What are the effects and functions of Niu Teng?

Few people have seen Niu Teng, a common Chinese patent medicine with many benefits. For example, it can supplement protein and help with many liver diseases. In addition, this medicine has been tested on mice and has shown good results after experiments, but at the same time it cannot be used casually.

Pharmacological Action

1. Effect on protein assimilation: The ecdysterone contained in Achyranthes bidentata has a strong effect in promoting protein synthesis. In the experiment, two hours after mice were given a single oral or intraperitoneal injection of ecdysterone, an increase in the incorporation of amino acid precursors in the nuclei, mitochondria and microsomes of mouse liver cells was observed, and the effect became stronger after four hours. At the same time, enhanced protein synthesis was observed in the kidneys, but returned to its original level after 4 hours. Sucrose density centrifugation analysis showed that the RNA in the treated blood had twice the casting activity as that in the control blood, suggesting that the protein synthesis effect of ecdysterone is at least accompanied by the effect of promoting m-RNA synthesis. When weaned male mice were given ecdysterone continuously for 60 days, their weight increased rapidly, the level of protein synthesis in the liver and kidneys also increased, and liver tissue examination showed signs of hyperfunction of hepatocytes.

2. Anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects

2.1. Effect on mice with croton oil ear swelling: 30 mice were randomly divided into three groups. The experimental group was injected with Achyranthes bidentata 0.5ml/20g, and the control group was injected with normal saline. The results showed that Achyranthes bidentata had a significant inhibitory effect on croton oil-induced ear swelling, and the effect increased with increasing doses.

2.2. Effect on formaldehyde-induced paw swelling in rats: Twenty healthy rats were randomly divided into two groups. 0.1 ml of 2.5% formaldehyde was injected subcutaneously into the left and right paws to induce inflammation. The left and right paws served as self-controls. Intraperitoneal injection of Achyranthes bidentata 16.6 ml/(kg.day) resulted in significant differences between the experimental group and the control group.