Scientific name: Ardisia elliptiphylla
Family: Myrsinaceae (also known as Zijiniu or "Chinese Boxwood")
Common Names: Pingdimu, Ye Xiahong ("Li Shu Cao Mi"), red leaf, dwarf foot ("Yang Chunya experience side"), dwarf tea, Xuelizhu, dwarf grass, ground tea ("Plant Name" Tu Kao Chang Bian), Dwarf Cha He ("Grasswood"), Dwarf Tea Wind, Green Bar ("Category of Herbal Medicine"), Dwarf Tea ("Tianbao Herb"), a little in the Millennium ("Chinese Medicine Zhi Zhi"), Ye Xiazhu ("Jiangxi Folk Herbs"), old and young ("Zhejiang Folk Herbs"), covered parasol, Xiaolang Umbrella ("Guangxi Medicinal Herbs List"), dwarf tea, Yin Shanhong, Azalea Red, Wild Leaf ("Shanghai Common Chinese Herbal Medicine"), Shorty Tea ("Hunan Medicine Journal").
Plant Morphology:
Ardisia elliptiphylla is a small evergreen shrub, typically 10–30 cm tall. The underground stems are warty with fine adventitious roots. The stems are simple, cylindrical, about 2 mm in diameter, with a violet-brown surface marked by fine stripes and short pitted hairs.
The leaves are alternate, usually 3 to 4 per stem, and appear rounded. The petioles range from 5 to 10 mm in length and are densely covered with short glandular hairs. There are no stipules. The blade is elliptic, measuring 3.5–7 cm long and 1.5–3 cm wide, with a pointed tip, serrated edges, and a wedge-shaped base. The upper surface is green and glossy, while the lower surface is lavender. The leaves become leathery as they age, with sparse fine hairs along the veins and smooth on both sides.
Flowers grow from the stem tips or axils, forming clusters of 2–6 umbrella-like inflorescences. The flowers are bisexual, with a five-lobed calyx and a white or reddish five-parted corolla. The petals are ovate with an acute apex, and both surfaces are glabrous with red spots. There are five stamens and one pistil, with a globose ovary and a narrow, curved style at the top.
The fruit is a drupe that turns red when cooked and remains on the plant for a long time. Flowering occurs from July to August.
Distribution:
This plant is found in Fujian, Jiangxi, Hunan, Sichuan, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Guizhou, Guangxi, Yunnan, and other regions.
Collection:
It can be collected throughout the year, washed, and dried for use.
Chemical Composition:
The whole plant contains 0.1–0.2% volatile oil. After removing the oil, the effective anti-tussive compound, dwarf tea No. 1 (bergenin), was isolated. Other compounds include 2-hydroxy-5-methoxy-3-pentadecenyl phenylhydrazine and triterpenoids. The leaves also contain quercetin, bayberry bark, bergenin, and holly sterol.
Pharmacological Effects:
1. Antitussive Effect: Both the decoction and extract, particularly dwarf tea No. 1, show significant antitussive activity against cough induced by electrical stimulation of the superior laryngeal nerve in cats and ammonia spray. Its effect is comparable to 1/4 to 1/7 of a cocaine dose and shows no tolerance in cats over 23 days. It likely acts centrally, possibly in the midbrain, without affecting other systems like respiration or pain perception.
2. Expectorant and Antiasthmatic Effect: The herbal tea has a strong expectorant effect in mice, similar to platycodon, and does not irritate rabbit eyes. However, it lacks a clear antiasthmatic effect in guinea pigs.
3. Effects on Tracheal-Pulmonary Tissue Respiration: The tea reduces oxygen consumption in rat trachea-lung tissue, possibly through sulfhydryl group-containing enzymes, though the effect is mild.
4. Antiviral Effect: The decoction inhibits Staphylococcus aureus and influenza virus in chick embryos, but its antibacterial effect diminishes after tannin removal. In vitro, volatile oils and flavonoids show some antibacterial activity, but achieving effective concentrations in vivo is challenging.
5. Effect on Experimental Bronchitis: Oral administration of dwarf tea No. 1 showed protective effects against chronic bronchitis in rats, reducing goblet cell proliferation, inflammation, and lung damage.
6. Metabolism and Excretion: Dwarfiacin 1 is rapidly absorbed and excreted, mostly within 12 hours, mainly as the parent compound. This suggests quick elimination via the kidneys, contributing to its clinical efficacy.
Toxicity:
Oral toxicity of dwarf tea No. 1 is low. Intraperitoneal LD50 in mice is 10 g/kg for crude extracts and 0.84 g/kg for purified flavonoids. Subacute toxicity tests showed no harmful effects on organs or growth in rats even at high doses.
Taste:
Bitter and slightly astringent.
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