Planta Med 1987; 53(2): 128-131
DOI: 10.1055/s-2006-962653
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© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart · New York

Effects of Japanese and Chinese Traditional Medicine “Hachimi-Gan” (“Ba-Wei-Wan”) on Lipid Metabolism in Rats Fed High Sugar Diet

Yoshiyuki Kimura1 , Hiromichi Okuda1 , Shigeru Arichi2
  • 12nd Department of Medical Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Ehime University, Shigenobu-cho, Onsen-gun, Ehime 791-02, Japan.
  • 2The Research Institute of Oriental Medicine, Kinki University, Sayama-cho, Minamikawachi-gun, Osaka 589, Japan.
Further Information

Publication History

1986

Publication Date:
24 January 2007 (online)

Abstract

The Japanese and Chinese traditional medicine “Hachimi-Gan” is known to be composed of eight natural drugs, Dioscoreae rhizoma [Dioscorea japonia Thunb. (Dioscoreaceae)], Alismatis rhizoma [Alisma orientale Juze. (Alismataceae)], Rehmanniae radix [Rehmannia glutinosa Lib. var. purpurea Makino (Scrophulariaceae)], Hoelen [Poria cocos Wolf. (Polyporaceae)], Moutan cortex [Paeonia moutan Sims. (Paeoniaceae)], Corni fructus [Cornus officinalis Sieb. et Zucc. (Cornaceae)], Aconiti tuber [Aconitum carmichaeli Debx. (Ranunculaceae)], and Cinnamomi cortex [Cinnamomum cassia Blume (Lauraceae)]. The traditonal medicine “Hachimi-Gan” (“Ba-Wei-Wan”) was found to inhibit the elevation of serum triglyceride, lipid peroxides, and insulin without elevating serum glucose concentration in rats fed a high sugar diet for 61 days. The water extracts of Rehmanniae radix, Moutan cortex, Corni fructus, and Cinnamomi cortex inhibited adrenaline-induced lipolysis in isolated adipocytes. In contrast, lipogenesis from glucose was remarkably stimulated by the extract of Moutan cortex, Corni cortex, or Cinnamomi cortex. Based on these results, the pharmacological actions of “Hachimi-Gan” are discussed.

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