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Physalis, Winter Cherry

Alkekengi, Halicacabus, Cardispermum
Kaknaj, Habul Kaknaj (Unani)
Suan Jiang (TCM)

Picture
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Ortus sanitatis, Cube, Johann von, 1501

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New Kreuterbuch, Matthiolus, 1563

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Dioscorides Materia Medica, Ruellio, 1549

Kurtzes Handtbuchlein, Ryff, 1599
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Flora von Deutschland (16), Kohler, 1884

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Winter Cherry at the Urumqi Market, Xinjiang, China (Adam, 2017)


Botanical name:
Physalis alkekengi
P. alkekengi var. francheti and P. pubescens of TCM are used similarly
The related P. minima and P. minima var. indica are also used in Unani.

Parts used:
Fruit; herb and root less commonly

Temperature & Taste:
Cool, moist. Bitter, Sour

Classifications:
3E. DIURETIC.    3F. LITHONTRIPTIC.    3Q. ANTHELMINTIC
4g. HEPATIC

Uses:
1. Clears Heat and Damp, Resolves Stones, Promotes Urine:
-Edema, Stopped, Difficult, Dribbling or Burning Urine.
-Foul and Bloody Urine; Ulcers or Abscesses of the Urinary system.
-Dysuria (Chinese Pharmacopoeia)
-Regarded as specific for Gravel and Stones; said to help dissolve Stones, and passes the matter off as Gravel.

2. Benefits the Kidneys:
-chronic Kidney weakness; Diabetes.
-Joint pain, Arthritis and Rheumatism.

3. Moves the Blood, Clears Stasis:
-traditionally for congealed Blood
-Scrofula, Lymphadenitis.

4. Clears Heat, Stops Cough:
-heat-type Cough with yellow phlegm, Sore Throat, Hoarseness (Chinese Pharmacopoeia)
-Hemoptysis.

5. Clears Heat of the Stomach and Liver:
-cleanses the Liver, Jaundice (Matthiolus); also for Jaundice in TCM (Su Song)
-Liver debility and to correct Liver function (Unani)
-burning sensation in the Stomach
-adjunct to help cleanse Blood in skin diseases
-Dysentery

6. Moves the Blood, Promotes Labor:
-Seed promotes Delivery (Shen Nong Ban Cao)
-In Unani, the fruit is used for a period following menstruation to prevent Conception.

7. Kills Worms:
-listed as Anthelmintic in older Herbals

8. Externally:
-fresh leaves applied to Inflammations, pemphigus and eczema. (TCM, Unani)
-paste of the berries resolve hard swellings and inflammations. (Unani)
-applied over Ulcers and Chronic Wounds.


DOSE:
1. According to TCM sources, the Fruit, Seed, Seedling and Herb have similar functions.
10–20 fruits per day
Dried Fruit in decoction: 6–9 grams, up to 15 grams (20–40 grams fresh)
Fruit in Powder: 1–3 grams
Leaf in Decoction: 15–30 grams

CORRECTIVE:
Rose Conserve

SUBSTITUTE:
1. Black Nightshade (Unani)
2. The Chinese Physalis Jin Deng Long is used similarly.

Main Combinations:
1. Heat-type Urinary diseases, Gravel, Stones:
i. Winter Cherry with Tragacanth, Frankincense, Pine nut, Bitter Almonds, Poppy seed, Cold Seeds, Amber (as in Troches of Winter Cherry)
ii. Winter Cherry with Cucumber seed, Dragons Blood, Tragacanth, Gum Arabic, Almond, Licorice, Frankincense, Celery seed (a version of Troches of Winter Cherry used in Uyghur medicine, called Kursi Kaknaqyi)
iii. Stones, Winter Cherry and Tribulus
2. To promote Urine:
i. Winter Cherry with Asparagus root, Fennel root, Golden Rod, decoct in water and wine (Fuller)
3. Kidney Ulcers:
i. Winter Cherry with Melon seed, Sorrel, Almond, Tragacanth, Celery seed, Fennel seed, Saffron (Unani)
ii. Winter Cherry with Tragacanth, Gum Arabic, Red Coral, Dragons Blood, Red Earth, Mastic, Melon seed, Marshmallow seed (as in Pills for Kidney and Bladder Ulcers)
4. Gout, Winter Cherry with Willow bark, Horsechestnut bark, Walnut shell, Horsetail (Meyer)
5. Acne, Boils, Eczema, Winter Cherry with Barley, Chicory, Dandelion, Fumitory, Hops, Dodder (as in Syrup of Chicory and Rhubarb of Nicholas)
6. Clear Heat, Ease pain and promote rest, Winter Cherry with Camomile, Violet, Poppy seed
7. Heat-type Cough, Winter Cherry with Scutellaria Huang Qin

Major Formulas:
Syrup of Chicory and Rhubarb (Nicholas)
Syrup of Senna Comp.
Troches of Winter Cherry (Trochisci Alkekengi) (Mesue)
Troches of Winter Cherry (Unani)
Electuary of Seeds

Cautions:
1. Not used during Pregnancy
2. Use cautiously in marked Spleen deficiency.
3. Large doses are Narcotic

Main Preparations used:
Troches of Winter Cherry

  • Extra Info
  • History
  • Research
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'This plant appears to be the [?] of the Greeks, which they also called [?], and the Vesicaria or Halicacabus of the Romans; it was supposed to cure diseases of the bladder. It is the Kakanah of the Persians and Kakanaj of the Arabs. It also bears the names of Kachuman, and Ardsak-pas-i-pardah, or "bride behind the curtain," in Persia; the Sanskrit name is said to be Rajaputrika.

Abu Hanifeh, author of the Book of Plants, says of Kakanaj:— "It is of the Aghahluth and is a plant resembling the Harmal (Peganum harmala), except that it is teller, with round branches, and having capsules like those of Harmal; it has also berries intensely red, like beads of cornelian, smaller than the Nabik (Zizyphus Spina-Christi) and larger than the currant, and people seek out the leaves thereof that
have not been rendered foraminous, which leaves are then bruised and used beneficially as a dressing for maladies attended with pain." Other names for the fruit are Jouz-el-marj and Habb-el-lahv, which indicate that they are thought to be possessed of intoxicating properties.

Mahometan physicians describe it as diuretic, alterative and anthelmintic; and recommend it in skin diseases, rheumatism, jaundice and urinary affections. It is said to prevent conception if given to women after menstruation. Large doses are thought to be narcotic. Externally it is applied to promote the absorption of tumours, boils, carbuncles, &c. Laville's gout pills consist of 15 parts of extract of Alkekengi and 5 parts of silicate of soda. Four to ten 5-grain pills are taken daily. (Pharmacographia Indica, Dymock, 1891)
GENERAL / REVIEW
–Natural Products from Physalis alkekengi L. var. franchetii (Mast.) Makino: A Review on Their Structural Analysis, Quality Control, Pharmacology, and Pharmacokinetics.
–Physalis alkekengi L. var. franchetii (Mast.) Makino: An ethnomedical, phytochemical and pharmacological review.

ANTIBACTERIAL
–Six new physalins from Physalis alkekengi var. franchetii and their cytotoxicity and antibacterial activity.
–Antibacterial and Anti-Inflammatory Activities of Physalis Alkekengi var. franchetii and Its Main Constituents.
–Antimicrobial activity of the extracts and physalin D from Physalis alkekengi and evaluation of antioxidant potential of physalin D.

ANTI-INFLAMMATORY
–Chemical Constituents from Physalis Calyx seu Fructus and Their Inhibitory Effects against Oxidative Stress and Inflammatory Response.
–Antibacterial and Anti-Inflammatory Activities of Physalis Alkekengi var. franchetii and Its Main Constituents.
–Anti-inflammatory activities of Physalis alkekengi var. franchetii extract through the inhibition of MMP-9 and AP-1 activation.

ANTI-OXIDANT
–Chemical Constituents from Physalis Calyx seu Fructus and Their Inhibitory Effects against Oxidative Stress and Inflammatory Response.
–[Antioxidant activity of the fruits and hydrophilic compounds of Physalis alkekengi].

MALARIA
–Antimalarial evaluation of selected medicinal plant extracts used in Iranian traditional medicine.

LUNG INJURY
–Systems pharmacology reveals the mechanism of activity of Physalis alkekengi L. var. franchetii against lipopolysaccharide-induced acute lung injury.

ASTHMA
–Natural Products from Physalis alkekengi L. var. franchetii (Mast.) Makino: A Review on Their Structural Analysis, Quality Control, Pharmacology, and Pharmacokinetics.

OBESITY
–Physalis alkekengi Exhibits Antiobesity Effects in Mice with Potential of Inducing White Adipose Tissue Browning.

URINARY STONES
–Antilithiatic activity of a non-pharmacopoeial Unani formulation in chemically induced urolithiasis in rats.

DIABETES
–Natural Products from Physalis alkekengi L. var. franchetii (Mast.) Makino: A Review on Their Structural Analysis, Quality Control, Pharmacology, and Pharmacokinetics.
–Antidiabetic potential of the ethyl acetate extract of Physalis alkekengi and chemical constituents identified by HPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS.
–Evaluation of in vitro/in vivo anti-diabetic effects and identification of compounds from Physalis alkekengi.
–Effects of polysaccharide from Physalis alkekengi var. francheti on liver injury and intestinal microflora in type-2 diabetic mice.
–Anti-hyperglycemic activity of polysaccharides from calyx of Physalis alkekengi var. franchetii Makino on alloxan-induced mice.

ANTI-AGEING
–Anti-Ageing Effect of Physalis alkekengi Ethyl Acetate Layer on a d-galactose-Induced Mouse Model through the Reduction of Cellular Senescence and Oxidative Stress.

COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT
–HO-1 dependent antioxidant effects of ethyl acetate fraction from Physalis alkekengi fruit ameliorates scopolamine-induced cognitive impairments.
ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE
–Natural Products from Physalis alkekengi L. var. franchetii (Mast.) Makino: A Review on Their Structural Analysis, Quality Control, Pharmacology, and Pharmacokinetics.

ESTROGENIC
–Comparison of the effects of an aqueous extract of Physalis alkekengi fruits and/or various doses of 17-beta-estradiol on rat estrous cycle and uterine glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity.

LOWERS PROGESTERONE
–Effects of an aqueous extract of Physalis alkekengi fruit on estrus cycle, reproduction and uterine creatine kinase BB-isozyme in rats.

CONTRACEPTIVE
–Medicinal Plants Used in Iranian Traditional Medicine (ITM) as Contraceptive Agents.
–Effects of an aqueous extract of Physalis alkekengi fruit on estrus cycle, reproduction and uterine creatine kinase BB-isozyme in rats.

EFFECT ON INTESTINAL MICROFLORA
–In vivo effects on the intestinal microflora of Physalis alkekengi var. francheti extracts.
–In vitro effects on intestinal bacterium of physalins from Physalis alkekengi var. Francheti.

ANTI-ULCER
–Anti-ulcer and anti-Helicobacter pylori potentials of the ethyl acetate fraction of Physalis alkekengi L. var. franchetii (Solanaceae) in rodent.

ANTI-TUMOR
–Natural Products from Physalis alkekengi L. var. franchetii (Mast.) Makino: A Review on Their Structural Analysis, Quality Control, Pharmacology, and Pharmacokinetics.

BENIGN PROSTATIC HYPERPLASIA
–A two-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of Viola odorata, Echium amoenum and Physalis alkekengi mixture in symptomatic benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) men.

CANCER
–Six new physalins from Physalis alkekengi var. franchetii and their cytotoxicity and antibacterial activity.
–[The potential antineoplastic acting constituents of Physalis alkekengi L. var franchetii Mast].
BREAST
–The Autophagy-Inducing Mechanisms of Vitexin, Cinobufacini, and Physalis alkekengi Hydroalcoholic Extract against Breast Cancer in vitro and in vivo.
–Physalin B induces cell cycle arrest and triggers apoptosis in breast cancer cells through modulating p53-dependent apoptotic pathway.
FIBROSARCOMA
–Physalin A induces apoptotic cell death and protective autophagy in HT1080 human fibrosarcoma cells.
LUNG
–Physalis alkekengi var. franchetii Extracts Exert Antitumor Effects on Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer and Multiple Myeloma by Inhibiting STAT3 Signaling.
–Physalin B induces G2/M cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in A549 human non-small-cell lung cancer cells by altering mitochondrial function.
–Physalin A induces G2/M phase cell cycle arrest in human non-small cell lung cancer cells: involvement of the p38 MAPK/ROS pathway.
–Physalin A exerts anti-tumor activity in non-small cell lung cancer cell lines by suppressing JAK/STAT3 signaling.
MULTIPLE MYELOMA
–Physalis alkekengi var. franchetii Extracts Exert Antitumor Effects on Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer and Multiple Myeloma by Inhibiting STAT3 Signaling.
OSTEOSARCOMA
–Physakengose G induces apoptosis via EGFR/mTOR signaling and inhibits autophagic flux in human osteosarcoma cells.

CHEMOTHERAPY TOXICITY
–Physalis alkekengi and Alhagi maurorum ameliorate the side effect of cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity.

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