What are the effects and functions of Danpi?

Moutan bark is a plant native to Anhui, also known as peony bark. The root is usually used for medicinal purposes, which is made by scraping off the root bark and drying it. Danpi has the effect of cooling down and relieving fever in terms of medicinal efficacy. It can also be used to treat colds, fever and other diseases in summer.

The main effects of Cortex Moutan are clearing away heat, detoxifying, promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis. It is used to treat febrile diseases with heat entering the blood; rash; vomiting and bleeding; hot tears in the eyes; fever in the yin organs due to late stage of bacterial infection; hot flashes due to yin deficiency and bone steaming; blood stasis and amenorrhea; dysmenorrhea; carbuncle, swelling and sore; pain due to falls and injuries; rheumatism and heat arthralgia, etc. Its functions are:

1. Effects on cardiovascular system: Paeonia lactiflora can increase coronary blood flow, reduce cardiac output and lower left ventricular work in anesthetized dogs. It has a significant protective effect on experimental myocardial ischemia, which lasts for a long time and reduces myocardial oxygen consumption.

2. Anticoagulant effect: In vitro tests on human platelets showed that both the water extract of Paeonia lactiflora and Paeonia lactiflora can inhibit the production of thromboxane A2 by platelet arachidonic acid, thereby inhibiting platelet aggregation. This is due to the inhibition of the cyclooxygenase reaction from arachidonic acid to prostate H2. The methanol extract of Paeonia lactiflora has the effect of inhibiting experimental thrombosis caused by endotoxin.

3. Anti-inflammatory effect: Intragastric administration of paeonol can inhibit the plantar edema of rats caused by dextran, acetic acid or carrageenan, and can inhibit the enhanced capillary permeability of the mouse abdominal cavity or guinea pig skin caused by acetic acid or 5-hydroxytryptamine, and inhibit the occurrence of stress ulcers in mice.