namely the formation of prothrombin activator. As a result, this herb is ideal choice for the blood-heat bleeding, such as Hematemesis, Epistaxis, Metrorrhagia and metrostaxis, hematuria, etc. This herb can be used alone or combine with other hemostatic herbs.