''Stephania tetrandra'' is a

herbaceous Herbaceous plants are vascular plants that have no persistent woody stems above ground. This broad category of plants includes many perennials, and nearly all annuals and biennials. Definitions of "herb" and "herbaceous" The fourth edition of t ...

perennial A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wide ...

vine A vine (Latin ''vīnea'' "grapevine", "vineyard", from ''vīnum'' "wine") is any plant with a growth habit of trailing or scandent (that is, climbing) stems, lianas or runners. The word ''vine'' can also refer to such stems or runners themselv ...

of the family Menispermaceae native to China and Taiwan. It grows from a short, woody

caudex A caudex (plural: caudices) of a plant is a stem, but the term is also used to mean a rootstock and particularly a basal stem structure from which new growth arises.pages 456 and 695 In the strict sense of the term, meaning a stem, "caudex" is m ...

, climbing to a height of around three meters. The

leaves A leaf (plural, : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant plant stem, stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", wh ...

are arranged spirally on the stem, and are peltate, i.e. with the leaf petiole attached near the centre of the leaf. Its root is used in

traditional Chinese medicine Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is an alternative medical practice drawn from traditional medicine in China. It has been described as "fraught with pseudoscience", with the majority of its treatments having no logical mechanism of action ...

(TCM).

Distribution and habitat

''Stephania tetrandra'' occurs in shrublands at village margins, open fields, and roadsides in South Central and

East China East China () is a geographical and a loosely defined cultural region that covers the eastern coastal area of China. A concept abolished in 1978, for economical purposes the region was defined from 1949 to 1961 by the Chinese Central Governme ...

in Anhui, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, and Zhejiang provinces, and in

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...

Etymology in Chinese medicine

''Stephania tetrandra'' is among the

50 fundamental herbs Chinese herbology () is the theory of traditional Chinese herbal therapy, which accounts for the majority of treatments in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). A ''Nature'' editorial described TCM as "fraught with pseudoscience", and said that t ...

used in TCM. The standard pinyin according to the ''Chinese erbalPharmacopia of the People's Republic of China'' () is: fen fang ji (), but it is more commonly known as ''Han Fang ji'' ().

Traditional medicine

Fen fang ji is used in traditional Chinese medicine to dispel wind and dampness to relieve pain and to promote diuresis. It is classified as acrid, bitter and cold. The part used is the root.

Chemistry

''Stephania'' contains tetrandrine, a potent smooth muscle relaxant. ''Stephania''

alkaloid Alkaloids are a class of basic, naturally occurring organic compounds that contain at least one nitrogen atom. This group also includes some related compounds with neutral and even weakly acidic properties. Some synthetic compounds of similar ...

s have

curare Curare ( /kʊˈrɑːri/ or /kjʊˈrɑːri/; ''koo-rah-ree'' or ''kyoo-rah-ree'') is a common name for various alkaloid arrow poisons originating from plant extracts. Used as a paralyzing agent by indigenous peoples in Central and South ...

-like action, and can selectively inhibit T-cell-dependent immune reactions. The root contains many

isoquinoline Isoquinoline is a heterocyclic aromatic organic compound. It is a structural isomer of quinoline. Isoquinoline and quinoline are benzopyridines, which are composed of a benzene ring fused to a pyridine ring. In a broader sense, the term isoquin ...

alkaloids: tetrandrine (0.6-0.9%), fangchinoline (0.5%), cyclanoline (0.1%) and dimethyltetrandrine iodide (muscle relaxant). The root also contains

flavanoids Flavonoids (or bioflavonoids; from the Latin word ''flavus'', meaning yellow, their color in nature) are a class of polyphenolic secondary metabolites found in plants, and thus commonly consumed in the diets of humans. Chemically, flavonoids ...

. The main active

s are: tetrandrine (12 to 23 grams/kg) and fangchinoline (0.3–3 mg/kg). Also present are: dimethyltetradine iodide, cyclanoline, menisine, menisidine, oxofangchirine, stephenanthrine,

stepholidine (−)-Stepholidine is a protoberberine alkaloid found in the plant '' Stephania intermedia''. Stepholidine activity includes dual D2 receptor antagonist and D1 receptor agonist, and has shown antipsychotic Antipsychotics, also known as neu ...

and bisbenzylisoquinoline. Fenfangjines F, G, H, and I.

Other herbs sometimes used as Fang Ji

Other plants named ''fang ji'' (, roughly "snakebite remedy") are sometimes substituted for it. Notable among these is ''guang fang ji'' (), ''

Aristolochia ''Aristolochia'' () is a large plant genus with over 500 species that is the type genus of the family Aristolochiaceae. Its members are commonly known as birthwort, pipevine or Dutchman's pipe and are widespread and occur in the most diverse clima ...

fanchi'', whose main toxic component is aristolochic acid, a potent

carcinogen A carcinogen is any substance, radionuclide, or radiation that promotes carcinogenesis (the formation of cancer). This may be due to the ability to damage the genome or to the disruption of cellular metabolic processes. Several radioactive substan ...

and

nephrotoxin Nephrotoxicity is toxicity in the kidneys. It is a poisonous effect of some substances, both toxic chemicals and medications, on kidney function. There are various forms, and some drugs may affect kidney function in more than one way. Nephrotoxin ...

. Other herbs sometimes used as Fang Ji include ''

Cocculus trilobus ''Cocculus'' is a genus of 11 species of woody vines and shrubs, native to warm temperate to tropical regions of North America, Asia and Africa. The common name moonseed is also used for the closely related genus ''Menispermum''. Selected spe ...

'', '' C. orbiculatus'', ''

Aristolochia fangchi ''Aristolochia fangchi'' ( zh, 广防已 guang fang ji), is a species of flowering plant in the family Aristolochiaceae, native to Vietnam and southeast and south-central China. In 1993, a series of end-stage renal disease cases were reported fr ...

'', and '' Sinomenium acutum'' (Japanese Han Fang Ji or Qinfengteng).

Warnings, contraindications for substituted herbs

When ''Aristolochia fanghi'' is substituted for ''Stephania tetrandra'', the resultant guang fang ji preparations can contain toxic amounts of aristolochic acid Ingestion can lead to

renal failure Kidney failure, also known as end-stage kidney disease, is a medical condition in which the kidneys can no longer adequately filter waste products from the blood, functioning at less than 15% of normal levels. Kidney failure is classified as eit ...

and even death; ''Aristolochia'' is used in TCM only with great caution. In May, 2000, the

FDA The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA or US FDA) is a federal agency of the Department of Health and Human Services. The FDA is responsible for protecting and promoting public health through the control and supervision of food ...

began detaining any plants or medicines suspected of containing aristolochic acid, unless laboratory testing indicated they were negative for aristolochic acid. The traditional route of ingestion of guang fang ji is via water

decoction Decoction is a method of extraction by boiling herbal or plant material (which may include stems, roots, bark and rhizomes) to dissolve the chemicals of the material. It is the most common preparation method in various herbal-medicine systems. De ...

. Since aristolochic acid has low water solubility, water decoction is believed to be a safer route than taking guang fang ji as an uncooked powder.

References

External links

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Stephania and Chinese Herb Nephropathy
{{Taxonbar, from=Q1023664 Medicinal plants tetrandra Plants used in traditional Chinese medicine Flora of China Flora of Taiwan