What Is Mi Meng Hua
Mi Meng Hua also known as Flos Buddlejae is the flower bud and inflorescence of Buddleja Officinalis, which is a deciduous shrub belonging to the family Loganiaceae. It first appeared in <Lei Gong Pao Zhi Lun> (Master Lei’s Discourse on Processing of Chinese Materia Medica) in the Northern and Southern Dynasties (420 AD–589 AD).
Buddleja Officinalis is an ornamental plant that often grows in the shrubs on sunny slopes, rivers, or villages at 200-2,800 meters above sea level. They are distributed in China, Bhutan, Myanmar, and Vietnam. Its flowers can extract aromatic oils and can be made into yellow food dyes.
Before the Buddleja Officinalis bloom every spring, people gather their flower buds and inflorescences, remove their impurities, dry them in the sun, and make them into Chinese herbal medicines.
Mi Meng Hua contains apigenin, apigenin-7-o-β-D-glucopyranoside, apigenin-7-0-rutinoside, acacetin, linarin, neobudofficide, luteolin, luteolin-7-o-glucopyranoside, luteolin-7-o-rutinoside, calceolarioside A, bioside, isoacteoside, ateoside, forsythoside B, angomside A, poliumoside, ecllinacoside, neobudofficide B, martynoside, cistanoside F, D-mannito, galactitol, vanillic acid, mannitol, α-spinasterol, triterpenes, monoterpenes, cycloolefins Ether terpenes, saponins, and volatile oils.
Generally, the grayish-yellow or brownish-yellow Mi Meng Hua with dense hairs covering the surface is preferred.
According to the Chinese Pharmacopoeia, the medicinal nature of Mi Meng Hua is slightly cold, with a sweet taste. It has a certain therapeutic effect on the pathological changes of the liver and gallbladder meridians.
In traditional Chinese medicine, it is often used to clear heat and pure fire, nourish the liver and improve eyesight, and treat conjunctivitis, nebula, cataract, dry eye, diabetic retinopathy, and photophobia.
There are about 50 kinds of Chinese medicine prescriptions containing it, such as Boyun Tuo Yi Wan, Jinhua Mingmu Wan, and Huanglian Yanggan Wan.
Benefits
- Inhibiting H3N2, H1N1 influenza virus, and hepatitis B virus.
- Anti-oxidation, scavenging DPPH free radicals, hydroxyl free radicals, ABTS free radicals, and superoxide anion free radicals.
- Improving the activity of T lymphocytes, stimulating the proliferation of dendritic cells, and improving immunity.
- Inhibiting the activity of aldose reductase, lowering blood sugar levels, and delaying diabetic complications such as retinopathy and cataracts.
- Inhibiting the proliferation of vascular endothelial cells, the formation of new blood vessels, and the proliferation of retinal Muller cells, and preventing diabetic retinopathy.
- Inhibiting the expression of Caspase-3, reducing the apoptosis of nerve cells induced by MPP, and treating Parkinson’s disease.
- Its extract can inhibit lipid accumulation and adipocyte differentiation.
- Purging liver-fire, treating the redness, swelling, and pain of eyes caused by flaming-up of liver-fire.
- Treating photophobia caused by endognous fire.
- Treating nebula caused by the stagnation of liver-fire.
- Clearing liver-heat and nourishing the liver, relieving blurred vision and dry eyes caused by liver deficiency.
- Studies have found that acacetin has a vitamin P-like effect, which can reduce formaldehyde inflammation, reduce the permeability and fragility of skin and small intestine blood vessels, and has antispasmodic, mild choleretic, and diuretic effects.
- Inhibiting Cryptobacterium pyogenes, Salmonella, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Streptococcus hemolyticus.
Combinations
- It can be used in combination with Chan Tui (Periostracum Cicadae), Bai Ji Li (Fructus Tribuli), etc. to eliminate nebula.
- It can be used in combination with Ju Hua (Flos Chrysanthemi), Gan Cao (Licorice Root), etc. to treat the redness, swelling, and pain of eyes caused by flaming-up of liver-fire.
- It can be used in combination with Tu Si Zi (Semen Cuscutae), Shan Yao (Rhizoma Dioscoreae), Rou Cong Rong (Cistanche), etc. to treat blurred vision and dry eyes.
- It can be used in combination with Mu Zei (Scouring Rush), Shi Jue Ming (Concha Haliotidis), Qiang Huo (Rhizoma et Radix Notopterygii), etc. to treat photophobia caused by endognous fire.
Side Effects
- At present, there is no data showing that Mi Meng Hua has a toxic effect, and there is no report of serious adverse reactions after taking it at the prescribed dose.
Precautions and Warnings
- The dosage of Mi Meng Hua should be controlled between 9-15g.
- It can be made into decoctions or pills.
- People who are allergic to Mi Meng Hua should not take it.
- Patients with eye diseases caused by internal lesions should not take it.
- Pregnant and breastfeeding women should not take it.
- Children, the elderly, and the infirm should not take it.