Niuhui, a traditional Chinese medicine, is the stem of the Ranunculaceae plant Niuhui. It is distributed in Hunan, Anhui, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Fujian, Taiwan, Guangdong, Guangxi, and other places. What are the functions and effects of Niuhui?
In traditional Chinese medicine, Niuhui is believed to have anti-inflammatory, diuretic, and lactation-promoting effects. It is used for enteritis, dysentery, thyroid enlargement, rheumatic joint pain, urinary tract infections, and insufficient lactation.
Stem: It has a light, bitter taste and a cooling property. It clears heat, promotes diuresis, and improves blood circulation. It is used for damp-heat retention in the bladder, edema, urinary disorders, disharmony of blood and qi in women, insufficient lactation, and amenorrhea.
Stem and leaves: It has a pungent taste and a warm property. It aids digestion, promotes diuresis, regulates menstruation, and invigorates blood circulation. It is used for cholera and diarrhea, and joint and bone pain. Fresh roots can be applied externally to treat toothache caused by wind and fire.
Niuhui is a deciduous climbing vine. The stem is nearly square-shaped and purple, covered with white hairs. It has compound leaves with three leaflets, opposite in arrangement. The leaflets are oval-shaped, measuring 2-6.5 cm in length and 1.2-5.5 cm in width. The middle leaflet is larger and sometimes 3-lobed, with a rounded base. The apex is pointed, with 2-3 blunt tooth-like notches in the middle part of the margin and smooth margins below. Both surfaces are covered with short white hairs. The leaf stalk is slender.
The inflorescence is in the form of a conical umbel. The flowers are white, about 2 cm in diameter. There are four sepals, densely covered with hairs on the outer surface and hairless on the inner surface. There are no petals. There are numerous stamens with shorter anthers compared to the filaments, which are yellow. There are also numerous carpels covered with short hairs, and the stigma has long white hairs. The fruit is narrow and obliquely ovoid, about 5 mm long, with the style not falling off and elongating. The flowering period is in August.
1. Li Dangzhi's "Yao Lu": Stops diarrhea, aids digestion.
2. "Tang Bencao": Treats wind-cold diarrhea, cholera, irregular bowel movements, epilepsy, various cold and hot diseases, and excessive sweating.
3. "Hunan Materia Medica": Treats edema in pregnant women and goiter in the neck.
