General

Scientific Names: Ranunculus ternatus Thunb

Common Names: Xiao Mao Liang, Mao Zhua Cao.

BOTANICAL:

来 源： 为毛莨科植物小毛莨Ranunculus ternatus Thunb. 的干燥块根。

植物特征： 多年生草本；块根数个，近纺锤形。茎细弱，高5—17厘米，疏生短绒毛，后渐变无毛。基生叶丛生，有长柄，三出复叶，或为单叶， 3浅裂至3全裂，叶片长0．5—1．7厘米，宽0.5—1．5厘米，小叶片无柄，圆形或倒卵形，中间一片小叶较大，顶端齿状浅裂，基部楔形，有时基生小叶一回裂片浅裂或细裂成线形裂片；茎生叶无柄，较小，通常3深裂成线状裂片。花黄色，直径1—1．5厘米；萼片长达3毫米，外面琉生柔毛；花瓣通常5，也有6—8，倒卵形或椭圆形，基部有袋状蜜腺。瘦果卵状，有短而稍弯的果喙，直径约1毫米。花期3—4月。

资源分布: 江苏南部普遍生长，生于路边潮湿地；长江中、下游各省和台湾，北达河南南部，南达广西北部都有分布。

生药材鉴定： 本品呈纺锤形，多5～6个簇生，形似猫爪，长3～10mm，直径2～3mm，顶端有黄褐色残茎或茎痕。表面黄褐色或灰黄色，久存色泽变深，微有纵皱纹，并有点状须根痕和残留须根。质坚实，断面类白色或黄白色，空心或实心，粉性。气微，味微甘。

Pharmacology

Efficacy

36 traditional Chinese medical herbs from 28 families were studied. Seven herbs from 7 families were found to be active in the TNF induction. Among them Ranunculus Ternatus (RT) is the best one. The active components of RT were isolated from the crude extract by solvent extraction and column chromatography. Eleven fractions were obtained. RT-A2, one of the active components, is a white crystal and its IR spectrum is similar to Standard Infrared Grating Spectra No. 28344K. Therefore, RT-A2 may be identified as a fatty acid (palmitic acid). Its optimum dose of inducing TNF is 50 micrograms/ml in vitro. TNF induced in the cell culture was demonstrated by monoclone antibody neutralizing test. (source)

IN VITRO:

1. Zhou L, et al., [Effect of the active components of Ranunculus ternatus Thunb. on the inductive production of tumor necrosis factors by macrophages]. Zhongguo Yi Xue Ke Xue Yuan Xue Bao. 1995 Dec; 17(6):456-60. Chinese.
   
   

Safety