Carpesium abrotanoides.  鹤 虱 Hè shī- "Crane's louse"   Carpesium   Family: Araceae     

PART USED: Seed/Fruit   Pei he shi    
Nature- neutral    FLAVOR: Bitter, Pungent  CHANNELS: Spleen, Stomach  TOXICITY: Slightly toxic[2]
GROUP: Antihelminthics
1. Expel Worms.[2]
FUNCTIONS
1. Vermifuge for expelling round worms, tapeworms, pin worms.[1]
INDICATIONS
1. Parasitic Worms- Round worm, tape worm, abdominal pain due to parasites.[2] Ascariasis, oxyuriasis, taeniasis; abdominal pain or infantile malnutrition due to intestinal parasitosis.
PREPARATIONS: Dry ripe fruit 3-9 g.[2]
PART USED: Whole plant     
Nature- Warm   FLAVOR: Bitter, pungent. 
FUNCTIONS
1. Loosens up mucus.[1]
2. Clears fever and detoxifies.[1]
3. Reduces inflammation and promotes diuresis.[1]
INDICATIONS
1. Tonsillitis, bronchitis.[1]
2. Boils and ulcers.[1]
3. Snakebite.[1]
PREPARATIONS: Whole plant. Decoction 30-60 g each dose.[1] Decoction 30 g.[2]
HABITAT: Grows in virgin wild, and in grassy thickets along forest edges and roadsides.
DESCRIPTION: Perennial herb 30-100 cm in height. Stem; erect, multi-branching in upper section, covered by fine hairs. Basal leaves; broadly ovate, wilting after flowers have bloomed. Leaves; broadly oval or long oval, apexes acute, bases cuneate, margins intact or slightly irregular-serrate. Leaves in lower part having short petioles, leaves in upper part non-petioles. Blooms; in the fall, axillary yellow flowers forming capitulum inflorescence. Upper part of achene secretes sticky fluid that adheres easily to clothing.
References
Inner Path can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.
Research

The chemopreventive effects of Carpesium abrotanoides are mediated by induction of phase II detoxification enzymes and apoptosis in human colorectal cancer cells.
Lee SB, Kang K, Lee HJ, Yun JH, Jho EH, Kim CY, Nho CW.
Abstract
Cancer chemoprevention is thought to occur either by blocking the initiation of or suppressing the promotion of carcinogenesis. Phase II detoxification enzymes are known to play important roles in cancer chemoprevention because they enhance cytoprotection through detoxification and elimination of activated carcinogens at tumor initiation. Apoptosis is one of the most important inhibitory targets for tumor promotion. In this study, we have investigated the cancer chemopreventive activity of the ethanolic extract of Carpesium abrotanoides (CAE). We found that CAE induced quinone reductase [also known as NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase (NQO1)] activity, increased NQO1 mRNA and protein expression, and had a relatively high chemoprevention index (12.04). CAE also significantly activated the antioxidant response element through the nuclear accumulation of NF-E2-related factor 2 in HCT116. Interestingly, we also found that CAE induced apoptosis, as evidenced by the externalization of phosphatidylserine, increased sub-G(0)/G(1) content, chromatin condensation, poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase cleavage, and p53. These data suggest that the chemopreventive effects of C. abrotanoides can result from both the induction of phase II detoxification enzymes and from apoptosis. Thus, CAE could potentially be developed as a cancer chemopreventive agent for prevention or treatment of human cancers.
PMID: 20136434 DOI: 10.1089/jmf.2009.1157
J Med Food. 2010 Feb;13(1):39-46. doi: 10.1089/jmf.2009.1157. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Dicarabrol, a new dimeric sesquiterpene from Carpesium abrotanoides L.
Wang JF, He WJ, Zhang XX, Zhao BQ, Liu YH, Zhou XJ.
Abstract
A new dimeric sesquiterpene, dicarabrol (1), together with three known sesquiterpenes, carabrol (2), 11(13)-dehydroivaxillin (3), and 2-desoxy-4-epi-pulchellin (4), were isolated from the whole plant of Carpesium abrotanoides L. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic analysis, and single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. Compound 1 possessed a dimeric sesquiterpene core featured with a cyclopentane ring connecting two sesquiterpene lactone units rarely discovered in nature. Dicarabrol (1), as well as three known sesquiterpenes (2-4), had potent in vitro cytotoxicities against the K562, MCF-7, Hela, DU145, U937, H1975, SGC-7901, A549, MOLT-4, and HL60 cell lines with IC50 values ranging from 0.10 to 46.7 μM, while they showed significant antiviral (H1N1 and H3N2) activities. Furthermore, compounds 1, 3 and 4 displayed significant antimycobacterial activity (IC50 3.7, 6.0, and 7.6 μM, respectively).
PMID: 26316467 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2015.08.034
Bioorg Med Chem Lett. 2015 Oct 1;25(19):4082-4. doi: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2015.08.034. Epub 2015 Aug 18. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The effect of 4α,5α-epoxy-10α,14-dihydro-inuviscolide, a novel immunosuppressant isolated from Carpesium abrotanoides, on the cytokine profile in vitro and in vivo.
Ko YE, Oh SR, Song HH, Ryu HW, Ly SY, Kim JW.
Abstract
The plant Carpesium abrotanoides (CA) is used in Asian herbal medicines as an insecticide and to treat bruises. However, the effect of single compounds from CA blooms and the mechanism of its immunosuppressive effect remain poorly understood. The aim of this study was to investigate the mechanism of the immunosuppressive effect in the three kinds of immune cells, and the immunosuppressive effect of CA bloom extract (CAE) in acute inflammation models (LPS and ConA-induced inflammation). Interleukin-6, IL-4, IL-13, IFNγ, and IL-10-but not TNFα-were significantly reduced in a dose-dependent manner by 4α,5α-epoxy-10α,14-dihydro-inuviscolide (INV). Furthermore, INV inhibited NF-κB transcriptional activation and IL-10 promoter activity in the same manner as for Bay11. Meanwhile, treatment with dexamethasone reduced the levels of IFNγ, but not IL-10, and resulted in no change in NF-κB transcriptional activation or the IL-10 promoter. INV did not affect PMA-induced IκB kinase complex phosphorylation, IκB degradation, or MAPK and the nuclear translocation of p65, as with DEX. The in vivo, CAE has an immunosuppressive effect on the LPS-induced inflammation response model by inhibiting the plasma level of IFNγ and IL-6 levels. CAE treatment also tends to attenuate the plasma level of IFNγ, IL-4, and IL-6 in ConA-induced inflammation. These findings indicate that INV causes the reduction of the cytokine profile by blocking the NF-κB transcription factor activation and the molecular mechanism by which INV operates could provide new insights into the unique mechanisms responsible for NF-κB inhibition, in contrast to established immunosuppressants, as a therapeutic agent for immunopathological treatment.
PMID: 25596339 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2015.01.002 Int Immunopharmacol. 2015 Mar;25(1):121-9. doi: 10.1016/j.intimp.2015.01.002. Epub 2015 Jan 14. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov