Ophiopogon japonicus.  麦 门 冬  Mài mén dōng   Lilyturf root   Family: Liliaceae     
PART USED: Root tubers
Nature- cool     FLAVOR: Sweet., bitter, pleasant, slightly bitter
FUNCTIONS
GROUP: Tonic- Yin
1. Lubricate Lung.[2] Relieve cough.[1,2] Produce fluids. Tonifies Lung.[1] Resolves phlegm.[1] Promotes salivation.[1]
2. Nourishes the Stomach.[1]
INDICATIONS
1. Dry cough. Thirst.[1,2] Diptheria.[2] Chronic bronchitis, hemoptysis in pulmonary tuberculosis.[1] Laryngitis, pertussis.[1]
2. Restlessness.[1] Mental depression.[2]
PATENT COMBINATIONS
PREPARATIONS: Decoction.  Root tubers  4-12 g each dose.[1] Dried tuberous root 6-12 g.[2]
ImageHABITAT: Grows in mountain wilds or in damp and shady places in the forest.
DESCRIPTION: Perennial herb. Rhizomes; short, containing slender and fine roots, the central or lower part of the fibrous roots expanding to form spindle shaped rhizome. Basal leaves; clustered, coriaceous, slender and long-linear, apexes acute or acuminate, base sections gradually narrowing into petioles, margins like leaf sheaths. Flowers; in summer, terminal flowering stem produces light purple flowers on top to form a racemose inflorescence. Fruit; globular.
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.
Research

Chemical constituents from the fibrous root of Ophiopogon japonicus, and their effect on tube formation in human myocardial microvascular endothelial cells.
Lan S, Yi F, Shuang L, Chenjie W, Zheng XW.
Abstract
In an effort to identify novel active constituents on the cardiovascular system, a systematic study on macroporous resin adsorption of extracts from the fibrous root of Ophiopogon japonicus was performed in a human myocardial microvascular endothelial cell line (HMMEC) based assay. One novel spirostan, named ophiogenin (1), together with six known spirostans (4-8, 10), and one new sesquiterpene glycoside, named ophioside A (2), together with one known monoterpene glycoside (9) were isolated from the active fractions, and the aglycone of compound 2 that was a new natural compound was obtained from the acid hydrolysis of 2, named ophiopogonol (3). Their structures were determined by spectral and chemical analyses. Furthermore, their effect on HMMEC tube formation was also determined. Our results indicated that compounds 4 and 8 could significantly improve the tube formation and 2 showed moderate increasing effect, while compound 5 exhibited potent inhibitory effect.
PMID: 23274777 DOI: 10.1016/j.fitote.2012.12.025 Fitoterapia. 2013 Mar;85:57-63. doi: 10.1016/j.fitote.2012.12.025. Epub 2012 Dec 27. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Anti-inflammatory activities of aqueous extract from Radix Ophiopogon japonicus and its two constituents.
Kou J, Sun Y, Lin Y, Cheng Z, Zheng W, Yu B, Xu Q.
Abstract
To provide some pharmacological evidence for its clinical use in inflammatory diseases, anti-inflammatory effect of the aqueous extract from Radix Ophiopogon japonicus (ROJ-ext), a traditional Chinese herb, was examined in mouse and rat models. ROJ-ext significantly inhibited xylene-induced ear swelling and carrageenan-induced paw edema in mice when given orally at doses of 25 and 50 mg/kg. Moreover, ROJ-ext also remarkably suppressed carrageenan-induced pleural leukocyte migration in rats and zymosan A-evoked peritoneal total leukocyte and neutrophil migration in mice, while had no obvious effect on pleural prostaglandin E2 level. Furthermore, two active compounds were isolated from ROJ-ext and identified as ruscogenin and ophiopogonin D. As the results, ROJ-ext, ruscogenin and ophiopogonin D dose-dependently reduced phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA)-induced adhesion of HL-60 cells to ECV304 cells, with IC50 of 42.85 microg/ml, 7.76 nmol/l and 1.38 nmol/l, respectively. However, they showed no inhibitory effect on PMA-induced cyclooxygense-2 (COX-2) mRNA expression in ECV304 cells. Ruscogenin and ophiopogonin D also notably decreased zymosan A-induced peritoneal leukocyte migration, in comparison with ROJ-ext. These results demonstrate that ROJ-ext presents remarkable anti-inflammatory activity and ruscogenin and ophiopogonin D are two of its active components, which supported its traditional use in the treatment of various diseases associated with inflammation.
PMID: 15997105
Biol Pharm Bull. 2005 Jul;28(7):1234-8. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Cytotoxic Homoisoflavonoids from Ophiopogon japonicus Tubers.
Dang NH, Chung ND, Tuan HM, Hiep NT, Dat NT.
Abstract
A phytochemical fractionation of a methanol extract of Ophiopogon japonicus tubers led to the isolation of a new homoisoflavanone, homoisopogon A (1), and three new homoisoflavanes, homoisopogon B-D (2-4). Their chemical structures were elucidated by mass, NMR, and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopic methods. Homoisopogon A (1) exhibited potent cytotoxicity against human lung adenocarcinoma LU-1, human epidermoid carcinoma KB, and human melanoma SK-Mel-2 cancer cells with IC50 values ranging from 0.51 to 0.66 µM.
PMID: 27916782 DOI: 10.1248/cpb.c16-00743 Chem Pharm Bull (Tokyo). 2017 Feb 1;65(2):204-207. doi: 10.1248/cpb.c16-00743. Epub 2016 Dec 3. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Chemical constituents from the fibrous root of Ophiopogon japonicus, and their effect on tube formation in human myocardial microvascular endothelial cells.
Lan S, Yi F, Shuang L, Chenjie W, Zheng XW.
Abstract
In an effort to identify novel active constituents on the cardiovascular system, a systematic study on macroporous resin adsorption of extracts from the fibrous root of Ophiopogon japonicus was performed in a human myocardial microvascular endothelial cell line (HMMEC) based assay. One novel spirostan, named ophiogenin (1), together with six known spirostans (4-8, 10), and one new sesquiterpene glycoside, named ophioside A (2), together with one known monoterpene glycoside (9) were isolated from the active fractions, and the aglycone of compound 2 that was a new natural compound was obtained from the acid hydrolysis of 2, named ophiopogonol (3). Their structures were determined by spectral and chemical analyses. Furthermore, their effect on HMMEC tube formation was also determined. Our results indicated that compounds 4 and 8 could significantly improve the tube formation and 2 showed moderate increasing effect, while compound 5 exhibited potent inhibitory effect.
PMID: 23274777 DOI: 10.1016/j.fitote.2012.12.025 Fitoterapia. 2013 Mar;85:57-63. doi: 10.1016/j.fitote.2012.12.025. Epub 2012 Dec 27. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov