Inula japonica. 旋 复 花 Xuán fù huā  Japanese elecampane  Family: Asteraceae
 
PART USED: Dry inflorescence- harvested at end of Summer when flowers have bloomed
Nature: Warm, slightly warm    FLAVOR: Slightly bitter, salty, pungent CHANNELS: Liver, Lung, Stomach, Spleen
FUNCTIONS
GROUP: Antitussive and Expectorant Clearing- Cold Phlegm
1. Redirects the Qi downward and expels Phlegm.[4] Resolves phlegm.[1,2,3]
2. Stops vomiting and calms rebellion.[4] Lowers excess.[1]
3. Promotes diuresis. Promotes fluid elimination.[1]
INDICATIONS
1. Feeling of stuffiness and fullness in the chest,[1,2,3] and cough,[1,2,3] with dyspnea,[1,2,3] wheezing,[4] and profuse sputum, due to retention of congested fluid disorder in the interior.[4] Chest pain.[1,2,3] Hiccup. Bronchitis.[1] Shortness of breath.[1] Pain associated with pleurisy.[1] Ascites.[1] It is often used with Platycodon root and Mulberry bark- Decoction of Inula flower- Xuan fu hua.
- In cases of cough, dyspnea and protfuse sputum due to affection by Cold exopathogens, it is used with Asarum and Pinellia tuber, as in Inula Powder- Jin fei cao san.
2. Epigastric fullness, vomiting,[4] hiccough,[4] and eructation due to deficiency/Cold of both the Spleen Qi and Stomach Qi,[4]  and adverse rising of Dampness, it is often used with Red Ochre and Pinellia, as in Decoction of Inula and Red Ochre- Xuan fu dai zhe tang.
3. Ascites.
CONTRAINDICATIONS: Use sparingly in cases of deficiency.[4]
COMBINATIONS
PREPARATIONS:
Dried in sunlight after collection, and is used unprepared or stir baked with honey.[3]
Decoction:  Dry inflorescence  4-9 g.[1,2,3] 3-12 g.[4] Decocted in cheesecloth bag.[3,4] When used for patients with Lung deficiency it is honey-fried to ameliorate its warmth and prevent it from harming the Qi or Yin.[4] Good quality is large, intact, has a golden tinge and thin, white hair.

Jin fei cao Aerial parts
Nature: Warm  FLAVOR: Salty, slightly bitter
FUNCTIONS- generally similar to Xuan fu hua but generally for more supericial problems.[4]
1. Transforms Phlegm and stops coughing.[4]
ORIGIN: China
HABITAT: Found growing on hillsides, roadsides, field edges or damp lands.
DESCRIPTION: Perennial herb 80 cm in height. Stem: upper part multi-branching, with horizontal angles. Leaves: alternate, oval or narrowly oval, upper leaves somewhat smaller, apexes acute, bases somewhat narrow, half clasping stem, margins intact or finely serrated, densely scabrous. Flowers: in autumn, yellow flowers appearing to form terminal capitulum inflorescences in an umbellate arrangement. Fruit: an achene, long ellipsoid.
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

IVSE, isolated from Inula japonica,suppresses LPS-induced NO production via NF-κB and MAPK inactivation in RAW264.7 cells.
Chen X, Tang SA, Lee E, Qiu Y, Wang R, Duan HQ, Dan S, Jin M, Kong D.
Abstract
AIMS:
Our previous study showed that the extract of Inula japonica Thunb. (I. japonica) has anti-inflammatory and anti-asthmatic activities. In an attempt to find anti-inflammatory compounds from I. japonica, we recently isolated 1,6α-dihydroxy-4αH-1,10-secoeudesma-5(10),11(13)-dien-12,8β-olide (SE), 6α-isobutyryloxy-1-hydroxy-4αH-1,10-secoeudesma-5(10),11(13)-dien-12,8β-olide (IBSE), and 6α-isovaleryloxy-1-hydroxy-4αH-1,10-secoeudesma-5(10),11(13)-dien-12,8β-olide (IVSE) from the extract of I. japonica, and investigated their inhibitory effects on nitric oxide (NO) production in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW264.7 cells.
MAIN METHODS:
The inhibitory effect of IVSE, SE and IBSE on NO production in LPS-induced RAW264.7 cells was examined using Griess reagent, and the effects of IVSE on the expressions of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and its upstream signal proteins including IκB kinase (IKK)/inhibitor kappa B (IκB)-α/nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) and mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) were investigated by Western blot.
KEY FINDINGS:
Among the 3 compounds isolated, SE, IBSE, and IVSE inhibited NO production at 2.5 μM with 5.1%, 40.4%, and 52.8%, respectively. IVSE displayed the most potent inhibition of NO production. Mechanism analysis indicated that IVSE dramatically decreased the expression of iNOS, reduced the translocation of the NF-κB subunit p65 into the nucleus by interrupting the phosphorylation and degradation of IκB-α, and inhibited the activation of the upstream mediator IKK α/β. Furthermore, our results showed that IVSE inhibited the phosphorylation of MAPKs including extracellular regulated kinases (ERK1/2), c-Jun N-terminal kinases (JNK) and p38.
SIGNIFICANCE:
IVSE exhibited anti-inflammatory activity by inhibiting NO production, in which inactivation of NF-κB and MAPKs might be involved. Our results suggest that IVSE might become an anti-inflammatory drug candidate.
PMID: 25625245 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2015.01.008 ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Flowers of Inula japonica Attenuate Inflammatory Responses.
Choi JH, Park YN, Li Y, Jin MH, Lee J, Lee Y, Son JK, Chang HW, Lee E.
Abstract
BACKGROUND:
The flowers of Inula japonica (Inulae Flos) have long been used in traditional medicine for the treatment of inflammatory diseases. In the present study, we investigated the anti-inflammatory properties of Inulae Flos Extract (IFE).
METHODS:
The anti-inflammatory effects of IFE against nitric oxide (NO), PGE(2), TNF-α, and IL-6 release, as well as NF-κB and MAP kinase activation were evaluated in RAW 264.7 cells.
RESULTS:
IFE inhibited the production of NO and the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. In addition, IFE reduced the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as TNF-α and IL-6. Furthermore, IFE inhibited the NF-κB activation induced by LPS, which was associated with the abrogation of IκB-α degradation and subsequent decreases in nuclear p65 and p50 levels. Moreover, the phosphorylation of ERK, JNK, and p38 MAP kinases in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells was suppressed by IFE in a dose-dependent manner.
CONCLUSION:
These results suggest that the anti-inflammation activities of IFE might be attributed to the inhibition of NO, iNOS and cytokine expression through the down-regulation of NF-κB activation via suppression of IκBα and MAP kinase phosphorylation in macrophages.
PMID: 21165243 PMCID: PMC2993946 DOI: 10.4110/in.2010.10.5.145  Immune Netw. 2010 Oct;10(5):145-52. doi: 10.4110/in.2010.10.5.145. Epub 2010 Oct 31. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Inula Japonica Thunb. Flower Ethanol Extract Improves Obesity and Exercise Endurance in Mice Fed A High-Fat Diet
So-Hyun Park, Da-Hye Lee, Min Jung Kim, Jiyun Ahn, Young-Jin Jang, Tae-Youl Ha, Chang Hwa Jung
Abstract
Inula japonica Thunb. (Asteraceae) is a flowering plant that grows mainly in Korea, Japan, and China and its flower extract has diverse biological effects such as anti-inflammatory and antioxidative activities. However, the effects on obesity and enhancement of endurance capacity have not been explored yet. This study aims to reveal the effects of I. japonica flower ethanol extract (IJE) on obesity and endurance capacity in high-fat diet (HFD) fed C57BL/6J mice and the mechanism. IJE inhibited lipid accumulation in 3T3-L1 adipocytes in vitro. Also, IJE-fed mice showed reduced body weight gain, hepatic lipid, and body fat mass, and increased muscle weight. IJE reduced lipid accumulation in the liver and adipose tissue by decreasing lipogenic and adipogenic gene expression. Additionally, consumption of low-dose IJE significantly enhanced endurance capacity via increasing AMP-activated protein kinase activity and mRNA levels of Myh7 and Myh2. Luteolin and 1β-hydroxyalantolactone (1β-HA), compounds of IJE, are involved in anti-adipogenesis in the 3T3-L cells and only luteolin increased the protein levels of MHC during C2C12 myoblast differentiation. Collectively, our results suggest that consumption of IJE not only helps to prevent obesity but also enhances endurance capacity reduced by HFD.
Nutrients 2018 Dec 20;11(1):17. doi: 10.3390/nu11010017.
PMID: 30577560 PMCID: PMC6356276 DOI: 10.3390/nu11010017 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Anti-inflammatory constituents from Inula japonica- Article in Chinese
Hong Zhu, Sheng-An Tang, Nan Qin, Hong-Quan Duan, Mei-Hua Jin
Abstract
Chemical constituents of Inula japonica were isolated and purified by repeated column chromatographies, over silica gel, and Toyopearl HW-40, and preparative HPLC. On the basis of spectral data analysis, including NMR and MS data, the structures of the isolates were elucidated and their anti-inflammatory activities were assayed. Fifteen compounds were isolated from the ethyl acetate extract of I. japonica, and their structures were elucidated as dihydrosyringenin (1), (3S, 5R, 6S, 7E)-5,6-epoxy-3-hydroxy-7-megastigmen-9-one (2), (6R, 7E) -9-hydroxy-4,7-megastigmadien-3-one (3), arnidiol (4), taraxasterol acetate (5), 8,9,10-trihydroxythymol (6), taxifolin (7), luteolin (8), napetin (9), eupatin (10), spinacetin (11), quercetin (12), p-hydroxycinnamic acid (13), caffeic acid (14), and caffeoyl acetate (15). Compounds 1, 2, 7, 13 and 15 were isolated from the genus Inula for the first time, and compounds 3, 4, 9-11 and 14 were isolated from this plant for the first time. The anti-inflammatory activity result showed that compounds 3, 6-12 and 14 exhibited inhibition effect against leukotriene C4 (LTC4) synthesis and degranulation definitely in c-Kit Ligand (KL) induced mast cells, and compound 8 and 12 also had the suppression effect against lipopolysacharide(LPS) induced nitric oxide (NO) activity in RAW264.7 macrophages. It is firstly reported that compounds 7 and 9-11 possessed potent inhibition activities against LTC4 generation and degranulation in mast cells.
Zhongguo Zhong Yao Za Zhi 2014 Jan;39(1):83-8. PMID: 24754174 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Anti-inflammatory terpenes from flowers of Inula japonica
Sheng-An Tang, Hong Zhu, Nan Qin, Jing-Ya Zhou, Eunkyung Lee, De-Xin Kong, Mei-Hua Jin, Hong-Quan Duan
Abstract
Five new terpenes (1-5) and ten known compounds (6-15) were isolated from Inula japonica, and their structures were identified by spectroscopic analysis. Compounds 3 and 14 showed positive inhibitory effects on nitric oxide production. Furthermore, compound 14 suppressed both leukotriene C4 synthesis and degranulation in c-kit ligand-induced bone marrow-derived mast cells.
Planta Med 2014 May;80(7):583-9. doi: 10.1055/s-0034-1368353. Epub 2014 Apr 7. PMID: 24710901 DOI: 10.1055/s-0034-1368353 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Isolation and identification of acaricidal compounds in Inula japonica (Asteraceae)
D D Duan, C Y Bu, J Cheng, Y N Wang, G L Shi
Abstract
We identified acaricidal compounds in Inula japonica Thunberg (Asteraceae) that were effective against carmine spider mite, Tetranychus cinnabarinus (Boisduval). Petroleum-ether extracts from I. japonica were toxic to T. cinnabarinus, with a 50% lethal concentration (LC50) value of 1.18 mg/ml. Silica gel column chromatography was used to separate the acaricidal components. Seventeen of 38 fraction groups had mite mortality rates >50%, nine fraction groups had rates >60%, and three fraction groups had rates >80% at 2 mg/ml. The major volatile compounds in the bioactive fraction groups were identified by gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy, and beta-sitosterol (1), stigmasterol (2), lupeol (3), and alpha-amyrin (4) were identified and determined to have acaricidal activity against T. cinnabarinus in vitro.
J Econ Entomol. 2011 Apr;104(2):375-8. doi: 10.1603/ec10129. PMID: 21510182 DOI: 10.1603/ec10129 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Antitumour activities of sesquiterpene lactones from Inula helenium and Inula japonica
Yong Li, Zhi-Yu Ni, Meng-Chu Zhu, Mei Dong, Si-Ming Wang, Qing-Wen Shi, Man-Li Zhang, Yu-Fang Wang, Chang-Hong Huo, Hiromasa Kiyota, Bin Cong
Abstract
Eight sesquiterpene lactones were isolated from the roots of Inula helenium and flowers of I. japonica. Among them, isoalantolactone (3) and santamarine (6) exhibited significant growth inhibitory activities against gynecologic cancer cell lines, while others weakly inhibited the growth of the cell lines (IC50 < or = 100 microM). In addition, 3 significantly inhibited the tumour growth of S180 tumour-bearing mice. Compounds 3 and 6 were not toxic to human embryonic lung fibroblast cells in vitro. These results demonstrated that the antitumour activities are closely related to the structures of the compounds, that is, an alpha-exomethylene-gamma-lactone ring is necessary for these activities.
Z Naturforsch C J Biosci Jul-Aug 2012;67(7-8):375-80. doi: 10.1515/znc-2012-7-804. PMID: 23016276 DOI: 10.1515/znc-2012-7-804 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov