Effects of Hedyotis diffusa

Houttuynia cordata is a Chinese herbal medicine. Its main therapeutic effect is to clear away heat and detoxify, relieve pain and disperse nodules, have a diuretic and dehumidifying effect, have a good effect in improving the body's immune function, and have a certain effect in inhibiting tumors. In addition, it is also an anti-snake venom substance and has a relatively wide range of uses in the medical field. Ordinary people cannot use this Chinese herbal medicine easily. If they want to use it, they must do so under the guidance of a doctor.

Effects of Hedyotis diffusa

1. Enhance immune function

In vitro tests showed that the antibacterial potency of this product was very low, but it had a significant anti-infection effect after oral administration. It stimulated the reticuloendothelial system, increased the phagocytic function of leukocytes to improve the bactericidal power of serum. The ability of leukocytes in the drug-treated group to phagocytize Congo red was 4 times higher than that in the control group. Microscopic examination showed significant proliferation of the reticuloendothelial system, hyperplasia of reticular cells, rich cytoplasm, active phagocytosis, and compaction of argyrophilic substances in tissues such as lymph nodes, spleen, and liver, indicating that the body's defense function was enhanced. It can enhance humoral immune function and significantly increase the number of hemolytic plaques in the spleen of mice.

2. Anti-tumor effect

In the body, Hedyotis diffusa has an inhibitory effect on leukemia cells such as acute myeloid leukemia cells and acute lymphocytic leukemia cells; Hedyotis diffusa extract has an inhibitory and killing effect on ascites liver cancer cells in mice. 1 mg of Hedyotis diffusa extract can kill all 0.2 ml of ascites liver cancer cells within 24 hours.

Oldenlandia diffusa has inhibitory effects on rat Wacker's carcinoma 256, mouse cervical cancer 14, sarcoma 180, solid type liver cancer, and Ehrlich ascites carcinoma ascites type to subcutaneous type. Oldenlandia diffusa can significantly inhibit the cell division phase, especially the mitotic phase, of mouse sarcoma 180 cells and cause tumor tissue necrosis. The triterpene acids it contains have significant inhibitory effects on lymphosarcoma No. 1 ascites type, cervical cancer 14, liver cancer solid type, and sarcoma 180; coumarins have significant inhibitory effects on cervical cancer 14, sarcoma 180, and liver cancer solid type; polysaccharides have significant inhibitory effects on lymphosarcoma No. 1 ascites type and Ehrlich ascites carcinoma subcutaneous type. It is believed that Houttuynia cordata is a broad-spectrum anticancer drug and contains more than one anti-tumor ingredient.

Therefore, in sarcoma 180 mice treated with hedyotis diffusa, in addition to the inhibition of tumor cells, there was infiltration of lymphocytes and neutrophils in the tissues surrounding the tumor, proliferation of lymph nodes and splenic reticuloendothelial cells, formation of lymphoid foci in the liver, and obvious hyperplasia and hypertrophy of Kupffer cells.

3. Inhibit spermatogenesis

This product has the effect of inhibiting the development of mouse spermatogonia into primary spermatocytes, causing the seminiferous tubules to become cavities. Clinical studies have also shown that after taking this product orally for 3 weeks, the sperm count of the subjects was significantly reduced.

4. Anti-snake venom effect

The aqueous extract of this product can reduce the mortality rate of mice poisoned by Bungarus cobra venom. (Toxicity: The median lethal dose of the extract, injected intraperitoneally into mice, is 104 g of crude drug/kg.)