Nelumbo nucifera herb
Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn. (Nymphaceae) has been used for various medicinal purposes by Chinese herbalists. Flavonoids in the leaves of Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn (lotus leaves) have many pharmacological activities. Some of these flavonoids include hyperin, isoquercetin and astragalin.
Effects of plant extract neferine on cyclic adenosine
monophosphate and cyclic guanosine monophosphate levels in rabbit corpus
cavernosum in vitro.
Asian J Androl. 2008 March. Department of Urology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji
Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030,
China.
To further investigate the relaxation mechanism of neferine, a
bis-benzylisoquinoline alkaloid extracted (isolated) from the green seed embryo
of Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn in China, on rabbit corpus cavernosum tissue in
vitro. Neferine from Nelumbo nucifera, with its relaxation mechanism, can
enhance the concentration of cAMP in rabbit corpus cavernosum tissue, probably
by inhibiting phosphodiesterase activity.
Constituents from the leaves of Nelumbo nucifera
stimulate lipolysis in the white adipose tissue of mice.
Planta Med. 2007 October. Ohkoshi E, Miyazaki H, Shindo K, Watanabe H, Yoshida
A, Yajima H. KIRIN Brewery Co., Ltd., Central Laboratories for Frontier
Technology, Kanagawa, Japan.
Nelumbo nucifera leaves are known for diuretic and astringent properties, and
are used to treat obesity. During our search for a plant-derived anti-obesity
agent from natural products, we have found that a 50% ethanol extract prepared
from the leaves of Nelumbo nucifera stimulated lipolysis in the white adipose
tissue of mice and that the beta-adrenergic receptor pathway was involved. In
subsequent experiments, dietary supplementation of Nelumbo nucifera resulted in
a significant suppression of body weight gain in A/J mice fed a high-fat diet.
Our results indicate that the effects of Nelumbo nucifera in preventing
diet-induced obesity appear to be due to various flavonoids and that the
activation of beta-AR pathway was involved, at least in part.
Multivitamins information