Adverse reactions
Radix Gentiana Scabrae may cause impairment of digestion and, occa- sionally, headaches, fl ushing of the face and vertigo when taken after a meal (37).
Contraindications
Owing to potential mutagenic effects (38), Radix Gentianae Scabrae should not be used during pregnancy or nursing or in children under the age of 12 years. Radix Gentianae Scabrae is contraindicated in stomach disorders and liver failure (3).
Warnings
Overdose may lead to nausea or vomiting (3).
Precautions
Carcinogenesis, mutagenesis, impairment of fertility
An aqueous extract of the roots and rhizomes, 40.0 mg/plate or 50.0 mg/ disc, was not mutagenic in the Salmonella/microsome assay using S. ty-
phimurium strains TA98 and TA100 (39, 40). In another investigation, an
aqueous or methanol extract of the roots and rhizomes, 100.0 mg/ml, was active in the Salmonella/microsome assay and the Bacillus subtilis recom- bination assay (38). However, intraperitoneal injection of an aqueous ex- tract of the roots and rhizomes at doses 10–40 times those used in tradi- tional medicine had no mutagenic effects in mice (40).
Pregnancy: non-teratogenic effects
See Contraindications.
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Nursing mothers
See Contraindications.
Paediatric use
See Contraindications.
Other precautions
No information available on general precautions or on precautions con- cerning drug interactions; drug and laboratory test interactions; or terato- genic effects during pregnancy.
Dosage forms
Dried roots and rhizomes and dried extracts for infusions and decoction (3, 4). Store in a tightly sealed container away from heat and light.
Posology
(Unless otherwise indicated)
Average daily dose: roots and rhizomes 3–6 g per day as an infusion or decoction (4).
References
1. Asian crude drugs, their preparations and specifi cations. Asian pharmaco-
poeia. Manila, Federation of Asian Pharmaceutical Associations, 1978.
2. The Japanese pharmacopoeia, 13th ed. (English version). Tokyo, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Japan, 1996.
3. Pharmacopoeia of the Republic of Korea, 7th ed. Seoul, Taechan yakjon, 1998.
4. Pharmacopoeia of the People’s Republic of China. Vol I. (English ed.). Beijing, China, Chemical Industry Press, 2000.
5. Hänsel R et al., eds. Hagers Handbuch der pharmazeutischen Praxis. Bd 6,
Drogen P–Z, 5th ed. [Hager’s handbook of pharmaceutical practice. Vol. 6,
Drugs P–Z, 5th ed.] Berlin, Springer, 1994.
6. Chang HM, But PPH. Pharmacology and applications of Chinese materia
medica. Vol. 1. Singapore, World Scientifi c, 1986.
7. Farnsworth NR, ed. NAPRALERT database. Chicago, IL, University of Illinois at Chicago, 9 February 2001 production (an online database available directly through the University of Illinois at Chicago or through the Scien- tifi c and Technical Network (STN) of Chemical Abstracts Services).
8. Kariyone T, Koiso R. Atlas of medicinal plants. Osaka, Nihon Rinshosha, 1973.
9. Perry LM, Metzger J. Medicinal plants of East and Southeast Asia: attributed
properties and uses. Cambridge, MA, MIT Press, 1980.
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10. Ohwi, J. Flora of Japan. Washington, DC, Smithsonian Institution, 1984. 11. Toyokuni H, Yamazaki T. Gentianaceae. In: Iwatsuki K, ed. Flora of Japan.
Tokyo, Kodansha, 1996.
12. Quality control methods for medicinal plant materials. Geneva, World Health Organization, 1998.
13. European pharmacopoeia, 3rd ed. Strasbourg, Council of Europe, 1996. 14. Guidelines for predicting dietary intake of pesticide residues, 2nd rev. ed.
Geneva, World Health Organization, 1997 (WHO/FSF/FOS/97.7; available from Food Safety, World Health Organization, 1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland).
15. Hayashi T. [Studies on crude drugs originated from gentianaceous plants. I. Determination of gentiopicroside, the bitter principle of Gentianae radix and Gentianae scabrae radix.] Yakugaku Zasshi, 1976, 96:356–361 [in Japanese]. 16. Hayashi T, Matsuda T, Yoneda K. [Studies on crude drugs originated from
gentianaceous plants. VI. Contents of gentiopicroside in various parts of
Gentiana scabra and accumulation of gentiopicroside in Gentiana trifl ora.] Yakugaku Zasshi, 1976, 96: 679–682 [in Japanese].
17. Namba, T. Genshoku Wakan-Yaku Zukan [Colored illustrations of Wakan-
Yaku]. Vol. 1. Osaka, Hoikusha Publishing, 1980.
18. Woo WS, Lee EB, Han BH. Biological evaluation of Korean medicinal plants (III). Archives of Pharmacal Research, 1979, 2:127–131.
19. Kurokawa M et al. Antiviral traditional medicines against herpes simplex vi- rus (HSV-1), poliovirus and measles virus in vitro and their therapeutic effi - cacies for HSV-1 infection in mice. Antiviral Research, 1993, 22:175–188. 20. Kumazawa N et al. [Protective effects of various methanol extracts of crude
drugs on experimental hepatic injury induced by alpha-naphthylisothiocya- nate in rats.] Yakugaku Zasshi, 1991, 111:199–204 [in Japanese].
21. Yun HS, Yu JC, Chang IM. [Plants with liver protective activities. (V) Liver protective activities of Atractylodes japonica (alba) and Gentiana scabra.]
Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy, 1981, 12:23–25 [in Korean].
22. Chang IM, Yun HS. Plants with liver-protective activities, pharmacology and toxicology of aucubin. In: Chang HM et al., eds. Advances in Chinese me-
dicinal materials research. Singapore, World Scientifi c, 1984:269–285.
23. Chang IM, Yun HS. Evaluation of medicinal plants with potential hepatonic activities and study on hepatonic activities of Plantago semen. Abstract. In:
Proceedings of the Fourth Asian Symposium on Medicinal Plants and Spices, Bangkok, 15–19 September 1980. 1980:69.
24. Hase K et al. Hepatoprotective principles of Swertia japonica Makino on D-galactosamine/lipopolysaccharide-induced liver injury in mice. Chemical
and Pharmaceutical Bulletin, 1997, 45:1823–1827.
25. Kondo Y, Takano F, Hojo H. Suppression of chemically and immunologi- cally induced hepatic injuries by gentiopicroside in mice. Planta Medica, 1994, 60:414–416.
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26. Sung CY, Chi HC, Liu KT. [Pharmacology of gentianine. I. Anti-infl amma- tory effect and action of pituitary-adrenal function of the rat.] Acta Physio-
logica Sinica, 1958, 22:201–205 [in Chinese].
27. Chi HC, Liu KT, Sung CY. [The pharmacology of gentianine. II. The anti- phlogistic effect of gentianine and its comparison with some clinically effec- tive drugs.] Acta Physiologica Sinica, 1959, 23:151–157 [in Chinese].
28. Itokawa H et al. [Studies on the constituents of crude drugs having inhibi- tory activity against contraction of the ileum caused by histamine or barium chloride. (1) Screening test for the activity of commercially available crude drugs and the related plant materials.] Shoyakugaku Zasshi, 1983, 37:223–228 [in Japanese].
29. Reiter M, Brandt W. Relaxant effects on tracheal and ileal smooth muscles of the guinea pig. Arzneimittelforschung, 1985, 35:408–414.
30. Woo WS et al. A survey of the response of Korean medicinal plants on drug metabolism. Archives of Pharmacal Research, 1978, 1:13–19.
31. Choi HSY, Chang IM. Plants with liver protective activities. Annual Reports of the Natural Products Research Institute, 1982, 21:49–53.
32. Shin KH, Woo WS. A survey of the response of medicinal plants on drug metabolism. Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy, 1980, 11:109–122.
33. Cho HM et al. [Inhibitory effects of extracts from traditional herbal drugs on 5-hydroxytryptamine uptake in primary cultured rat brainstem neurons.]
Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy, 1995, 26:349–354 [in Korean].
34. Miura M et al. [Basic study of assay method of choleretic effect and the screening of crude drugs.] Yakugaku Zasshi, 1987, 107:992–1000 [in Japa- nese].
35. Natarajan PN, Wan ASC, Zaman V. Antimalarial, antiamoebic and toxicity tests on gentianine. Planta Medica, 1974, 25:258–260.
36. Huh H et al. PAF antagonistic activity of 2-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzoic acid glucose ester from Gentiana scabra. Archives of Pharmacal Research, 1998, 21:436–439.
37. Wang YS. Pharmacology and applications of Chinese materia medica. Beijing, People’s Health Publisher, 1983.
38. Morimoto I et al. Mutagenicity screening of crude drugs with Bacillus subti-
lis rec-assay and Salmonella/microsome reversion assay. Mutation Research,
1982, 97:81–102.
39. Yamamoto H, Mizutani T, Nomura H. [Studies on the mutagenicity of crude drug extracts. I.] Yakugaku Zasshi, 1982, 102:596–601 [in Japanese].
40. Yin XJ et al. A study on the mutagenicity of 102 raw pharmaceuticals used in traditional Chinese medicine. Mutation Research, 1991, 260:73–82.
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Defi nition
Gummi Gugguli consists of the air-dried oleo-gum resin exudate from the stems and branches of Commiphora mukul (Hook. ex Stocks) Engl. (Burseraceae) (1–4).
Synonyms
Balsamodendron mukul Hook. ex Stocks, B. roxburghii Stocks non Arn., Commiphora roxburghii (Stocks) Engl., C. wightii (Arn.) Bhandari (2, 5).
Selected vernacular names
Afl atan, baijahundana, bdellium, boe-jahudan, devadhüpa, gogil, gugaru, guggal, guggul, guggula, guggulu, gukkal, gukkulu, hill mango, Indian bdellium, Indian myrrh tree, itinnil, kiluvai, kondamamidi, koushikaka, kungiliyam, maisatchi, moghl, moghl-arabi, moghl-azragh, moghl-makki, moql, moqle-azraqi, mugul, mukul myrrh tree, pura, ranghan (5–12).
Geographical distribution
Indigenous to Bangladesh, India and Pakistan (6, 7, 11, 13).
Description
Woody, bushy shrub 1–4 m high. Stems and branches thorny, covered with wax and ash-coloured bark that peels into thin rolls. Leaves small, alternate, simple or trifoliate. Flowers unisexual or bisexual with a fuzzy calyx and a brownish-red corolla. Fruits are ovoid drupes that turn red when ripe (6, 7, 13–15).