Yanbaicai is a perennial herbaceous plant in the Tiger Ear Grass family. The whole plant contains yanbaicai glycoside and other coumarins. The rhizome is used medicinally; it is non-toxic and can be used to treat symptoms such as weakness, dizziness, coughing, hematemesis, hemoptysis, cloudy urine, leukorrhea, and tumors. Caution should be exercised when used by people with fever and physical weakness.
Antitussive effect
Yanbaicai has a certain antitussive effect. The effect of 300 mg/kg of rhizome is equivalent to 60 mg/kg of codeine phosphate. Yanbaicai glycoside, found in yanbaicai, also has antitussive effects.
Antibacterial effect
The decoction of the rhizome and the ethanol extract of yanbaicai have no antibacterial effect on Escherichia coli, typhoid, and paratyphoid bacteria. They have different degrees of inhibitory effect on four types of dysentery bacteria (Shigella dysenteriae, Shigella flexneri, Shigella sonnei, and Shigella boydii), with the strongest inhibitory effect on Shigella dysenteriae. Yanbaicai decoction can inhibit dysentery bacteria at a concentration of 1:320-480 in test tubes.
Anti-inflammatory effect
The coumarins in yanbaicai have anti-inflammatory effects, and the tannins have astringent effects. Therefore, it is commonly used in clinical practice to treat non-infectious inflammation of the digestive tract, and can also be used for cervical erosion.
Other effects
Long-term consumption of yanbaicai water extract can increase the resistance of capillaries.
