Fructus Rubi
- Name
- Origin
- Where Does It Grow?
- Nature and Flavor
- Identified Active Components / Major Chemical Constituents
- Drug Actions in TCM
- Traditional Uses in TCM
- Pharmacological Actions
- Toxicology
- Administration and Dosage
- Adverse Effect, Side Effects and Cautions
- References
Name
Latin Name: Fructus Rubi
Common Name: Palmleaf raspberry fruit
Scientific Name: Rubus Chingii Hu.
Chinese Name: 覆盆子
Pinyin Name: fu pen zi
Origin
The unripe fruit of Rubus Chingii Hu; a shrub plant of the Rosaceae family.1
Where Does It Grow?
Palmleaf raspberry fruit is mainly distributed in Zhejiang, Fujian, Hubei and Guizhou provinces of China.1
Nature and Flavor
Palmleaf raspberry fruit is sweet and sour in flavor, slightly warm in nature, and mainly manifests its therapeutic actions in the kidney and liver meridians.1
Identified Active Components / Major Chemical Constituents
Identified chemical constituents of palmleaf raspberry fruit include organic acids such as citric acid, malic acid and saccharides. It also contains ellgic acid, β-sitosterol and vitamin A.2Drug Actions in TCM
Palmleaf raspberry fruit benefits the kidneys, consolidates essence and reduces excessive urination.1Traditional Uses in TCM
The Bencao Congxin (New Compilation of Materia Medica) describes Palmleaf raspberry fruit as sweet and sour with warm properties. It benefits the kidneys and consolidates essence, improves impotence and reduces excessive urination as well as invigorates liver deficiency and benefits the eyes. The herb is useful for maintaining a healthy appearance and the dark color of Chinese hair. Hair is ruled by the kidneys in Chinese medicine, so hair color can be maintained if the essence contained in kidneys is sufficient.3
Problems due to insecurity of kidney qi that caused seminal emission, bed-wetting or urinary frequency, palmleaf raspberry fruit not only can invigorate the liver and kidney functioning, it can also exert its astringent actions to arrest excessive seminal leaking and control urination. In case of seminal emission, premature emission or impotence, palmleaf raspberry fruit is often selected with Chinese wolfberry, dodder seed and schisandra; in case of urinary problems, palmleaf raspberry fruit is often selected with mantis egg-case and sharpleaf glangal fruit in the remedies.
Problems due to liver and kidney deficiency that caused dark and blurred vision, palmleaf raspberry fruit is often selected with dodder seed and Chinese wolfberry in the remedies.
Pharmacological Actions
1. Estrogenic Effect
In vitro studies
Fructus Rubi was observed to have estrogenic effects on rabbit vaginal smear examinations and on vaginal endothelium smears in vitro.5
2. Promote Lymphocyte Proliferation
In vitro studies
Four types of Fructus Rubi extracts: water extract, alcohol extract, crude polysaccharide extract and butanol extract, all demonstrated lymphocyte proliferation promoting effects with or without Con A stimulation.6
3. Elevate Testosterone Level
Animal studies
A water extract of Fructus Rubi could act directly on rat Leydig cells (cells in the testes that secrete the hormone testosterone) to promote the activity of steroid synthesizing enzymes and to inhibit their degradation. As a consequence, more testosterone was synthesized and blood testosterone levels were elevated in the rats.7
Toxicology
Administration and Dosage
For decoction, the usual dose of palmleaf raspberry fruit is 5～10g.1
Adverse Effect, Side Effects and Cautions
Palmleaf raspberry fruit is contraindicated in individuals with urinary difficulty.
References
- Lui Daiquan, ed. Chinese Medicine. Shanghai Scientific and Technical Publishers, 2000-6.
- Li Jiashi, ed. Chinese Medicine Identification. Shanghai Scientific and Technical Publishers, 2000-6.
- Wu Yiluo. Bencao Congxin (New Compilation of Materia Medica), 1757AD.
- Li Shizhen, Bencao Gangmu (Compendium of Materia Medica) 1578AD.
- Jiangsu Modern Medicine College, ed. Pharmacopoeia of Chinese medicine, Volume II. Shanghai Scientific and Technical Publishers 1986-2698.
- Chen Kunhua, Fang Jun, Jin Hung, et al. Enhancement of Fructus Rubi extract ingredients on lymphocyte proliferation and its relationship with cyclic nucleotide. Shanghai Journal of Immunology 1995,15(5):302.
- Li Zhong ed. Modern Clinical Chinese Medicine. Beijing: China Medical Technological Publishers 1994, p241.
- Quoted in "Wang BX ed. Modern Pharmacological studies on Chinese Medicine. Tianjin Scientific Technology Publishing, 1999: 1248-1250"
