What are the pharmacological effects of the traditional Chinese medicine costusroot on the human body?

In the vast family of traditional Chinese medicine, costus root is a traditional Chinese medicine with many functions and effects and occupies an important position. The Chinese medicine Muxiang is pungent and has a strong aromatic smell, which is also the origin of its name. It is precisely because the strong smell of costus root can clear the whole body that costus root has the effect of dilating blood vessels and stabilizing blood pressure. However, all medicines have two sides. Because of its powerful clearing effect, costus root cannot be taken by pregnant women. This is very important.

What systems does the traditional Chinese medicine costus root have an effect on? That is, what are the pharmacological effects of costus root?

1. Effects on the gastrointestinal tract:

The extract, volatile oil and total bioalkali of the Chinese herbal medicine Aquilegia odorata first had a mild excitatory effect on the isolated small intestine of rats, and then the tension and rhythmicity decreased significantly. The extract of costus root can significantly enhance the amplitude of intestinal peristalsis and intestinal muscle tension of isolated rabbit intestines; it has an antagonistic effect on intestinal muscle spasms caused by Ach, histamine and BaCl2. Large doses of decoction, volatile oil, volatile oil without lactone, total lactone, and various lactone parts such as costus lactone and dihydrocostus lactone all have an inhibitory effect on the motility of isolated rabbit small intestine. Total bioalkali can counteract the spasmodic effect of Ach and histamine on the isolated guinea pig ileum.

2. Effects on the cardiovascular system:

Low concentrations of volatile oils and the lactone fractions separated from the volatile oils have varying degrees of inhibitory effects on the isolated hearts of a variety of animals. Small doses of water extract and alcohol extract can excite the hearts of frogs and dogs, while large doses have an inhibitory effect. Intravenous injection of albendazole has an excitatory effect on the heart of cats in vivo. Delactone volatile oil, total lactones, and 12-methoxy-dihydrocostus lactone can increase the perfusion volume of isolated rabbit ears and rat hind limb blood vessels, and have a significant vasodilation effect. Small doses of total biotin can dilate isolated rabbit ear blood vessels, while large doses can cause contraction reactions.

3. Effects on the respiratory system:

Yunmu perfume extract, alcohol extract, volatile oil and total bioalkali can counteract the spasmodic effect of histamine and Ach on the bronchi in vitro. The total lactones, costus lactone, dihydrocostus lactone and other lactone components contained in the volatile oil as well as the lactone-free volatile oil can counteract the bronchoconstriction caused by histamine, Ach and BaCl2, among which dihydrocostus lactone is more effective.

4. Other functions:

Oral administration of the ethanol extract of Aucklandia lappa can lower the blood sugar level in rats. Costusroot lactone has cytotoxic effects on human nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells.