points of fact on ban xia and ephedrine

[Guest guest]

As Subhuti notes, prepared ban xia is actually higher in ephedrines

than the raw ban xia (when derived from pinellia). However no

detectable ephedrines were found in most products including KPC powders

(and by extension, golden flower tablets). Subhuti also says that

Typhonium flagelliforme has the same functions as Pinellia ternata. He

also writes that " most of the pinellia used in China and in the West is

.... [Typhonium flagelliform] " . Are either of these statements correct?

I though pinellia had stomach functions that were absent in Typhonium.

I also thought pinellia was the standard species in China

 

Subhuti writes: " Now, another issue has been raised with regard to yet

another commonly used Chinese herb: pinellia (banxia). One of the

plants used as a source of this herb was reported to contain ephedrine

in a Japanese chemical journal article published in 1978. Even though

the content of this component is miniscule-0.002% according to their

report-the authors of the article suggested that it was a key active

constituent of the herb. In 1996, researchers in Nanjing described

their attempt to evaluate the effect of different processing methods

for pinellia (ginger juice, alum, or the combination or neither) on the

ephedrine content (2). They noted a content of 0.003%, with amounts

that seemed to vary somewhat with the processing; using both ginger

juice and alum, which is the preferred method, gave the highest amount

of ephedrine.

 

The situation for Chinese herbalists is complicated by the fact that

the report of ephedrine in pinellia has been from tests with the source

material Pinellia ternata (referred to as " northern banxia, " pictured

upper left) while most of the pinellia used in China and in the West is

actually from a related plant that has the same uses: Typhonium

flagelliforme (referred to as " southern banxia, " pictured lower right),

which has no ephedrine.

 

Fortunately, as noted above, the ephedrine content reported for

Pinellia ternata tubers, raw or processed for the pharmacy, is very low

(about 20-30 ppm, or 350 times less than in ma-huang). Pharmacology

tests with pinellia (3) have shown it to have sedative, rather than

stimulant properties, as might be expected from ephedrine if present in

significant quantities. And, testing done for ephedrine thus far by

herb companies has mainly shown negative results. For example, from

Kaiser Pharmaceuticals (KPC), a letter was sent (4):

 

This letter is to certify that KPC Products, Inc. has had our Ban Xia

single herb granules tested for ephedrine alkaloids. The testing was

conducted at the USC School of Pharmacy. The laboratory results show

that at a sensitivity of 10 parts per billion, all of the six ephedrine

alkaloids are undetectable.

 

Other companies have gotten similar results (personal communications).

Only one company thus far, using products manufactured in China, has

claimed any positive tests for ephedrine in pinellia samples. "

 

 

 

Chinese Herbs