Monograph of Paeonia lactiflora

Paeonia lactiflora Photo By Ulf Eliasson - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1385608

Also known as Paeonia, White Peony Peony is sometimes referred to red peony or white peony. This does not refer to the colour of the flowers, which vary in colour and shape, but to the colour of root after processing.

Family Paeoniaceae

Part used: Root

Active constituents •       Paeoniflorin •       Paeonilactones

According to Traditional Chinese medicine the (White) peony root is mild cold in nature, bitter and sour in flavour.

Therapeutic Actions: Blood tonic (traditional) Astringent/styptic Antispasmodic8 Analgesic8 Spasmolytic1 Mild skeletal muscle relaxant1, 3 Anticonvulsant1 Anti-inflammatory1,8,9 Cognitive enhancer 1/Nootropic/Neuroprotective9 Immunomodulator8/Anti-allergic 6 Antioxidant8,9 Mild sedative HPO Axis Regulator2,7 Ovarian tonic7 Uterine Tonic Anti-androgenic7 Dopaminergic Contemporary Studies Rat studies show that due to the presence of constituent paeoniflorin there is an anti-oxytocic action on the uterine muscles3 Paeoniflorin is a mild vasodilator and smooth muscle relaxant. It has shown to inhibit twitch responses of skeletal muscle from direct and indirect stimulation3 Antiviral specifically human rhinoviruses (HRV-2 and HRV-4)5

Indications for use  Polycystic Ovarian Sydrome1/Disease7   Infertility1   Dysmenorrhoea 1,3,7,8  Fibroids1,7  Excessive uterine bleeding3,7  Hirsutism7 Endometriosis2 / Menstrual dysfunction1 Assists in memory and learning1 Skeletal muscle cramps and spasm1,8  Angina1 Epilepsy1 Autoimmune Disease          Rheumatoid arthritis1,8          Systemic lupus erythematosus8      Common Cold/Human Rhinovirus (HRV) and IgE mediated allergic responses 5,6 TCM: Swellings, trauma, abscess, boils, swollen painful eyes, Nosebleed, haematemesis

Dosage 1:2 Liquid Extract 4.5 - 8.5 ml per day / 30-60ml per week1  Combinations With Glycyrrhiza glabra for PCOS/PCOD and associated signs and symptoms eg.dysmenorrhoea1,3

No known Cautions or  Contra-indications

References 1.     Bone K.  A Clinical Guide to Blending Liquid Herbs. St Louis: Elsevier; 2003. p458- 61 2.   Sarris J, Wardle J. Clinical Naturopathy: An evidence-based guide to practice. Chatswood, NSW: Elsevier; 2010. pp 376-396; 466; 3.    Trickey R. Women, Hormones and the menstrual cycle. 3rd edition. Victoria, Australia: Trickey enterprises; 2011 p882-3, p241 4.   Peony (Paeonia SPP). Monograph. Alternative Medicine Review, October 2001. 6(5), 495+. Cited from Academic OneFile. Web. 06 Apr. 2016. 5.     Ngan, Luong Thi My et al. Antiviral Activity and Possible Mechanism of Action of Constituents Identified in Paeonia Lactiflora Root toward Human Rhinoviruses. Ed. Krzysztof Pyrc. PLoS ONE 10.4 (2015): e0121629. PMC. Web. 28 Apr. 2016. 6.     Yan-Hong Shi, Shu Zhu, Yue-Wei Ge, Yu-Min He, Kohei Kazuma, Zhengtao Wang, Kayo Yoshimatsu, Katsuko Komatsu. Monoterpene derivatives with anti-allergic activity from red peony root, the root of Paeonia lactiflora. Fitoterapia. v108. January 2016. Pages 55-61, ISSN 0367-326X, (http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.fitote.2015.11.011.(http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0367326X15301209) 7.     Smith, P W. PCOS: a common endocrine disorder. Townsend Letter. Apr. 2015 (2016 Apr 6) p61. Academic OneFile. Web. URL(http://go.galegroup.com.ezproxy.think.edu.au/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA409236867&v=2.1&u=think&it=r&p=AONE&sw=w&asid=b32bcd69618e6be90705358bb8cc2cc6) 8.     He D-Y, Dai S-M. Anti-Inflammatory and Immunomodulatory Effects of Paeonia Lactiflora Pall.: a Traditional Chinese Herbal Medicine. Frontiers in Pharmacology. 2011. (cited 2016 Apr 6) 2 (10). doi:10.3389/fphar.2011.00010. 9.     Nam, K., Woo, B.-C., Moon, S.-K., Park, S.-U., Park, J.-Y., Hwang, J.-W., ...Lee, E. (2013). Paeonol attenuates inflammation-mediated neurotoxicity and microglial activation. Neural Regeneration Research. 8(18). p1637. Retrieved 2016-04-06 from (http://go.galegroup.com.ezproxy.think.edu.au/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA383570255&v=2.1&u=think&it=r&p=AONE&sw=w&asid=8f18ba20fcc7b464a4f5f6594dc08faa) 10.  Takeuchi T, Nishii O, Okamura T, Yaginuma T: Effect of traditional herbal medicine, shakuyaku-kanzo-to on total and free serum testosterone levels. Am J Chin Med 1989, 17(1-2):35–44 11.  Ushiroyama T, Ikeda A, Sakai M, Hosotani T, Suzuki Y, Tsubokura S, Ueki M. Effects of unkei-to, an herbal medicine, on endocrine function and ovulation in women with high basal levels of luteinizing hormone secretion. J Reprod Med 2001(Cited 2016 Apr 5) 46(5). pp451–456. 58. 12.   Yaginuma TI, Yasui R, Arai H, Kawabata T. Effect of traditional herbal medicine on serum testosterone levels and its induction of regular ovulation in hyperandrogenic and oligomenorrheic women. Nippon Sanka Fujinka Gakkai Zasshi 1982 (Cited 2016 Apr 5) 34(7):939 13.   Arentz, S., Abbott, J. A., Smith, C. A., & Bensoussan, A. Herbal medicine for the management of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and associated oligo/amenorrhoea and hyperandrogenism; a review of the laboratory evidence for effects with corroborative clinical findings. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine 14 (2014) (cited 20 Apr 2016 web) 511. Academic OneFile. URL(http://go.galegroup.com.ezproxy.think.edu.au/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA401166382&v=2.1&u=think&it=r&p=AONE&sw=w&asid=20da78983c4907ccf1ef8db0ac15d012)