Nelumbo nucifera.  莲 Lián  Lotus  Family: Nymphaeaceae  
It is cultivated extensively in Southeast Asia (mostly in China), primarily for food, though also for herbal medicine. All parts of the plant are utilized, but the primary reason for its current widespread cultivation is to collect the rhizomes and seeds. The whole plant is harvested in late summer when the seeds have matured.
莲 子  Lián zǐ   Lotus seed       
Nature: Neutral    FLAVOR: Sweet, astringent, pleasant, acrid   CHANNEL: Spleen, Kidney, Heart
FUNCTIONS
GROUP: Hemostatic and Astringent
1. Strengthening the Spleen.[1,2,3] Relieve diarrhea. Controls peristalsis.[1]
2. Benefit the Kidney to preserve essence. Constrict semen. Stabilizes sperm (seminal control).[1]
3. Keep the Heart fire and the Kidney Water in balance.
4. Nourish Heart, and tranquilize the mind. Cultivates the Heart.[1]
INDICATIONS
1. Spleen deficiency manifesting as diarrhea:[1,2,3] palpitation, insomnia,  amnesia.
2. Nocturnal emission, enuresis and leukorrhagia attributive to Kidney Deficiency. Metrorrhagia.[1] Leukorrhea.[1]
3. Imbalance of the Heart Fire and Kidney Water manifested as nocturnal emission, palpitation, vexation, insomnia, dreaminess, tinnitus and soreness and weakness of the back and lower extremities. Seminal emission. Excess dreaming and seminal emissions.[1]
PATENT COMBINATIONS
- Insecurity of the Kidney Qi: Secures the Kidney and constricts the Jing Lotus & Astragalus seed- Jin suo gu jing wan.
- Spleen and Stomach Qi deficiency with retention of Dampness: Strengthens the Spleen, tonifies the Qi, harmonizes the Stomach and drains Dampness Ginseng & Astractylodes- Shen ling bai zhu san.
- Low energy: Nourishes Yin and Tonifies Qi, strengthens Wei Qi and Consolidates the Exterior of the body American ginseng & Lotus Fruit- Ti shen yang shen wang jiang.        
- Spleen and Stomach Qi deficiency with stagnation of food and Dampness: Strengthens the spleen and Stomach, eliminates the Damp Retention and improves the digestion Ginseng, Discorea & Coix- Zi sheng wan.
PREPARATIONS: Decoction- Dry ripe seed 6-15 g, or as food after cooking.[1,2]
 Decoction 9-18 g, the embryo should be discarded when it is used as a tonic for invigorating the Spleen and Kidney, otherwise it should be retained.[3]
NOTES: It is interesting to note that lotus was referred to in Greek legend as yielding a fruit which induced a state of dreamy and contented forgetgfulness in those who ate it. In Chinese herbal remedies, similarly, it is believed that lotus fruit may be eaten to relieve dreaminess.[5]
    - Relieve discharge of a short stream of red urine- Mix 180 g lotus seeds and 30 g licorice and grind into powder. Take 3-6 g powder each time with warm water, 3 times a day.[5]
莲 子 心 Lián zǐ xīn  Plumule- Green bud of a ripe dry lotus seed- Harvested in Autumn         
Nature: Cold    FLAVOR: Bitter, salty     CHANNEL: Heart, Kidney, Lung, Pericardium
FUNCTIONS
GROUP: Clearing Internal Heat- Reducing Fire
1. Clears Heat from the Heart,[4,6] relieves chest discomfort. Clear away Heat, Fire and relieve vexation. Calms the Heart.[1] Reduces fever.[1] Heart tonic.[5]
2. Obstructive.[5] Arrests bleeding.[5,6]
3. Stops seminal emission.[5,6] Diuretic.[4]
4. Analgesic.[4]
ACTIONS
INDICATIONS
1. Heart Fire: high fever, restlessness, coma, delirium. Insomnia, hypertension or irritability due to Heart Fire.[4] Agitation and hematemesis.[1] Excess Heat fainting delirium, excess sweating, thirsty.[4] Warm febrile diseases where Heat collapses into the Pericardium channel causing mental confusion or delirium.[6]
2. Mouth canker.
3. Seminal emission,[5] used as a powder for vomiting of blood or spermatorrhea.[4]
4. Hypertension.[5] Blurred vision.[5] Swelling and pain in eyes.[5]
CONTRAINDICATIONS: Abdominal masses and constipation.[6]
COMBINATIONS
PREPARATIONS:  Decoction 1.5-6 g.[3,4]  Ripe seed, young leaf and radicle 1.5-3 g.[2] Decoction 1-3 g.[1]
- Relieve seminal emission with or without dreams- Boil 3 g lotus plumule and drink it all at once.[5]
- Hypertension- Chew 1.5 g lotus plumule slowly and wash down with water.[5]
- Anxiety and mouth canker- Boil 3 g lotus plumule and 3 g licorice with water. Drink it as tea, twice a day.[5]
荷 叶  Hé yè   Lotus leaf, Fresh or dry leaf- harvested in Summer    
Nature: Neutral   FLAVOR: Bitter, slightly sweet CHANNEL: Liver, Spleen, Stomach, Heart
FUNCTIONS
GROUP: Clearing Internal Heat- Clearing Summer Heat
1. Clear Heat. Clear Summer Heat.[6]
2. Disperse blood stasis,[1,4] and stop bleeding.[1,4,6]
3. Raises and clear the Yang of the Spleen.[6] Elevate clear energy. Raises Stomach Energy.[1]
4. Relieve diarrhea.
5. Promote the production of body fluid to quench thirst.[2]
6. Reduce level of blood fat.
INDICATIONS
1. Summer Heat; fever, irritability, excessive sweating, scanty urine, with thirst and headache, and diarrhea of Damp Heat type.[1,4,6]
2. Diarrhea due to Spleen deficiency, especially following Summer Heat.[6]
3. Primarily for bleeding in the lower Burner due to Heat or stagnation, but also for vomiting blood.[6] Hematemesis, epistaxis, hemoptysis, hematuria, metrorrhagia etc.[1]
4. Hypercholesterolemia, hypertriglyceridemia and angina pectoris.
5. Chronic colitis- diarrhea with mucus- Usually used as assistant or servant herb.[4]
5. Fry herb for arrest of bleeding- Vomiting of blood, nosebleed, vaginal bleeding.[1] Bleeding stool or urine.[2]
COMBINATIONS
- Summer Heat disorder, with Dolichos lablab- Bian dou.[6]
- Diarrhea due to Spleen deficiency, used together with Atractylodes and Dioscorea.
CONTRAINDICATIONS: Bleeding due to Cold or deficiency. According to some traditional sources, this herb counteracts Poria cocos- Fu ling.[6]
PREPARATIONS: Decoction 6-12 g. For reducing blood fat: 50-150 g. Dry leaf 3-9 g.[1,2] 9-15 g, or up to 30 g when used alone.[6] Used externally as a wash or compress when fresh.[4] The fresh leaf is most effective in stopping bleeding. Good quality is big, green, intacts and without spots.
藕 节  Ŏu jíe, Lian geng   Lotus stem and root, Rhizome    
Nature: Neutral   FLAVOR: Sweet, harsh, pleasant, biting  CHANNELS: Liver, Lung, Stomach
FUNCTIONS- Common herb for bleeding due to Lung and Stomach dry Heat. eg epistaxis.[4]
GROUP: Regulating Blood- Styptic
1. Arrest bleeding, eliminate coagulation.[2]  Absorbs clots and bruises, stops bleeding.[1] Clear Heat and Cool Blood.[4]
2. Opens and promotes the movement of Qi through the chest, and is appropriate for Summer Heat with a stifling sensation in the chest.[6]
INDICATIONS
1. Epistaxis.[1,2,4] Hemoptysis.[1,2,4] Hematuria.[1,2] Hemafaecia.[1] Bloody dysentery.[1] Metrorrhagia.[1,2] Hematemesis.[1] Bloody discharge.[1]
PREPARATIONS:  Decoction  4-9 g.[1] Dry node of rhizome 9-15 g.[2] 9-30 g- Roasted if styptic effect needed.[4] If fresh, double dosage.[4]
RAW
Nature- cold    FLAVOR: Sweet    CHANNEL:  Heart, Spleen, Stomach
FUNCTIONS
1. Clear up Heat.[2,3]
2. Cool Blood.[2,3]
3. Dissipate blood stasis.[2,3]
INDICATIONS
1. Restlessness and thirst during the course of febrile diseases, hematemesis, epistaxis, dysuria of  Heat type.[2,3]
COOKED
FUNCTIONS
 1. Strengthen Spleen,[2,3] wake up appetite, promote the functional activity of Stomach.
 2. Nourish Blood.[2,3]
 3. Produce muscles, promote the tissue regeneration.
 4. Arrest diarrhea.[2,3]
INDICATIONS
1. Jumpiness, mental depression, Blood deficiency.
CONTRAINDICATIONS: Refrain from cooking lotus roots in iron pot.
PREPARATIONS:  To be eaten raw, cooked, or pounded to get its juice for drinking.  It can be dried in the sun and ground into powder for making gruel.
-- Lotus Root Joint: Its decoction, when taken orally, can check upward adverse flow of Qi and regulate the middle Heater, while its parched  charcoal, being able to arrest bleeding and dissipate blood stasis, is  used to treat bleeding diseases of various kinds.

- Bleeding of various kinds, including nosebleed, vaginal bleeding, discharge of blood from anus, and vomiting of blood- Crush a few lotus roots; squeeze out the juice. Drink a glass of the juice each time.[5]
藕 粉 Ǒu fěn  Lotus Root Starch         
Nature- neutral    FLAVOR: Sweet-salted
FUNCTIONS
1.  Benefit Blood, arrest bleeding, regulate the middle region, wake up appetite.[2]
INDICATIONS
1.  Blood Deficiency, loss of blood, diarrhea and lack of appetite.[2]
PREPARATIONS: Mixed with boiling water.[2]
莲 房  Lián fáng  Mature Lotus floral receptacle, Lotus fruit, Lotus seed pot        
Nature: Warm   FLAVOR: Bitter. and acrid, harsh     CHANNELS: Liver, Kidney, Spleen
FUNCTIONS
1. Stops bleeding.[1,2]
2. Clears Blood stagnation- Resolves clots.[1] Eliminate coagulation.
INDICATIONS
1. Abdominal cramps and pain associated with Blood coagulation.[1,2]
2. Post partum non- expulsion of amniotic sac, metrorrhagia, bloody discharge.[1] Copious lochia after childbirth that does not stop. Vaginal bleeding.
PREPARATIONS: Decoction- Dry receptacle  4-9 g.[1,2]
- Improve physical conditions after childbirth or excessive fatigue due to old age- Boil 30 g dired lotus fruits and 30 g brown sugar in 30 g rice wine; add 1 chiden add as in egg-drop soup. Drink the soup every eveing for 1 month.[5]
- Chronic diarrhea- Steam lotus fruits until cooked. Leave them in the sun to dry; grind into powder. Take 15 g of the powder each time, 3 times a day.[5]
- Cure ulcers or during recovery stage after stomach bleeding- Steam 250 g dried lotus fruits- with 6 g rice wine and 6 g lard. take the entire dosage 3 times a day for 1 month.[5]
莲 须  Lián xū   Dry stamens         
Nature- neutral   FLAVOR: Sweet, harsh
FUNCTIONS
1. Solidify Kidneys.[2]
INDICATIONS
1. Seminal emission, white vaginal discharge.[2]
COMBINATIONS
- Kidney Yin and Yang deficiency: Warms and Tonifies the Kidney Yang, supplements and secures the Kidney Jing, nourishes the Blood Morinda & Epimedium- Ba ji yin yang tang.
PREPARATIONS: Dry stamens 2-4 g.[2]

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.
An experiment on animals shows that lotus plumule can lower blood pressure.[5]

Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn leaves extract inhibits the angiogenesis and metastasis of breast cancer cells by downregulation connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) mediated PI3K/AKT/ERK signaling.
Chang CH, Ou TT, Yang MY, Huang CC, Wang CJ.
Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE:
Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn (Nymphaeaceae) has been recognized as a medicinal plant, which was distributed throughout the Asia. The aqueous extract of Nelumbo nucifera leaves extract (NLE) has various biologically active components such as polyphenols, flavonoids, oligomeric procyanidines. However, the role of NLE in breast cancer therapy is poorly understood.
THE AIM OF THIS STUDY:
The purpose of this study was to identify the hypothesis that NLE can suppress tumor angiogenesis and metastasis through CTGF (connective tissue growth factor), which has been implicated in tumor angiogenesis and progression in breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells.
RESULTS:
We examined the effects of NLE on angiogenesis in the chicken chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) model. The data showed that NLE could reduce the chorionic plexus at day 17 in CAM and the duration of this inhibition was dose-dependent. In Xenograft model, NLE treatment significantly reduced tumor weight and CD31 (capillary density) over control, respectively. We examined the role of angiogenesis involved restructuring of endothelium using human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) in Matrigel angiogenesis model. The results indicated that vascular-like structure formation was further blocked by NLE treatment. Moreover, knockdown of CTGF expression markedly reduced the expression of MMP2 as well as VEGF, and attenuated PI3K-AKT-ERK activation, indication that these signaling pathways are crucial in mediating CTGF function.
CONCLUSION:
The present results suggest that NLE might be useful for treatment in therapy-resistance triple negative breast cancer.
J Ethnopharmacol. 2016 Jul 21;188:111-22. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2016.05.012. Epub 2016 May 10. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Effects of lotus root (the edible rhizome of Nelumbo nucifera) on the development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in obese diabetic db/db mice.
Tsuruta Y, Nagao K, Shirouchi B, Nomura S, Tsuge K, Koganemaru K, Yanagita T.
Abstract
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is emerging as the most common liver disease in industrialized countries. The discovery of food components that would ameliorate NAFLD is therefore of interest. Lotus root, the edible rhizome of Nelumbo nucifera, contains a high level of polyphenolic compounds, and several health-promoting properties of lotus root have been reported. The present study examines whether dietary lotus root powder can protect db/db mice from hepatic injury. After 3 weeks of feeding, the hepatomegaly, hepatic triglyceride accumulation, and elevated hepatic injury markers in the serum were markedly alleviated in the Lotus diet-fed db/db mice relative to the control mice. These effects were partly attributable to suppression of the lipogenic enzyme activities and mRNA expression by the Lotus diet. The serum levels of adiponectin, which has been reported to have a protective effect against NAFLD, were significantly higher in the Lotus group than in the Control group of the db/db mice. Moreover, the hepatic expression of such inflammatory genes as tumor necrosis factor-alpha and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 were markedly suppressed by the Lotus diet. We speculate that the development and progression of NAFLD were prevented by suppressing the expression of lipogenic and inflammatory genes as a result of the higher serum adioponectin level in the Lotus diet-fed db/db mice.
PMID: 22451385 DOI: 10.1271/bbb.110745  Biosci Biotechnol Biochem. 2012;76(3):462-6. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Antioxidant activity of Nelumbo nucifera (sacred lotus) seeds.
Rai S, Wahile A, Mukherjee K, Saha BP, Mukherjee PK.
Abstract
Antioxidant activity of hydro alcoholic extract of Nelumbo nucifera seeds (HANN) was studied using in vitro and in vivo models. Total phenolic content in HANN was found to be 7.61 +/- 0.04% (w/w). Characteristic HPTLC fingerprints of HANN were also made using different solvent systems. The HANN exhibited strong free radical scavenging activity as evidenced by the low IC(50) values in both DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl) (6.12 +/- 0.41 microg/ml) and nitric oxide (84.86 +/- 3.56 microg/ml) methods. The values were found to be less than those of rutin, the standard used. Acute toxicity of HANN was evaluated in Swiss Albino mice, no signs of toxicity were observed up to the oral dose of 1,000 mg/kg body weight. Administration of HANN to Wistar rats at 100 and 200 mg/kg body weight for 4 days prior to carbon tetrachloride (CCl(4)) treatment caused a significant dose dependent increase (p < 0.05 to p < 0.001) in the level of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase and a significant decrease (p < 0.05 to p < 0.001) in the level of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), when compared to CCl(4) treated control in both liver and kidney. These changes observed at 100 mg/kg body weight treatment were comparable to those observed for standard Vitamin E at 50 mg/kg treatment. Nelumbo nucifera seeds contain alkaloids, saponins, phenolics and carbohydrates. The results support significant antioxidant nature of HANN.
PMID: 16239089 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2005.09.025  J Ethnopharmacol. 2006 Apr 6;104(3):322-7. Epub 2005 Oct 18. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov


Lotus leaf (Nelumbo nucifera) and its active constituents prevent inflammatory responses in macrophages via JNK/NF-κB signaling pathway.
Liu SH, Lu TH, Su CC, Lay IS, Lin HY, Fang KM, Ho TJ, Chen KL, Su YC, Chiang WC, Chen YW.
Abstract
Inflammation is a serious health issue worldwide that induces many diseases, such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), sepsis, acute pancreatitis and lung injury. Thus, there is a great deal of interest in new methods of limiting inflammation. In this study, we investigated the leaves of Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn, an aquatic perennial plant cultivated in eastern Asia and India, in anti-inflammatory pharmacological effects in the murine macrophage cell line RAW264.7. Results showed that lipopolysaccharide (LPS) increased the protein expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and COX-2, as well as the mRNA expression and level of IL-6 and TNF-α, while NNE significantly reduced these effects of LPS. LPS also induced phospho-JNK protein expression. The JNK-specific inhibitor SP600125 decreased the proteins expression of phospho-JNK, iNOS, COX-2, and the mRNAs expression and levels of IL-6 and TNF-α. Further, NNE reduced the protein expression of phospho-JNK. LPS was also found to promote the translocation of NF-κB from the cytosol to the nucleus and to decrease the expression of cytosolic IκB. NNE and SP600125 treatment recovered the LPS-induced expression of NF-κB and IκB. While phospho-ERK and phospho-p38 induced by LPS, could not be reversed by NNE. To further investigate the major components of NNE in anti-inflammatory effects, we determined the quercetin and catechin in inflammatory signals. Results showed that quercetin and catechin significantly decreased the proteins expression of iNOS, COX-2 and phospho-JNK. Besides, the mRNAs and levels of IL-6 and TNF-α also decreased by quercetin and catechin treatment in LPS-induced RAW264.7 cells. These results showed that NNE and its major components quercetin and catechin exhibit anti-inflammatory activities by inhibiting the JNK- and NF-κB-regulated pathways and could therefore be an useful anti-inflammatory agent.
PMID: 25004880 DOI: 10.1142/S0192415X14500554  Am J Chin Med. 2014;42(4):869-89. doi: 10.1142/S0192415X14500554. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov