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.

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