Comparison of Ciwujia & Wujiapi

[Guest guest]

Hi All,

 

Would experts discuss critically the details of the following two herbs?:

 

(a) Ciwujia (Rx Eleutherococci / Acanthopanacis Senticosi)

and

(b) Wujiapi (Cx / Cx-Rx Acanthopanacis gracilistyli)

 

As my notes (below) on these two Hbs are from WWW (and WWW has

much confusion about their differences and similarities), some errors may

have arisen below. I would appreciate expert correction.

 

(a) PINYIN NAME: Ciwujia; Wujia; Wujiasen; Wujiashen; See: Renshen;

See: Wujiapi

 

LATIN NAME: Rx Eleutherococci Senticosi = true " Siberian Ginseng " , but is

not a true Ginseng]; Rx + Hb Acanthopanacis Senticosi [Wujiashen]; See:

Wujiapi

 

COMMON NAME: Eleuthero; Manyprickle Acanthopanax Rx, Devil's Rx,

Touch-Me-Not; Shrub Is 1-3 M Tall (True Ginseng Is Herbaceous); Health

Food Stores wrongly call it " Siberian Ginseng " but It Is NOT A Ginseng

 

HB CLASS: Tonic~ Tone Yang

 

NATURE: Warm; Acrid; Aromatic; Bitter~ slightly

 

CHANNELS: LU; SP; KI

 

DOSE: As Dec: 6-30g; In Tabs / Caps: 3g of dry Rx / dose; take for 3-6

months consecutively in chronic DysFx; Safe at normal doses; LD50 is

4.75g / kg;

 

ACTIONS: (1) Adaptogen* / Antistress* (Nourish Adrenal); Antioxidant /

Antiageing; Protect against heavy metal poisoning (Cu, Cd); Clear Toxin~

environmental; (2) Tonic; Tone Qi*; Tonic~ physical; Boost Physical

Stamina* / Vitality / Endurance / Performance / Athlethic Performance /

Work Capacity; Boost muscle strength; Antifatigue; Aid Qi; Aid SP; Aid LU;

(3) Tone Yang; Boost Libido + Sexual Fx; (4) Tone Xue; Antianaemia;

Antihypoxia (Boost Hypoxic Tolerance); (5) Quicken Xue; Disperse Xueyu;

Tone HT; Calm Shen; HT Protector; Quicken Xue; Vasodilator; Vasodilator~

Peripheral; Hypertensor; Antiarrhythmic; reduce cardiovascular stress;

Rectify circulation; Vascular Aid Antiischaemia~ HT Muscle & Brain; Boost

Mental Performance / Stamina*; Boost memory / cognition / concentration,

esp dt cerebral circulation~ poor; (6) Immunomodulator; Immunostimulant;

Boost T lymphocyte count & activity; Boost NKCs; Boost megalocyte Fx;

Anticancer; Antileukaemia; Support Cancer CytoTOXIC Chemotherapy /

Radiotherapy; Antivirus; Antiinflammation; (7) Other: Boost Metabolism;

Antidiabetes, hypoglycaemic; Boost LV glycogen; Expel Wind & Damp;

Antirheumatic; Strengthen Bone + Sinew / Tendon & Muscle; [NOTE:

Wujiapi is better Antirheumatic than Ciwujia]

 

CLINICAL USES: (1) Stress** (mental / physical); adrenal depletion;

oxidative stress / hypoxia; Ageing~ premature; environmental Toxin / heavy

metal exposure (Cu, Cd); Seasickness; mountain sickness (high altitude

sickness); exposure to very high / low temperatures; deep-sea diving;

hypoxia; (2) Qixu*; depletion (mental / physical); Debility/ weakness / fatigue;

exhaustion, asthenia, neurasthenia / nervous breakdown; stamina~ low;

muscle strength~ low; SP Xu + appetite~ poor, faeces~ loose & fatigue; LU

Xu w bronchitis~ chronic; LU / respiratory DysFx; prevent LU / respiratory

infection; (3) Yangxu w Libido~ low / Sexual Fx~ low; (4) Xuexu w anaemia /

debility; (5) HT Xu; HT DysFx; HT~ CHD; hypotension; cardiovascular

stress; Xueyu; circulation~ peripheral~ poor; thromboangtis obliterans; HT~

palpitation / arrhythmia; mental stress / Shen disturbed w insomnia,

dreaminess / depression ischaemia~ HT Muscle & Brain; Mental

Performance / Stamina*~ low; memory / cognition / concentration~ poor, esp

dt cerebral circulation~ poor; neurovascular DysFx; (6) Immuno-mediated

diseases; Immunodeficiency; immunosuppression / AIDS; virus infection;

cancer; leukaemia; Cancer CytoTOXIC Chemotherapy / Radiotherapy

(counter nausea / anaemia / leucopenia / leukocytopenia, etc); inflammation;

(7) Other: hypometabolism; diabetes, hyperglycaemia; Wind & Damp Bi w

rheumatism / Bone + Sinew / Muscle weakness: rheumatism~ chronic +

limbs flaccid, infantile paralysis; [NOTE: Wujiapi is better Antirheumatic than

Ciwujia]

 

CI: hypertension; Yinxu, esp w Fire Shi; to Prevent habituation, use for <60

consecutive d, followed by 2-3 weeks of abstinence before using it again;

may cause rare cases of insomnia; Note: Ciwujia is NOT a Ginseng plant; it

is closer to Wujiapi than to true Renshen

 

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

 

(b) PINYIN NAME: Wujiapi; Wujia; Nanwujiapi; Wujianan (Southern

Wujiapi); Wujiapichuan; NOT same as Sambucus; See: Ciwujia

 

LATIN NAME: Cx / Cx-Rx Acanthopanacis gracilistyli

 

COMMON NAME: Acanthopanax Root Bark; Slenderstyle Acanthopanax

Cx; Prickly Ginseng; WRONGLY called " Siberian Ginseng " ; [Ciwujia

= " Siberian Ginseng, but is NOT a true Ginseng]

 

HB CLASS: Dispel Wind + Dispel Damp; Strengthen Bone + Sinew

 

NATURE: Warm; Acrid; Fragrant; Spicy; Bitter

 

CHANNELS: KI; LV

 

DOSE: As Dec / liquor infusion: 4.5-15g / d; Soak Rx in wine; drink; excellent

drink for geriatric patients w RA

 

ACTIONS: Antioxidant effect: Hypericum > Wujiapi > Hongjingtian >

Yimucao > Aralia mandshurica > Valeriana > Echinopanax > Wuweizi >

Renshen; Antioxidant** / Antiageing**; Adaptogen / Antistress (Nourish

Adrenal); (1) Dispel Cold Damp Bi; Dispel Wind; Dispel Damp; Dispel Wind

Damp; Analgesic; Antiarthritic/ Antirheumatic (better than Ciwujia); (2) Tone

LV; Tone KI; Diuretic~ Drain Damp; Antioedema; Lessen Swelling; Speed

pediatric development / walking; Strengthen Bone + Sinew & Muscle; (3)

Immunomodulator; Immunsuppressant; Immunostimulant; Antiallergic;

Boost Phagocytosis; Antiinflammation; Antiulcer; Antifever; Anticancer**/

Antiproliferative but not by inducing apotosis; (4) Other: Boost Metabolism;

Protect against heavy metal poisoning (Cu, Cd); Boost General Vitality;

Boost Sexual Vitality; Sexual Hormone Agonist; Reduce capillary

permeability; Antiplatelet aggregation; Antithrombus; NOTE: Ciwujia is better

as regards most of these Other Actions

 

CLINICAL USES: Oxidative stress** / Ageing~ premature**; stress~ physical

/ mental / adrenal depletion; (1) Cold Damp Bi / Wind Damp Bi / Wind Cold

Damp Bi w pain, arthritis / rheumatism / numbness / rheumatic disease / RA

(better than Ciwujia); LV & KI Xu w arthritis / RA; Bone + Sinew & Muscle

ache, joint weakness / muscle weakness; arthralgia in Wind Cold Damp,

limbs flaccid in rheumatism~ chronic; pains, muscle contracture of limbs,

loin & knees pain & lassitude; somasthenia; osteoporosis; (2) KI DysFx / LV-

KI Xu w Damp / oedema / ascites / dysuria / oliguria / swelling; KI Jingxu w

development / walking~ retarded in children; general weakness; fatigue,

oedema; beriberi, esp wet beriberi; (3) immuno-mediated diseases,

infection, inflammation, esp allergic, ulcers, fever; cancer** (oesophagus*;

ST*); (4) Other: hypometabolism, heavy metal poisoning (Cu, Cd); vitality~

low; Sexual Vitality~ low; bleeding / thrombus; NOTE: Ciwujia is better as

regards most of these Other Actions

 

CI: Yinxu, esp w Heat / Fire Shi; AVOID Wujiapi wine, often made w

Beiwujiapi ( " Northern Wujiapi " which is TOXIC / HT stimulant / HT-TOXIC;

Hb gatherers usually use Gangliupi (Sclepiadaceae family) as " northern

Wujiapi. " Most Hb stores use northern Wujiapi in making Wujiapi wine;

TOXIC reactions of " northern Wujiapi " wine include dizziness / vertigo,

headache, limbs numb, blindness; prolonged use may kill

 

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

 

Best regards,