Effects and functions of Asarum

Asarum, the name of a Chinese herbal medicine, is also known as Chinese asarum, Xiaoxin, Shaoxin, and Pencao asarum. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that it is warm in nature, pungent in taste, and toxic, and has the effects of dispelling cold and wind, relieving pain, warming the lungs and transforming fluid, and clearing dizziness. So what are the effects and functions of asarum? Let’s take a look together below.

The efficacy and function of Asarum

1. Dispel cold and wind

Scientific research shows that the cold-dispelling and wind-expelling effects of asarum are related to the aconite it contains. Aconite can help improve the body's basal metabolic function. It also has the effects of clearing the brain, dilating blood vessels, and relaxing smooth muscles, which are in line with the pharmaceutical basis of cold-dispelling drugs.

2. Calming and pain relief

Asarum volatile oil has a significant inhibitory effect on the central nervous system. A certain dose can make animals quiet, docile, and reduce independent activity; a large dose can make animals sleep better and has a significant anticonvulsant effect. Asarum also has analgesic effects. Its strong analgesic effect is the key pharmaceutical basis for treating headaches, body aches, toothaches, etc.

3. Antibacterial

In vitro experiments have shown that asarum can inhibit the specificity of hemolytic streptococci, Shigella dysenteriae, Salmonella typhi and tuberculosis, so it has therapeutic effects on some bacterial diseases in clinical medicine.

4. Reduce fever

Oral administration of Asarum volatile oil has a significant antipyretic effect on experimental fever in rabbits caused by various reasons such as warm needling, tetrahydro-β-naphthylamine, typhoid and paratyphoid mixed vaccines, and also has a significant antipyretic effect on fever in rats caused by brewer's yeast. It can also reduce the body temperature of normal rats.

5. Resolving phlegm and relieving asthma

The antiasthmatic effect of asarum is related to norhexachloride, which can relax bronchial smooth muscles and thus have an antiasthmatic effect.

6. Antibacterial and antiviral treatment

Asarum alcohol extract, volatile oil, etc. have certain extracorporeal inhibitory effects on Gram-positive bacteria, Bacillus subtilis and Salmonella typhi, and decoctions also have inhibitory effects on Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Salmonella typhi. Asarum volatile oil has inhibitory effects on various bacteria such as Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger, Candida albicans, etc., and the antibacterial ingredient is safrole. α-Asarone has the effect of inhibiting the reproduction of respiratory syncytial virus.

7. Clear your brain

Paraffin section experiments showed that asarum volatile oil had a significant stimulatory effect on the hearts of rabbits and rats, mainly manifested as positive muscle tension and positive pacing effects, and could increase coronary artery flow.