The efficacy and function of ox-horn melon

Traditional Chinese medicine often has unexpected effects in the treatment of certain diseases, so you can choose it with confidence. However, when choosing traditional Chinese medicine, you need to understand the medicine so that when treating the disease, you will know what kind of medicine is the best choice. Let us introduce the traditional Chinese medicine ox horn melon.

[Other names] Ox-horned melon leaves, wild climbing flowers, leprosy medicine, sheep soak tree

[Source] Medicinal material source: The leaves of the plant Melon scoparia of the Apocynaceae family.

[Original form] Upright shrub, up to 3m tall. The young and tender parts have thick grayish-white hairs, and the whole plant contains latex. Leaves are opposite; petiole is extremely short; leaf blade is obovate-oblong, acute at apex, cordate at base, 8-20cm long, 3.5-9.5cm wide, hairy on both sides, gradually falling off later, with 4-6 lateral veins on each side. The cyme is umbellate, axillary or terminal; the peduncle and pedicel are covered with gray-white hairs, and the pedicel is 2-2.5cm long; the calyx is 5-lobed, with glands at the inner base; the corolla is purple-blue, broadly bell-shaped, 3cm in diameter, with 5 corolla lobes, arranged in a valvate manner; the corona is 5-lobed, fleshy, growing on the back of the stamens, with the apex inward and the base with an outward-rolled spur; there is one pollinia in each locule, which is oblong and drooping. The follicles are solitary, swollen, with the ends curved outward, 7-9 cm long, up to 3 cm in diameter, and covered with short soft hairs. The seeds are broadly ovate, with white silky hairs about 2.5 cm long at the tip. Flowering and fruiting season is almost all year round.

[Habitat distribution] Ecological environment: Grown on low-altitude sunny slopes, wilderness and seaside.

[Properties] The root contains the following cardiac aglycones: uscharitin, uzarigenin, calotropin, and calactin [1]. It also contains triterpenoids: α-amyrin and β-amyrin, taraxasterol, φ-taraxasterol, lupeol and their acetates and 3′-methylbutanoate, and 24-methylenecycloartanol [3].

【Nature and flavor】 slightly bitter; astringent; neutral; toxic

【Functions and indications】Expectorant and relieves asthma and cough. Mainly used for cough with a lot of sputum; whooping cough

[Usage and Dosage] For oral use: decocted in water, 1-3g; or made into powder.

[Discussions by various scholars] "Xinhua Compendium of Materia Medica": The aboveground parts and latex: used externally to treat various skin tinea and warts. This species is highly poisonous and should not be taken internally.

【Excerpt】 Chinese Materia Medica

Through the description above, we know what oxhorn melon is and what effects it has. The medicinal value of caltrop melon is very high, which is beneficial to improving the immune system and is a worthy choice for us.