Pseudostellaria heterophylla  孩 儿 參 Hái er shēn, 太子參 Tai ji shen- "Prince Ginseng"    False starwort, Pseudostellaria root   Family: Caryophyllaceae    
PART USED: Root
Nature: Neutral         FLAVOR:  Sweet, bitter   CHANNELS: Lung, Spleen
FUNCTIONS- It is known as the "ginseng of the lungs".
GROUP: Replenishing Qi- It is weaker than Panax ginseng.
1. Benefit Qi.[1]
2. Strengthen Spleen, produce fluids.[1]
INDICATIONS
1. Fatigue due to Spleen deficiency, poor appetite, weakness after illness.[1]
2. Palpitation, dry mouth.[1]
PATENT COMBINATIONS
PREPARATIONS: Dry tuberous root 6 - 12g.[1]
    
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

Tumor necrosis factor eliciting fractions separated from Pseudostellaria heterophylla.
Wong CK, Leung KN, Fung KP, Pang PK, Choy YM.
Abstract
Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) could be induced in the serum of ICR mice bearing Ehrlich ascites tumor (EAT) cells by the i.v. administration of antitumor fractions (PH-I A, PH-I B, PH-I C, PH-I Ca, PH-I Cb) separated from the roots of Pseudostellaria heterophylla. TNF could also be detected in the ascitic fluid of EAT-bearing mice 2 h after i.v. injection with PH-I C, PH-I Ca or PH-I Cb. The proliferation of EAT cells was found to be significantly suppressed after the administration of these fractions. Our results suggest that the antitumor activity of P. heterophylla may be related, at least in part, to its capacity to induce TNF production in vivo. The strongest TNF eliciting and antitumor activity was found in the PH-I Cb fraction which is an acidic polysaccharide or proteoglycan with molecular weight of approximately 5000.
PMID: 8045666  Int J Immunopharmacol. 1994 Apr;16(4):271-7. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov