What are the effects and functions of Trichosanthes?

Radix Trichosanthis is actually the root of a plant in the Cucurbitaceae family and is also an important and commonly used Chinese herbal medicine. The effect of smallpox can help the body clear away heat and fire, promote salivation and quench thirst, and it is also a good medicine for cooling off in summer. In addition, Radix Trichosanthis has anti-cancer and antiviral effects.

1. Enhance immunity

Trichosanthin protein is immunogenic and can promote the production of immunoglobulins. It has strong antigenicity and can cause allergic reactions in animals. It can gradually increase the IgE and IgG antibodies against trichosanthin protein in the serum of pregnant women. Trichosanthin is a nonspecific immunopotentiator.

(II) Anti-cancer

It has an inhibitory effect on tumor cells S180 and U14.

Trichosanthin has a unique therapeutic effect on choriocarcinoma and can selectively damage choriocarcinoma cells and melanoma cells. It is effective in the clinical treatment of malignant hydatidiform mole and choriocarcinoma.

Local injection and intraperitoneal injection of trichosanthin tumor tissue can significantly inhibit the growth of rat WK256, mouse reticulum cell sarcoma ascites type, U14 ascites type and mouse breast cancer. It has a significant inhibitory effect on both solid tumor and ascites types of liver cancer in mice, can reduce the amount of ascites and prolong survival. In addition, Radix Trichosanthis polysaccharides also have anti-cancer activity.

(III) Antiviral

Trichosanthin has a strong inhibitory effect on the replication and spread of human immunodeficiency virus in the cells of AIDS patients, and reduces the ratio of infected cells to uninfected cells. In recent years, it has been used to treat AIDS.

The backbone structure of trichosanthin is consistent with that of abrin A chain and ricin A chain, and both have cytotoxic and immunotoxin activities. Using RNA and DNA as substrates, trichosanthin can degrade their single strands, unwind and relax their double strands, and can stop protein synthesis by catalytically inactivating the ribosome 60S subunit. This is of guiding significance for clarifying the antiviral mechanism of action of trichosanthin.

4. Impact on blood sugar

The extract of this product can increase the blood sugar of three types of rabbits: normal, hungry, and diabetic, and can also increase the content of liver glycogen and muscle glycogen in hungry rabbits. However, the five polysaccharide components isolated from Radix Trichosanthis can lower the blood sugar level in mice.