Family

Lamiaceae

Genus

Clinopodium

Common Name

Feng Lun Cai

Plant Figure

Description

Clinopodium chinense from the genus Clinopodium of the Lamiaceae family is recorded in the Chinese pharmacopoeia. The aerial parts of C. chinense, as well as Clinopodium polycephalum, known as duanxueliu in China, are used as a traditional folk medicine for treating diseases such as hematuria, influenza, and allergic dermatitis. Previous studies of the chemical constituents of C. chinense have indicated that triterpenoid saponins are the major chemical components of C. chinense. Triterpenoid saponins exert important pharmacological effects including hemostatic, antitumor, and anti-hyperglycemic activities.