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Coptis, Huang Lian 黄连Gold Thread, Coptis
Huang Lian (TCM) Mamira, Tiktamula (Ayurveda) Mamisa, Mamira (Unani) Myang rtsi spras མྱང་རྩི་སྤྲས (Tibetan) |
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Coptis teeta
K.R. Kirtikar, B.D. Basu, Indian medicinal plants, Plates, vol. 1 (1918)
K.R. Kirtikar, B.D. Basu, Indian medicinal plants, Plates, vol. 1 (1918)
Coptis trifolia
Materia Medica Botanica, Wellman, 1845
Materia Medica Botanica, Wellman, 1845
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Above: Slices of Coptis Huang Lian from Chengdu Medicine Market showing bright yellow-orange cross-section (Adam, 2017)
Left: whole Coptis teeta root (Calcutta Unani College, Adam, 2019) |
Botanical name:
Coptis spp.:
Several species are used:
1. C. chinensis (TCM)
2. C. deltoidea (TCM)
3. C. teeta (Tibet, Unani, Ayurveda, TCM)
Less commonly used species include C. omeiensis (TCM), C. japonica (TCM)
The American C. trifolia (Gold Thread) can probably be considered synonymous.
Parts used:
Rhizome
Temperature & Taste:
Cold, dry. Bitter
Classification:
B. Clear Heat & Damp
Coptis spp.:
Several species are used:
1. C. chinensis (TCM)
2. C. deltoidea (TCM)
3. C. teeta (Tibet, Unani, Ayurveda, TCM)
Less commonly used species include C. omeiensis (TCM), C. japonica (TCM)
The American C. trifolia (Gold Thread) can probably be considered synonymous.
Parts used:
Rhizome
Temperature & Taste:
Cold, dry. Bitter
Classification:
B. Clear Heat & Damp
Uses:
1. Clears Heat and Damp:
-heat-type Diarrhea or Dysentery (TCM, Ayurveda, Tibet)
-Nausea, Vomiting, Acid Reflux from Stomach heat
2. Clears Heat and Fire, Resists Toxin:
-High Fever, Irritability, Delirium, with a red tongue and a full and rapid pulse (TCM, Ayurveda, Tibet)
-Intermittent Fever (Ayurveda)
-Infectious Diseases, Anthrax (Tibet)
-Heat-toxin sore throat, red painful eyes
-used for any infection with strong Heat symptoms.
-Boils, Carbuncles, Abscesses, Toxic Sores, Scrofula
-Tumors and Cancers
3. Clears Heart Fire (TCM):
-Insomnia, Irritability, Anger
-strong Fever that affects the Heart, Mind and Spirit, Delirium
4. Clears Heat, Stops Bleeding:
-Blood in the Urine or Stool, or Vomiting Blood due to Hot Blood
5. Bitter Tonic:
-small doses are used to stimulate digestion
-advocated in debility and convalescence (Ayurveda)
-also used for Diabetes (with heat symptoms)
6. Externally:
-powder, wash, ointment or plaster may be used topically to clear Heat
-red and sore eyes, as a wash
-Ulcers and Sores of the Mouth and Throat; Thrush (Ayurveda)
-applied to Boils, Carbuncles, Abscesses
DOSE:
1½–6 grams (up to 9 grams) in Decoction;
500mg–3 grams in Powder
SUBSTITUTES:
1. Picrorrhiza is a cheaper substitute for Coptis Huang Lian.
2. In some areas, Celandine root is sold as Mamiran (Coptis) (Unani)
3. Thalictrum foliolosum is also sometimes sold as Mamiran (Unani)
PREPARATION:
1. Stir-fry with wine to enter the Blood and to guide to the head
2. Stir-fried until slightly charred to ameliorate its intense bitter taste
3. Stir-fried in Ginger juice to moderate its cold nature. This is the best way to use Bitters intended to stimulate the Stomach and digestion.
1½–6 grams (up to 9 grams) in Decoction;
500mg–3 grams in Powder
SUBSTITUTES:
1. Picrorrhiza is a cheaper substitute for Coptis Huang Lian.
2. In some areas, Celandine root is sold as Mamiran (Coptis) (Unani)
3. Thalictrum foliolosum is also sometimes sold as Mamiran (Unani)
PREPARATION:
1. Stir-fry with wine to enter the Blood and to guide to the head
2. Stir-fried until slightly charred to ameliorate its intense bitter taste
3. Stir-fried in Ginger juice to moderate its cold nature. This is the best way to use Bitters intended to stimulate the Stomach and digestion.
Main Combinations:
Three Yellows
Coptis Huang Lian is often combined with Scutellaria Huang Qin and Phellodendron Huang Bai. Together, they more effectively clear Heat and Toxin from the whole body and are also a very effective broad spectrum antibacterial combination.
Heat and Toxin
1. Acute Heat, Fever:
i. Coptis, Forsythia Lian Qiao
ii. Coptis, Red Sandalwood
iii. Dengue Fever, Coptis Huang Lian decocted in Boy's Urine (Ben Cao Gang Mu)
iv. Typhoid Fever (severe Fever with Diarrhea), decoction of Coptis Huang Lian with Gypsum and Licorice
v. Summer-heat, decoct Coptis Huang Lian with Mung bean and Licorice v. Acute Heat diseases affecting the Head, Coptis with Isatis Radix Ban Lan Gen, Scutellaria Huang Qin, Fosrythia Lian Qiao, Licorice, Peppermint
vi. High fever with Delirium, Coptis Huang Lian with Calcite (Han Shui Shi)
2. Severe infections with High Fever, severe Acne, Boils, Skin Infections, Dermatitis, Severe Tonsillitis, Pneumonia, Urinary Tract Infections, Coptis Huang Lian with Scutellaria Huang Qin, Phellodendron Huang Bai, Gardenia Zhi Zi (as in Huang Lian Jie Du Tang)
3. Boil, Abscesses Carbuncles:
i. Coptis Huang Lian with Chrysanthemum indicum Ye Ju Hua and Figwort (Xuan Shen)
ii. Coptis Huang Lian with Lonicera Caulis Ren Dong Teng, Rhubarb (Da Huang)
4. Acute Sore Throat, Hoarseness from Fire-Toxin (Toxic Heat), Coptis Huang Lian with Platycodon Jie Geng, Licorice
5. Phlegm-Heat Cough::
i. Coptis Huang Lian with Trichosanthes Semen Gua Lou Ren and Pinellia Ban Xia,
ii. Coptis Huang Lian with Fritillaria Zhe Bei Mu, Scutellaria Huang Qin
6. Diarrhea and Dysentery:
i. Coptis Huang Lian with Costus Mu Xiang.
ii. Coptis Huang Lian with Magnolia Hou Po
iii. with Abdominal pain, Coptis Huang Lian with Peaonia Bai Shao
iv. from Damp-Heat, Coptis Huang Lian with Phellodendron Huang Bai and Pulsatilla Bai Tou Weng
v. Coptis Huang Lian with Geranium Lao Guan Cao, Purslane (Ma Chi Xian)
vi. Acute Heat-type Diarrhea, Dysentery Coptis Huang Lian with Magnolia Hou Po
vii. Coptis Huang Lian with Pueraria Ge Gen, Scutellaria Huang Qin
viii. Coptis with Dragons Blood, Frankincense, Gall, Pomegranate flower, Tabasheer, Psyllium seed, Barberry root-bark, Chebulic Myrobalan (as in Mamuran Anti-diarrheal Capsules of Uyghur Medicine)
7. Gastritis, Gastroenteritis, Diarrhea, Coptis Huang Lian with Safflower, Chebulic Myrobalan, Shilajit (as in Coptis 5)
8. Damp-Heat obstruction, Coptis Huang Lian with Eupatorium Pei Lan
9. Heat with irritability and restlessness, combine Gardenia Zhi Zi with Coptis Huang Lian
10, Inflammation:
i. Coptus Huang Lian, Turmeric (Jiang Huang), Frankincense (Ru Xiang)
ii. Coptis Huang Lian, Chebula (He Zi). This combination has been studied and found to have a synergistic effect against Inflammation.
Digestion
11. Stomach Fire with intense Hunger and Thirst, Coptis Huang Lian with Rehmannia Sheng Di Huang.
12. For mixture of Heat, Cold and Phlegm in the Stomach and Intestines with Diarrhea and Focal Distention, Coptis Huang Lian with Pinellia Ban Xia and Ginger (as in Ban Xia Xie Xin Tang)
13. Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Coptis Huang Lian, Angelica Bai Zhi, Artemisia Scoparia Yin Chen Hao, Atractylodes Bai Zhi, Costus (Mu Xiang), Bupleurum Chai Hu, Citrus Chen Pi, Codonopsis Dang Shen, Paeonia Bai Shao, Honey-fried Licorice Zhi Gan Cao, Pogostemon Huo Xiang, Poria Fu Ling, Saposhnikovia Fang Feng, Dry-fried Ginger (Pao Jiang). This is the basic formula and has been studied and found effective to reduce symptoms of IBS. Research can be veiwed here.
Heart
14. For Imbalance of Heart Fire and Kidney Water with Insomnia and Confusion:
i. Coptis Huang Lian with Cinnamon.
ii. Zizyphus Suan Zao Ren with dry-fried Coptis Huang Lian, Cinnamon, Fossil Teeth (Long Chi), Magnetite (Ci Shi), Polygala Yuan Zhi, Curcuma Yu Jin (The Formulas of Dr. John H.F. Shen)
15. Insomnia, Irritability:
i. with Palpitations, Irritability from Heart Fire, Lotus Seed with Coptis Huang Lian
ii. Yin deficiency with Heat, insomnia, irritability, Coptis Huang Lian with Donkey Hide Gelatin E Jiao.
iii. with Dysphoria (unease and dyssatisfaction), Coptis Huang Lian with Dang Gui, Polygala Yuan Zhi, Zizyphus Suan Zao Ren, Platycladum Bai Zi Ren, Poria Fu Ling, Fritillaria Chuan Bei Mu, vinegar-quenched Amethyst
iv. Zizyphus Suan Zao Ren (15 grams) with dry-fried Coptis Huang Lian (1.5 grams), Cinnamon (0.3 grams) (The Formulas of Dr. John H.F. Shen)
16. Heart Fire causing Madness, Mania, Hallucinations, Coptis Huang Lian with Tabasheer (Tian Zhu Huang), Bezoar (Niu Huang), Cinnabar (Zhu Sha), Polygala Yuan Zhi, Poria Fu Shen, Licorice, Gold and Silver (as in Tian Zhu Huang Wan)
Liver
17. Liver heat:
i. Coptis Huang Lian with Dang Gui, Gentiana Long Dan Cao, Scutellaria Huang Qin (as in Long Dan Xie Gan Wan)
ii. Coptis Huang Lian with Gentiana Long Dan Cao and Indigo Qing Dai
iii. Coptis Huang Lian with Picrorrhiza, Rhubarb
18. Hepatitis C, Curcuma Yu Jin with Ligusticum Chuan Xiong, dry-fried Paeonia Chao Bai Shao, dry-fried Scutellaria Chao Huang Qin, Corydalis Yan Hu Suo, dry-fried Coptis Chao Huang Lian, Costus Mu Xiang, Lycium Gou Qi Zi, Bitter Orange fruit (Zhi Ke) (The Formulas of Dr. John H.F. Shen)
Other
19. Internal Heat with damaged fluids, with thirst, dryness, cough, irritability, Coptis Huang Lian with Prunus mume Wu Mei and Scutellaria Huang Qin.
20. Diabetes with Heat Symptoms, Coptis Huang Lian with Rehmannia Sheng Di Huang and Trichosanthes Tian Hua Fen.
21. Cancer:
i. Coptis Huang Lian, Rhubarb (Da Huang), Apricot kernel (Xing Ren), Agrimony (Xian He Cao)
ii. Coptis Huang Lian (6 parts), Evodia Wu Zhu Yu (1 part). This formula is called Zuo Jin Wan and has been used for various Cancers.
22. Childhood Convulsions, Coptis Huang Lian with Tabasheer (Tian Zhu Huang), Amber, Pearl
23. Rickets, Wasting in Children, cook rice with Coptis Huang Lian and Citrus Chen Pi, add a little Toxicodendron Gan Qi (carbonised) powder
24. Chronic, pustular or erupted Scrofula:
i. Coptis Huang Lian with Scrophularia Xuan Shen
ii. Coptis Huang Lian topically with Bletilla Bai Ji, Gall (Wu Bei Zi)
25. Strangury, obstructed Urine:
i. Coptis Huang Lian, Agrimony (Xian He Cao)
ii. Coptis Huang Lian with Hedyotis Bai Hua She She Cao, Water Plantain (Ze Xie), Plantain seed (Che Qian Zi), Agrimony (Xian He Cao) (as in Long Qing Pian)
26. Eye pain, Coptis Huang Lian with Soloman's Seal (Yu Zhu), Peonia Bai Shao, Dang Gui (Ben Cao Gang Mu)
27. Herpes and other Toxic Heat skin conditions, Coptis Huang Lian with Rhubarb (Da Huang) and Camphor topically
Major Formulas:
Huang Lian Jie Du Tang
Shuang Liao Hou Feng San
Dang Gui Long Hui Wan
Long Dan Xie Gan Wan
An Gong Niu Huang Wan
Tian Zhu Huang Wan
Coptis 5 (Tibetan Medicine)
Cautions:
1. Not used in Cold and Weakness of the Digestive system
2. Use cautiously in Yin deficiency.
3. Internal use may cause Nausea, Vomiting, transient Diarrhea, abdominal distention. These symptoms may be seen only in the initial stages of treatment and generally stop with continued administration. Otherwise, stopping treatment with Coptis is indicated.
Main Preparations used:
1. Not used in Cold and Weakness of the Digestive system
2. Use cautiously in Yin deficiency.
3. Internal use may cause Nausea, Vomiting, transient Diarrhea, abdominal distention. These symptoms may be seen only in the initial stages of treatment and generally stop with continued administration. Otherwise, stopping treatment with Coptis is indicated.
Main Preparations used:
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'This drug under the name of Mahmira is used in Sind for inflammation of the eyes, a circumstance which enabled Pereira to identify it with a substance bearing a nearly similar designation, mentioned by the early writers on medicine, and previously regarded as the root of Chelidonium majus L.
Thus we find that Paulus Aegineta in the 7th century was acquainted with a knotty root named Mauripas. Rhazes, who according to Choulant died in A.D. 923 or 932, mentions Mamiran, and it is also noticed by Avicenna a little later as a drug useful in diseases of the eye. Mauripas likewise occurs in exactly the same way in the writings of Leo, "Philosophus et Medicus." Ibn Baytar called the drug Mamiran and Uruk, and described it as a small yellow root like turmeric, coming from China. Other writers of the middle ages allude to it under the name of Memeren. Hajji Mahomed, in the account of Cathay which he gave to Ramusio (circa, A.D. 1550) says that the Mambroni chini, by which we |
understand the root in question, is found in the mountains of Succuir (Suh-cheu) where rhubarb grows, and that it is a wonderful remedy for diseases of the eye. In an official report published at Lahore in 1862,* Mamiran-i-chini is said to be brought from China to Yarkand.
The rhizome of Coptis is used by the Chinese under the names Hwang-lien and Chuen-lien. It is enumerated by Cleyer (1682) as "radix pretiosa amara," and was described in 1778 by Bergius who received it from Canton. More recently it was the subject of an interesting notice by Guibourt who thought it to be derived from Opkioxylon serpentinum L., an apocyneous plant widely removed from Coptis. Its root was recommended in India by Maclsaac in 1827 and has been subsequently employed with success by many practitioners. There is a rude figure of the plant in the Chinese herbal Pen-tsao.' (Pharmacographia, Fluckiger & Hanbury, 1879) |