Cnidium monnieri (L.) Cusson ex Juss., Monnier's snowparsley, is a flowering plant species in the genus Cnidium.[1] Also known as Shechuangzi, Osthole, Jashoshi, Cnidii Fructus (Fruits of Cnidium). It may be confused with Bacopa monnieri, Ligusticum officinale (syn. Cnidium officinale), both similar but different plants.[2] The coumarins osthol, imperatorin and xanthotoxol can be found in C. monnieri.
| Cnidium monnieri | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Apiales |
| Family: | Apiaceae |
| Genus: | Cnidium |
| Species: | C. monnieri
|
| Binomial name | |
| Cnidium monnieri (L.) Cusson
| |
Naming
editCnidium monnieri was already described and the name validly published by Carl Linnaeus. It was Pierre Cusson, however, who reclassified it into today's valid botanical systematics in 1787.[3]
Taxonomy
editCnidium monnieri is a species in the genus Cnidium which contains approximately 11 to 35 species and belongs to the family[permanent dead link] of the Apiaceae (carrot family).[3]
Characteristics
editPlants annual, 10–60(–80) cm. Taproot 2–3 mm thick. Stem solitary, striate, scabrous. Lower petioles 3–8 cm; blade ovate-lanceolate, 3–8 × 2–5 cm, 2–3-pinnate; ultimate segments linear to linear-lanceolate, 3–10 × 1–1.5 mm, veins and margins scabrous. Umbels 2–3(–5) cm across; bracts 6–10, linear to linear-lanceolate, 2–3 mm, persistent, margins narrowly white membranous, very finely ciliate; rays 8–20(–30), 5–20 mm, unequal; bracteoles 5–9, linear, nearly equal pedicels, margins ciliate; umbellules 15–20-flowered; pedicels 3–5 mm. Calyx teeth obsolete or minute. Stylopodium conic; styles 3–4 times longer than stylopodium. Fruit ovoid, 1.5–3 × 1–2 mm; lateral ribs slightly broader than the dorsal. Seed face plane. Fl. Apr–Jul, fr. Jul–Oct.[4]
Growth
editThe plants reach heights of 10 to 80 centimetres.[3]
Leaves
editCnidium monnieri has bipinnate leaves that are alternate. The linear leaflets are ciliate and petiolate.[3]
Flowers and fruits
editCnidium monnieri produces compound umbels of white five-stellate flowers from April to July.
The plants produce achenes.[3]
Distribution
editCnidium monnieri is native to India, China, Korea, Laos, Mongolia, Vietnam, the European Russia (Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova, Crimea) and Europe.[3] Grows in riparian grasslands and is adventive in North America (Oregon).[4]
Cultivation
editPests and Diseases Literature:
- Walter Erhardt, Erich Götz, Nils Bödeker, Siegmund Seybold: Der große Zander. Eugen Ulmer KG, Stuttgart 2008, ISBN 978-3-8001-5406-7. (Ger.)
- Christoper Brickell (Editor-in-chief): RHS A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants. Third edition. Dorling Kindersley, London 2003, ISBN 0-7513-3738-2.
Medicinal use
editCnidium monnieri (L.) Cuss. is one of the most widely used traditional herbal medicines and its fruits have been used to treat a variety of diseases in China, Vietnam, and Japan. As of this writing, 350 compounds have been isolated and identified from C. monnieri, including the main active constituent, coumarins. In vitro and in vivo studies suggest that osthole and other coumarin compounds possess wide range of pharmacological properties effective in the treatment of disorders of the female genitalia, male impotence, frigidity, skin-related diseases, and that, in this context, they exhibit strong antipruritic, anti-allergic, antidermatophytic, antibacterial, antifungal, anti-osteoporotic effects. Although coumarins have been identified as the main active constituents responsible for the observed pharmacological effects, the molecular mechanisms of their actions are still unknown.[5] A pro-erectile herb from traditional Chinese medicine, Cnidium monnieri and its main bioactive known as osthole appear to have mechanisms similar to Viagra in penile tissue and the hippocampus; the influence of Cnidium monnieri on testosterone and cognition remains unexplored.[2]
Cnidii Fructus has also been used in the treatment of lumbar pain.[6] The fruit is known for its anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties, which can help alleviate discomfort in the lower back.[7] Traditional preparations often involve combining Cnidii Fructus with other herbs to enhance its therapeutic effects.[8] Bioactive compounds in Cnidii Fructus, such as osthol, contribute to its pain-relieving capabilities.[9]
References
edit- ^ "Cnidium monnieri (L.) Cusson ex Juss. Monnier's snowparsley". Plants Database. USDA. Retrieved 3 January 2016.
- ^ a b "Cnidium monnieri". Retrieved 3 January 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f "Cnidium monnieri". Hortipedia. Retrieved 3 January 2016.
- ^ a b "Cnidium monnieri (Linnaeus) Cusson, Mém. Soc. Méd. Emul. Paris. 280. 1782". Flora of China. Retrieved 3 January 2016.
- ^ Li YM; et al. (2015). "Cnidium monnieri: A Review of Traditional Uses, Phytochemical and Ethnopharmacological Properties". Am J Chin Med. 43 (5): 835–77. doi:10.1142/S0192415X15500500. PMID 26243582.
- ^ Higgins, Maria (Oct 16, 2019). "The Healing Effects of Cnidii Fructus Extracts". Stanford Chemicals. Retrieved June 30, 2024.
- ^ Yanyun, C; Ying, T; Wei, K (2021). "Preliminary Study on Antifungal Mechanism of Aqueous Extract of Cnidium monnieri Against Trichophyton rubrum". Front. Microbiol. 12. doi:10.3389/fmicb.2021.707174. PMC 8417377. PMID 34489895.
- ^ Christopher Hobbs, Kathi Keville (2007). "Chapter 8: Women's Anti-infection Tea". Women's Herbs, Women's Health. Botanica Press. p. 158. ISBN 978-1570671524.
- ^ Sum, M.; Sun, M.; Zhang, J. (2021). "Osthole:an overview of its sources, biological activities, and modification development". Med Chem Res. 30 (10): 1767–1794. doi:10.1007/s00044-021-02775-w. PMC 8341555. PMID 34376964.
External links
edit- Cnidium monnieri at the United States Department of Agriculture
- Cnidium monnieri in the Flora of China
