Eriobotrya japonica. 枇 杷 Pí pá Loquat   Family: Rosaceae      
 枇 杷 果 Pí pá guǒ   Loquat fruit      
Nature- neutral, cool   FLAVOR: Sweet and sour    CHANNEL: Spleen, Lung, Liver, Stomach
FUNCTIONS
GROUP: Expectorant, antitussive- Clear breathing
1. Clear away Lung Heat, eliminate phlegm, lower the adverse rising energy and relieve cough. Lubricate the Lung.[5] Pushes downwards.[5]
2. Regulate the stomach to stop vomiting.
3. Quench thirst.[1,5]
INDICATIONS
1. Wind Heat or Dry Heat condition manifested as productive cough with thick expectoration, or with dyspnea. Pharyngolaryngitis, cough thirst.[5]
2. Vomiting and thirst due to Stomach Heat. Hematemesis. Constipation.[5]
3. Epistaxis, thirst.
4. Chronic asthma cough.[1]
CONSTITUENTS: Sugar, pentosams, protein, fat vitamin B1, C carotene, fruit gum potassium, iron, calcium, phosphorous.[1]
CONTRAINDICATIONS: Excessive consumption could cause an increase of Dampness in the body and sputum, Also bad for Spleen Deficiency and diarrhea.[1,2] People with weak digestion.[5]
PREPARATIONS: Decoction 6-12 g.[3]
            
Fruit
- Acute and chronic pharyngolaryngitis- Steam 90 g fresh seeded loquats along with 15 g rock sugar for half an hour. Eat the loquats and drink soup.[5]
- Relieve dry throat and thirst and difficult urination- Eat 250 g fully ripe loquats each time, in the morning and evening.[5]
Seeds
- Cough- Crush 15 g loquat seeds; boil in water with 3 fresh ginger slices. Drink 1 cup of the juice each time, twice a day.[5]
- Cure senile constipation, cough and asthma- Crush 9-15 g loquat seeds; boil seeds in water; strain and add 30 g honey and mix thoroughly. Drink once a day.[5]
枇 杷 叶 Pí pá yè  Loquat leaf- harvested year round       
This is a common herb in cough syrups.
   FLAVOR: Bitter   CHANNELS: Lung, Stomach
FUNCTIONS- This herb brings Qi down to the lower part of the body for deficient Qi in the lower aspects of the body.
GROUP: Antitussive and Expectorant- Clear breathing
1. Resolves Lung phlegm.[1,2,4,6] Relieve cough.[1,2,4,5] Redirects Lung Qi downward.[1,6]
2. Harmonizes the Stomach, clears Stomach Heat, and redirects Stomach Qi downard.[1,6] Lowers rising Stomach Energy, lowers excess energy.[1]
INDICATIONS
1. Lung Heat patterns with cough.[6] Cough with productive sputum.[1] Hemoptysis.[5] Pertussis.[1] Epistaxis.[5]
2. Hot Stomach with rising Energy manifesting as vomiting, hiccup, nausea, belching.[6]
3. Excessive thirst (polydipsia). Dry throat.[1]
CONTRAINDICATIONS: Vomiting due to Stomach Cold. Cough due to externally contracted Cold in the Lungs.[6]
PATENT COMBINATIONS
COMBINATIONS
PREPARATIONS:
Decoction.  Leaves 5-10 g for each dose or 15-30 g if used fresh.[6] Very often fried in honey to strengthen its Lung moistening quality, or in ginger juice to increase its ability to stop nausea and vomiting. The leaves should be scrubbed clean of any "hair" to prevent irriation to the throat.[6] Good quality is intact, thick, and green.
Decoction. Leaves 6-12 g.[1,4] Dried leaf 4-9 g.[2]
  
HABITAT: Grows in uplands or cultivated.
DESCRIPTION: Small evergreen shrub. Trunk; greyish-brown, branches dense, short strong branches densely covered by rusty fine hairs. Leaves alternate, coriaceous, obovate to long elliptic, apexes acute or acuminate, bases cuneate, margins sparsely dentate; leaf surfaces dark green lustrous, densely pubescent dorsally with rust-colored hairs, ribs marked, projecting on dorsal surfaces. Flowers; in winter, dense clusters of terminal white flowers appear to form panicle inflorescences, densely pubescent. Fruit; pear-shaped or rounded, yellow or orange colored when ripe.
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.
Constituents
Research

Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of Eriobotrya japonica leaves extracts.
Maher K, Yassine BA, Sofiane B.
Abstract
BACKGROUND:
In the present work we determined phenolic and flavonoids content of Eriobotrya japonica leaves extracts and fractions and their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
OBJECTIVES:
To evaluate the inhibition of inflammatory PLA2 and antioxidant effects of extracts and fractions from Eriobotrya japonica leaves.
METHODS:
Antioxidant activity was evaluated with DPPH radical scavenging assay and anti-inflammatory effect of fractions was measured by their inhibition potency on the human pro-inflammatory phospholipase A2 (group IIA).
RESULTS:
The EtOH/EtOAc 2:1 extract exhibited a potent inhibition of the hG-IIA with an IC50 values of 8 µg/ml. It also shows an antioxidant activity measured on DPPH with an IC50 of 42 µg/ml. Fractionation shows that CH2Cl2/MeOH 0:1 fraction was the rich one on flavonoids compounds (4.3 mg/g dry weight) and demonstrates a high antioxidant activity with an IC50 of 12 µg/ml. The anti-inflammatory evaluation demonstrates that the same fraction was the best one to inhibit the pro-inflammatory phospholipase A2 group IIA with an IC50 of 4 µg/ml.
CONCLUSION:
Study conducted on Eriobotrya japonica shows that CH2Cl2/MeOH 0:1 fraction inhibits efficiently the hG-IIA phospholipase. which is considered as pro-inflammatory enzyme.
Afr Health Sci. 2015 Jun;15(2):613-20. doi: 10.4314/ahs.v15i2.39. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Eriobotrya japonica improves hyperlipidemia and reverses insulin resistance in high-fat-fed mice
Chun-Ching Shih 1, Cheng-Hsiu Lin, Jin-Bin Wu
Abstract
The effect of Eriobotrya japonica Lindl. (loquat) on insulin resistance was examined in mice fed a high-fat (HF) diet. First, the mice were divided randomly into two groups: the control (CON) group was fed a low-fat diet, whereas the experimental group was fed with a 45% HF diet for 10 weeks. After 6 weeks of induction, the HF group was subdivided into five groups and was given orally loquat or not for 4 weeks afterward. It was demonstrated that loquat was effective in ameliorating the HF diet-induced hyperglycemia, hyperleptinemia, hyperinsulinemia and hypertriglyceridemia, as well as in decreasing the levels of free fatty acid (FFA), but increasing the adipose PPARγ (peroxisomal proliferator-activated receptor γ) and hepatic PPARα mRNA levels. Loquat significantly decreased the body weight gain, weights of white adipose tissue and visceral fat accompanying the suppressed leptin mRNA levels. Loquat not only suppressed the hepatic mRNA levels of enzymes involved in fatty acid and triacylglycerol synthesis and lowered the sterol regulatory element binding protein-1c (SREBP-1c) mRNA level, but also affected fatty acid oxidation enzyme levels. These regulations may contribute to triacylglycerol accumulation in white adipose tissue. The findings provide a nutritional basis for the use of loquat as a functional food factor that may have benefits for the prevention of hyperlipidemia and diabetes.
Phytother Res 2010 Dec;24(12):1769-80. doi: 10.1002/ptr.3143. PMID: 20564460 DOI: 10.1002/ptr.3143 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive properties of the leaves of Eriobotrya japonica
Dong Seok Cha 1, Jae Soon Eun, Hoon Jeon
Abstract
Aim of the study: The leaves of Eriobotrya japonica Lindl. have been widely used as a traditional medicine for the treatment of many diseases including coughs and asthma. The present study was designed to validate the anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive properties of the n-BuOH fraction of E. japonica (LEJ) leaves.
Materials and methods: The anti-inflammatory properties of LEJ were studied using IFN-γ/LPS activated murine peritoneal macrophage model. The antinociceptive effects of LEJ were assessed using experimental models of pain, including thermal nociception methods, such as the tail immersion test and the hotplate test, and chemical nociception induced by intraperitoneal acetic acid and subplantar formalin in mice. To examine the possible connection of the opioid receptor to the antinociceptive activity of LEJ, we performed a combination test with naloxone, a nonselective opioid receptor antagonist.
Results: In the IFN-γ and LPS-activated murine peritoneal macrophage model, LEJ suppressed NO production and iNOS expression via down-regulation of NF-κB activation. It also attenuated the expression of COX-2 and the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines like TNF-α and IL-6. Moreover, LEJ also demonstrated strong and dose-dependent antinociceptive activity compared to tramadol and indomethacin in various experimental pain models. In a combination test using naloxone, diminished analgesic activities of LEJ were observed, indicating that the antinociceptive activity of LEJ is connected with the opioid receptor.
Conclusions: The results indicate that LEJ had potent inhibitory effects on the inflammatory mediators including nitric oxide, iNOS, COX-2, TNF-α and IL-6 via the attenuation of NF-κB translocation to the nucleus. LEJ also showed excellent antinociceptive activity in both central and peripheral mechanism as a weak opioid agonist. Based on these results, LEJ may possibly be used as an anti-inflammatory and an analgesic agent for the treatment of pains and inflammatory diseases.
J Ethnopharmacol 2011 Mar 24;134(2):305-12. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2010.12.017. Epub 2010 Dec 21. PMID: 21182921 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2010.12.017 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov