Forsythia suspensa. Weeping Forsythia    Family: Oleaceae   

连 翘 Lián qiáo   Dry fruit- harvested in Autumn, when the fruit has just begun to ripen.   
Nature: Cool    FLAVOR: Bitter, acrid  CHANNEL: Lung, Heart, Gall Bladder, Liver
FUNCTIONS- Used as an emperor herb for treating hot diseases, boils, carbuncles and abscesses.[4] This is an important drug for various infections on the body surface.
GROUP: Clearing Internal Heat- Neutralizing Toxins
1. Clear Heat and Toxins.
2. Disperse coagulation. Reduce swelling.[1] Promotes drainage.[1] Clear fever.[1] Dissipate nodules.[6]
3. Expels externally contacted Wind Heat.[6]
4. Promotes diuresis.[1,4]
ACTIONS
Antiphlogistic, antiviral- flu.[4] Cardiotonic.[4] Antibacterial.[4]
INDICATIONS- Important herb for Hot conditions with boils abscesses and carbuncles.[4] Assistant herb in treating Hot diseases.[4]
1. Exopathogenic Wind Heat:[1] Fever, headache and thirst. Influenza, colds. Pronounced fever, slight chills, sore throat, and headache.[6]
2. All hot sores, carbuncles, and neck lumps.[6] For scrofula and tuberculous adenitis. Lymphadenitis.[1]
3. Epidemic febrile diseases at the early stage such as measles and chicken pox.[1]
4. For attacks of Heat on the pericardium manifested as high fever, restlessness and unconsciousness.
5. Various kinds of suppurative infections on the skin or scrofula and tuberculous adenitis due to accumulation of noxious Heat. Lymphatic tuberculosis.[1] Macula, carbuncle. Erysipelas.[1] Boils and ulcers.[1]
6. Infantile paralysis.[1]
7. Also an important drug used for the control of strokes..[1]
CONTRAINDICATIONS: When pus has already leaked from boils and abscesses. Once this has occurred, the condition transforms and becomes empty. At this stage, the correct therapeutic technique is to support the true energy and expel the pus. Over usage of Lian qiao can damage the Zheng qi.[4] Spleen and Stomach deficiency with diarrhea, carbunlces that have already ulcerated, and Cold (Yin) ulcers.[6]
PATENT COMBINATIONS
COMBINATIONS
COMPARISONS
PREPARATIONS: Decoction  Dry fruit 4-9 g each dose.[1,2] 6-15 g.[3,4,6] Good quality is blue-green without branches or stems.
TYPES: There are two types of Lian qiao
Qing- "Green" Lian qiao- is the immature fruit- It is useful for clearing heat and resolving toxins. Treating warm diseases and fever and erysipelas. This green fruit is generally considered the best.[6]
Huang- "Yellow" or Lao- "old" Lian qiao- is the mature fruit- It is useful for dispersing abscesses and swelling, scattering nodulation, treating goitre, subcutaneous nodules, skin inflammations and carbuncles.[5]
    
连 翘 心 Lián qiáo xīn  Seed hearts   
FUNCTIONS
GROUP: Clearing Internal Heat- Neutralizing Toxins
Nature- cool   FLAVOR: Bitter   CHANNEL: Heart
ACTIONS
DESCRIPTION: Deciduous shrub up to 3 m in height.  Stem; erect. Branches; spreading or drooping, smaller branches spindle-shaped, internodal spaces empty of pith, which is only present in the nodal parts. Leaves; opposite, single-leafed or trifoliate, ovate-rounded to long elliptical-ovate, apexes acute, margins serrated, bases broadly cuneate or rounded, with petioles. Flowers; appearing from axils, golden yellow. Capsule; narrow-ovate, slightly flat.
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 effects of Forsythia suspensa in dextran sulfate sodium-induced colitis.
Hwang YH, Kim DG, Li W, Yang HJ, Yim NH, Ma JY.
Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE:
Forsythia suspensa Fructus (FS) is used to treat various inflammatory disorders in traditional Oriental medicine, including gastrointestinal diseases, but its therapeutic potential in ulcerative colitis is unclear. Thus, we investigated any potential therapeutic effects of FS against intestinal inflammation and the bioactive constituents in FS.
MATERIALS AND METHODS:
After the induction of colitis using 3% dextran sulfate sodium, FS (100mg/kg/day) was administered orally during the experimental period. We evaluated body weight, bloody diarrhea, colon length, and pro-inflammatory cytokine levels. Subsequently, the bioactive constituents of FS were identified using UPLC/MS/MS.
RESULTS:
FS significantly decreased the body weight loss, colon length shortening, and tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-6 elevations induced by colitis compared with the negative control (P < 0.05). Moreover, FS improved the colitis-induced histopathological damage to the colon, including epithelial necrosis, infiltration of inflammatory cells, ulceration, and submucosal edema. In phytochemical analyses, 7 flavonoids, 9 lignans, 13 phenolics, and 2 triterpenes were identified by comparison with the retention times and mass fragmentations of authentic standards.
CONCLUSIONS:
We demonstrated beneficial effects of FS and its constituents, suggesting their potential for treatment of intestinal inflammation. These data could provide useful information for managing ulcerative colitis.
PMID: 28502906 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2017.05.011 J Ethnopharmacol. 2017 Jul 12;206:73-77. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2017.05.011. Epub 2017 May 11. ncbi.nlm.nih.govImage

Phytochemistry, pharmacology, quality control and future research of Forsythia suspensa (Thunb.) Vahl: A review.
Wang Z, Xia Q, Liu X, Liu W, Huang W, Mei X, Luo J, Shan M, Lin R, Zou D, Ma Z.
Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE:
Forsythiae Fructus (called Lianqiao in Chinese), the fruit of Forsythia suspensa (Thunb.) Vahl, is utilized as a common traditional medicine in China, Japan and Korea. It is traditionally used to treat pyrexia, inflammation, gonorrhea, carbuncle and erysipelas. Depending on the different harvest time, Forsythiae Fructus can be classified into two forms, namely Qingqiao and Laoqiao. The greenish fruits that start to ripen are collected as Qingqiao, while the yellow fruits that are fully ripe are collected as Laoqiao. Both are applied to medical use. This review aims to provide a systematic summary of F. suspensa (Forsythia suspensa (Thunb.) Vahl) and to reveal the correlation between the traditional uses and pharmacological activities so as to offer inspiration for future research.
MATERIALS AND METHODS:
All corresponding information about F. suspensa was searched by Scifinder and obtained from scientific databases including Springer, Science Direct, Wiley, Pubmed and China Knowledge Resource Integrated (CNKI). Local dissertations and books were searched as well.
RESULTS:
According to classical Chinese herbal texts and Chinese Pharmacopoeia, Forsythiae Fructus dominantly displays heat-clearing and detoxifying effects in TCM prescriptions. In modern research, more than 230 compounds were separated and identified from F. suspensa. 211 Of them were isolated from fruits. Lignans and phenylethanoid glycosides are considered as the characteristic and active constituents of this herb, such as forsythiaside, phillyrin, rutin and phillygenin. They exhibited anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-virus, anti-cancer and anti-allergy effects, etc. Currently, there is no report on the toxicity of Forsythiae Fructus, despite slight toxicity of forsythiaside reported in local publications. Compared to Laoqiao, Qingqiao contains higher levels of forsythiaside, forsythoside C, cornoside, rutin, phillyrin, gallic acid and chlorogenic acid and lower levels of rengyol, β-glucose and S-suspensaside methyl ether.
CONCLUSION:
Heat-clearing actions of Forsythiae Fructus are based on the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of lignans and phenylethanoid glycosides. Detoxifying effects attribute to the antibacterial, antiviral and anti-cancer activities of Forsythiae Fructus. And traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) characteristics of Forsythiae Fructus (bitter flavor, slightly cold nature and lung meridian) supported its strong anti-inflammatory effects. In addition, the remarkable anti-inflammatory and antioxidant capacities of Forsythiae Fructus contribute to its anti-cancer and neuroprotective activities. The higher proportion of lignans and phenylethanoid glycosides in Qingqiao than Laoqiao might explain the better antioxidant ability of Qingqiao and more frequent uses of Qingqiao in TCM prescriptions. For future research, more in vivo experiments and clinical studies are encouraged to further clarify the relation between traditional uses and modern applications. Regarding to Qingqiao and Laoqiao, they remain to be differentiated by all-round quality control methods, and the chemical compositions and clinical effects between them should be compared.
PMID: 28887216 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2017.08.040 J Ethnopharmacol. 2018 Jan 10;210:318-339. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2017.08.040. Epub 2017 Sep 5. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Antiinflammatory effect of Forsythia suspensa Vahl and its active fraction.
Ozaki Y, Rui J, Tang Y, Satake M.
Abstract
This study was carried out to elucidate the antiinflammatory effect of 70% methanol extract obtained from the dried fruit of Forsythia suspensa Vahl and its active principles. F. suspensa was extracted with 70% methanol and freeze-dried to give a powdered extract. The methanol extract was then dissolved in water and extracted with n-hexane, and the n-hexane fraction was evaporated to dryness under vacuum; the water fraction was freeze-dried to give a powdered extract. The antiinflammatory activity of the extract and fractions was investigated on acetic acid-induced vascular permeability and writhing symptoms in mice, as well as on carrageenin-induced edema and cotton pellet-induced granuloma formation in rats. The methanol extract and the n-hexane fraction (p.o.) showed the antiinflammatory effect and analgesic effect, but the water fraction did not. These results suggested that the antiinflammatory and analgesic activity induced by the methanol extract shifted to the n-hexane fraction and the active principles may be lipophilic compounds.
PMID: 9300131 Biol Pharm Bull. 1997 Aug;20(8):861-4. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Forsythia suspensa Suppresses House Dust Mite Extract-Induced Atopic Dermatitis in NC/Nga Mice
Yoon-Young Sung, Taesook Yoon, Seol Jang, and Ho Kyoung Kim,* Chang H Kim, Editor
Abstract
Forsythia suspensa (F. suspensa) is a traditional medicine for treatment of inflammation. In this study, we evaluated the therapeutic effects of an ethanol extract from F. suspensa fruits on atopic dermatitis both in vivo and in vitro. We investigated the inhibitory effects of F. suspensa extract on the development of atopic dermatitis-like skin lesions in an NC/Nga mouse model exposed to Dermatophagoides farinae crude extract. Topical application of F. suspensa extract to the mice attenuated the atopic dermatitis symptoms, including increased dermatitis severity score, ear thickness, infiltration of inflammatory cells in the skin lesions, serum levels of IgE, TNF-α, and histamine, and expression of chemokines, cytokines, and adhesion molecules in ear tissue. In addition, F. suspensa extract inhibited the production of chemokines in TNF-α/IFN-γ-activated human keratinocytes. High-performance liquid chromatography analysis of FSE revealed the presence of four chemical constituents (forsythiaside, phillyrin, pinoresinol, and phylligenin). These compounds inhibited the production of chemokines in TNF-α/IFN-γ-activated human keratinocytes. These results suggest that the F. suspensa might be a useful candidate for treating allergic skin inflammatory disorders.
PLoS One. 2016; 11(12): e0167687.
Published online 2016 Dec 9. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0167687
PMCID: PMC5147941 PMID: 27936051 ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Antidiabetic and antihyperlipidemic activities of Forsythia suspensa (Thunb.) Vahl (fruit) in streptozotocin-induced diabetes mice
Yanyan, Zhanga Fu, Fenga Ting, Chena Zhongwen, LiaQingwu, W. Shenab
Abstract
Ethnopharmacological relevance
The fruit of Forsythia suspense (Thunb.) Vahl, a well-known Chinese Materia Medica, has been traditionally used in traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of diabetes and some other diseases, but the rational for the usage of this plant is unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the therapeutic effect and potential mechanism of the fruit of F. suspensa using streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic mice.
Materials and methods
Crude methanol extract of F. suspense fruit was fractionated with different solvents and the ethyl acetate fraction (EAF) was selected for in vivo studies based on the in vitro α-amylase and HMG-CoA reductase (3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl coenzyme A) inhibiting activities. For in vivo study, diabetes mellitus was induced in mice with STZ. Diabetic mice were orally administrated with 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg body weight of EAF for 4 weeks. Mouse body weight, blood glucose, glucose tolerance, biochemical parameters and gene expression related to pancreas and liver function were analyzed after EAF administration.
Results
After 4 weeks of EAF intervention, a significant decrease in blood glucose, triglyceride, creatinine total cholesterol, acid phosphatase, alkaline phosphatase, aspartate transaminase, alanine transaminase, and hepatic lipid (triglycerides and cholesterol) content as well as a significant increase in body weight, insulin secretion and glucose tolerance was observed in EAF treated diabetic mice. qRT-PCR analysis revealed that EAF antagonized STZ-induced alteration of the expression of rate-limiting enzymes (glucokinase and phosphorenolpyruvate carboxykinase) in liver and insulin secretion related genes insulin-1, insulin-2 and duodenal homeobox factor-1 in pancreas.
Conclusion
The ethyl acetate extract of Forsythia suspense (Thunb.) Vahl fruit has potency to develop an antihyperglycemic and antihyperlipidemic agent for the treatment of diabetes mellitus via modulation of oxidative stress, the hepatic glucose metabolism and pancreatic insulin secretion.
Journal of Ethnopharmacology
Volume 192, 4 November 2016, Pages 256-263
Journal of Ethnopharmacology https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2016.07.002 . unboundmedicine.com