Eriocaulon buergerianum. E. sieboldianum  谷 经 草 Gǔ jīng cǎo-"Grain essence herb"   Eriocaulon flower, Pipewort   Family: Eriocaulaceae    
PART USED: Scapus (stalk) and infloresence- The herb is collected in Autumn, the capitulum is picked up with peduncle and dried in the sun.
Nature- neutral   FLAVOR: Pungent, acrid, sweet, pleasant   CHANNEL: Liver, Stomach
FUNCTIONS
GROUP: Cool Heat- Quench Fire
1. Disperse Wind Heat.[4]
2. Sharpen vision, relieve corneal opacity.[4] Benefits eyes. Clears vision.[1]
3. Diuretic.[1]
4. Lowers fever.[1] Antipyretic.[3]
CONTRAINDICATIONS: Blood deficiency.[4]
INDICATIONS
1. Wind Heat in the Liver channel:[3,4] red, swollen eyes, spots in fron of the eyes, or pterygium.[4] Eye disease.[3] Conjunctivitis due to Wind Heat.[3] Red eyes, conjunctivitis, corneal opacity, dry eyes, night blindness.[2] Bloodshot eyes from alcohol.[3]
2. Childhood nutritional impairment.[4]
COMBINATIONS
PREPARATIONS: Decoction. Whole plant 30-60 g each dose.[1]  Dried inflorescence 4-9 g.[2,3] 6-15 g.[4] Good quality has tight, greyish white flowers with short, yellow-green stems.
    
- Feeling of sand in eyes 15-30 g.[3]
HABITAT: Found growing in damp shady places.
DESCRIPTION Annual herb. Roots; white and fibrous, Leaves; clustered, numerous, linear lancolate, with many basal veins. Blooms; in summer, numerous flowers pedicels appear with terminal white globoid-ovate flowers, covered by soft white hairs. Fruit; a capsule.
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

Eriocaulon buergerianum extract protects PC12 cells and neurons in zebrafish against 6-hydroxydopamine-induced damage.
Wang M, Zhang Z, Cheang LC, Lin Z, Lee SM.
Abstract
BACKGROUND:
Ericaulon buergerianum (Gujingcao) is an ophthalmic, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial Chinese medicinal herb. This study aims to investigate the neuroprotective effects of Ericaulon buergerianum ethanol extract (EBE) and to elucidate its underlying action mechanism.
METHODS:
The viability of dopaminergic (DA) neuron in zebrafish was examined by anti-tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) immunostaining. The locomotor activity of zebrafish was assessed with a digital video tracking system. The viability and cellular damage of the PC12 cells were determined by MTT and LDH assays respectively. The nuclear morphological changes in apoptotic cells were evaluated with DNA staining by Hoechst 33342 dye. Intracellular nitric oxide (NO) was quantified by DAF-FM diacetate staining. The expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) was determined by Western blot.
RESULTS:
EBE inhibited the 6-OHDA-induced decrease in total distance of movement in zebrafish. Pretreatments of EBE (25, 50, 100 and 200 μg/ml) increased the viability of 6-OHDA-damaged PC12 cells in a dose dependent manner. Protection against 6-OHDA-induced nuclear fragmentation and accumulation of apoptotic bodies was also observed in EBE pretreated cells. Anti-oxidative (inhibition of NO production and iNOS expression in PC12 cells in vitro) activities of EBE are related to its neuroprotective effects in 6-OHDA-induced DA neuron damage.
CONCLUSION:
EBE exhibited significant neuroprotective activities in zebrafish, including recovery of dopaminergic neuron loss caused by 6-OHDA in a dose-dependent manner in vivo, inhibition of 6-OHDA-induced decrease of total distance in movement in zebrafish. The iNOS-NO pathway may be involved.
PMID: 21527031 PMCID: PMC3108929 DOI: 10.1186/1749-8546-6-16 Chin Med. 2011 Apr 28;6:16. doi: 10.1186/1749-8546-6-16. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Antibacterial phenolic components from Eriocaulon buergerianum.
Fang JJ, Ye G, Chen WL, Zhao WM.
Abstract
Five phenolic components, 1,3,6-trihydroxy-2,5,7-trimethoxyxanthone (1), 7,3'-dihydroxy-5,4',5'-trimethoxyisoflavone (2), toralactone-9-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (3), patuletin-3-O-[2-O-E-feruloyl-beta-d-glucopyranosyl-(1-->6)-beta-d-glucopyranoside] (4), patuletin-3-O-[beta-d-glucopyranosyl-(1-->3)-2-O-E-caffeoyl-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-->6)-beta-D-glucopyranoside] (5), along with 19 known compounds were isolated from Eriocaulon buergerianum (Eriocaulaceae). Their structures were determined by spectroscopic and chemical methods. All 24 isolated compounds were tested against the pathogenic bacteria Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 25923); as a result, 10 compounds were found to exhibit antibacterial activity with MICs ranging from 32 to 256 microg/ml.
PMID: 18191163 DOI: 10.1016/j.phytochem.2007.11.014
Phytochemistry. 2008 Mar;69(5):1279-86. doi: 10.1016/j.phytochem.2007.11.014. Epub 2008 Jan 11. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov