What are the benefits and effects of curly dock?

Curly dock, also known as tu dahuang, sijicai gen, huofengtang, yangti gen, and other names, is the root of the perennial herb Rumex crispus of the Polygonaceae family. Used as medicine, it has the effects of clearing heat and cooling blood, resolving phlegm and relieving cough, promoting bowel movements and killing parasites. It has therapeutic effects on acute hepatitis, chronic bronchitis, hematemesis, metrorrhagia, thrombocytopenic purpura, and other conditions. Let us take a look at the benefits and effects of curly dock below!

Medicinal Benefits of Curly Dock

[Nature and Flavor] Bitter in taste, cold in nature, slightly toxic.

[Meridian Tropism] Heart, liver, and large intestine meridians.

[Benefits] Clears heat and cools blood, resolves phlegm and relieves cough, promotes bowel movements and kills parasites. Treats acute hepatitis, chronic bronchitis, hematemesis, metrorrhagia, thrombocytopenic purpura, dry and bound stools, dysentery, scabies, favus, boils, and furuncles.

Pharmacological Effects of Curly Dock

1. Antitussive effect: The water decoction of curly dock root and the deproteinized water decoction both showed obvious antitussive effects when given to mice by gavage (ammonia spray cough induction method), but the mice all showed abdominal distension, diarrhea, and piloerection. Emodin and chrysophanol isolated from it both have relatively obvious antitussive effects, with emodin stronger than chrysophanol. Total anthraquinones also have a mild antitussive effect, while rhein has no antitussive effect.

2. Expectorant effect: Curly dock water decoction and deproteinized water decoction have expectorant effects (mouse phenol red method), while total anthraquinones have no obvious effect. Total anthraquinones given to guinea pigs by gavage showed relatively obvious antiasthmatic effects (histamine spray method), but emodin, rhein, and chrysophanol were all ineffective. When chrysophanol was mixed with the residual fraction after extracting the above components and given to guinea pigs, it showed antiasthmatic effects.

3. Antibacterial effect: Rhein, emodin, and chrysophanol isolated from the root have varying degrees of inhibitory effects on alpha-hemolytic streptococcus, pneumococcus, Haemophilus influenzae, and Neisseria catarrhalis in vitro. The whole plant extract has inhibitory effects on Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. The root tincture has significant antibacterial effects on Microsporum canis on Sabouraud medium, with a minimum effective concentration of 1.56-3.12%.

4. Antitumor effect: Six days after mice were inoculated with sarcoma-37 in the thigh muscle, a single subcutaneous injection of the alcohol extract of Rumex crispus root was given. After 6-48 hours, tumors were examined and damage to the tumor from the drug was observed. Its acidic extract had stronger efficacy.

5. Other effects: The rhizome contains anthraquinone derivatives such as emodin, so it has a purgative effect. It also contains a fairly high amount of tannins (3.62-6.42%), so it has an astringent effect. The root and rhizome also contain vitamin B1 (up to 10.26 micrograms/g) and can be used as a stomachic and tonic. It also contains an irritant substance that can be used as a rubefacient and resolvent, and can kill skin parasites, but it can cause dermatitis and gastrointestinal disturbances in animals (sheep, horses).

Various Historical Accounts of Curly Dock

1. "Caomu Bianfang": Activates blood, supplements essence, strengthens the body. Can act on the surface. Mashed and mixed with thick indigo vat water, it is applied to scabies, tinea, and favus.

2. "Sichuan Zhongyao Zhi": Detoxifies, clears heat, reduces sores and tinea. Treats dry and bound stools.

3. "Chongqing Caoyao": Clears fire, detoxifies, clears blood heat, promotes urination and defecation. Treats various patterns of hematemesis. Stir-fried with wine, it can regulate qi and astringe blood, and treats red flooding.

4. "Mindong Bencao": Removes heat, kills parasites, discharges pus and draws out toxins. Treats white favus, tinea, boils, and furuncles.

5. "Qiqihar Zhongcaoyao": Treats hemorrhagic purpura, thrombocytopenia, and internal bleeding.

6. "Gaoyuan Zhongcaoyao Zhiliao Shouce": Clears heat and cools blood, moistens the intestines and promotes bowel movements. Treats acute hepatitis, abdominal distension with amenorrhea, and unnamed swelling and toxicity.

7. "Shaan-Gan-Ning-Qing Zhongcaoyao Xuan": Clears heat and detoxifies, reduces inflammation and swelling, stops bleeding.

Medicinal Selected Formulas of Curly Dock

1. To treat dry tinea and moist tinea: six qian of tu dahuang root juice, six qian of rice vinegar, one qian and five fen of burnt alum powder. Mix evenly and dip to wipe the affected area.

2. To treat scabies: four liang of curly dock, two liang of Laojunxu. Stew with pig shin bone and take.

3. To treat hematemesis: fresh curly dock, stew with pork from the throat-cut area and take.

4. To treat thrombocytopenic purpura: five qian of yangti. Decoct in water and take in two divided doses, one dose per day.

5. To treat metrorrhagia and metrostaxis, gastric ulcer bleeding, and thrombocytopenia: three qian of tu dahuang. Decoct in water and take, or take equal parts of tu dahuang and cuttlefish bone, grind into powder. Take one qian each time mixed with water.

6. To treat dysentery: five qian of tu dahuang. Decoct in water and take.

7. To treat strangury: five qian of yangti, 3 cicada sloughs. Decoct in water, take twice a day.