What is Pinellia ternata used for?
Pinellia ternata (Thunb. Breit. China, Japan and Korea. It’s drawing worldwide interests in medicinal applications owing such as anti-diarrhea, lipid-lowering, anti-tumor, anti-cough, expectorant, anti-gastric ulcer, etc. Pinellia ternata might not be safe. It contains a stimulant called ephedrine and might cause serious side effects such as heart attack, stroke, or seizures. Because of these safety concerns, this product is banned in the US.Since April 2004, pinellia ternata has been banned in the US because it contains chemicals called ephedrine alkaloids. These chemicals might cause serious side effects such as heart attack, stroke, or seizures. The ban does not apply to traditional Asian medicines containing this ingredient.
What is the Chinese name for Pinellia?
Pinellia ternata Breit (Chinese name Banhsia) (Fig. Araceae, is an important Chinese medicinal herb that has been used in clinical practice for over 2000 years. Pinelliae Rhizoma (PR), the tuber of Pinellia ternate (Thunb. Breit, is a commonly used Chinese herb with high bioactivity against cough and vomiting, or for eliminating the stagnation of phlegm [1,2,3]. PR is distributed in China, Korea, and Japan.