DATA-DATA SAINTIFIK

Basic Botanical Data and Identification of Lalang Grass Rhizome:

Botanical Source: dry Rhizome of gramineous plant Imperata cylindrica Beauv. var. major(Nees)C.E. Hubb.
Another Source:dry Rhizome of gramineous plant Imperata cylindrica (L.) P. Beauv. var. majar (Nees) C.E. Hubb. ex Hubb. et Vaughan.
Collection: dig out at spring and autumn,wash clean and dried in sun, get rid off fibre and sheath with membrane,bundled. Appearance: column shape,30~60cm length,diameter 0.2~0.4cm. color yellow white or light yellow,slightly blare,verticle furrow surface.

Origin of Lalang Grass Rhizome:

The root of Imperata cylindrica var. major (Nees) C. E. Hubb., a perennial herb, of the Gramineae family. The white segmented root of the plant is rich in water and the juice is sweet. Produced in most areas of China & Malaysia, lalang @ cogongrass root is harvested in spring and autumn. Wash the root clean, dry in the sun, remove fibrous roots and membranous leaf sheaths and cut into lengths for use when raw or after being parched.

Phytochemicals and Constituents of Lalang Grass Rhizome:

Main Constituents: cylindrene,C15H20O2; imperanene,C19H22O5. Other content:21% starch; arundoin;cylindrin;fernenol;simiarenol;coixol;anemonin;palmitic acid;¦Â-sitosterol;daucosterol; p-coumaric acid;limonal acid;glucose; sugar; fructose; xylose; amylum; apple acid(malic acid); oxalic acid,etc.

Pharmacology Actions:

The decoction by oral administration to normal rabbit showed diuretic effect with most significant effect at 5-6 days of medication and not so obvious effect at 20 days.Its diuretic effect may be related to rich potassium in its root. The decoction in vitro showed marked inhibitory action against Shigella flexneri and sonnei. It was proved to have no antipyretic effect. The drug is used as antipyretic, blood purifying agent, hemostatic, diuretic; for the treatment of hematemesis, epistaxis, hematuria, febrile diseases with thirst, oliguria, jaundice, acute respiratory infection with cough, vomiting, stranguria, edema. Act as diuretic; Hemostasia;Anti inflammation.

Properties and functions of Lalang Grass Rhizome:

Sweet in flavor, cold in nature, it is related to the lung, stomach and bladder channels. Functions: Removes heat from the blood to stop bleeding and clears away heat to induce diuresis (increased excretion of urine).

Applications of Lalang Grass Rhizome:

1. To treat bleeding syndromes due to invasion of pathogenic heat into the blood: This food-herb can clear heat from the lung, stomach and urinary-bladder channels and remove heat from the blood to stop bleeding, so it is used for bleeding syndromes due to invasion of pathogenic heat into the blood, such as hemoptysis (expectoration of blood from some part of the respiratory tract), hematemesis (vomiting blood), epistaxis (nosebleed), hematuria (blood in urine), etc. It can be used alone or in combination with other blood-cooling hemostats.

2. To treat strangury (slow and painful spasmodic discharge of urine drop by drop) caused by pathogenic heat, edema, etc.: a) Strangury caused by pathogenic heat: It is used in combination with fiveleaf akebia stem (Caulis Akebiae), talcum, etc., e.g., Maogen Yin in the book "General Collection for Holy Relief". b) Edema and dysuria: It is used together with Asiatic plantain seed (Semen Plantaginis), etc.

3. Miscellaneous: This food-herb can also be used for the treatment of excessive thirst due to pathogenic warmth or heat, vomiting due to stomach-heat, coughing due to lung-heat, jaundice due to damp-heat, etc. Dosage and Administration: Dosage: 9~30grams for grade type;30~60 grams for fresh type. 15-30 g., decoct for oral administration. The dose of the fresh food-herb should be doubled; it is better for use and can be blended into juice for drinking. This food-herb is mostly used when raw but can also be used after being parched to arrest bleeding.