Studies on folk medicine "thang-kau-tin" from Taiwan. (I). The anti-inflammatory and liver-protective effect.

Five species of crude drugs are used as "Thang-kau-tin" on Taiwan market: (1) the stem of Mallotus repandus (Willd.) Muell.-Arg, (2) the stem and root of M. repandus (Willd.) Muell.-Arg, (3) the stem of Bauhinia championii Benth, (4) the stem with hooks of Uncaria hirsuta Haviland and (5) the stem with hooks of U. rhynchophylla Miquel. To clarify the effect of these crude drugs as anti-inflammatory and liver-protective agents, studies were conducted on water extracts of these five crude drugs. The statistical analysis (ANOVA) indicated that the stem of M. repandus showed the best anti-inflammatory activity against the paw edema induced by carrageenan. Nevertheless, the acute increase of GOT and GPT levels caused by CCl4 were markedly decreased by the treatment of M. repandus (stem), B. championii and U. hirsuta as a recipe group. The pathological changes around the central vein including fatty change, ballooning degeneration, cell necrosis, the increase in lymphocytes and Kupffer cells were improved by the treatment with the group of crude drugs as mentioned above.