Clears heat and purges fire — used for high fever, heat stroke, intense thirst, and febrile diseases from excess heat in the Lung and Stomach
Relieves toxicity and reduces swelling — used for pharyngitis, tonsillitis, carbuncles, and snake bites from heat toxicity
Secondary Actions
Promotes diuresis and reduces edema — used for dysuria, oliguria, urinary tract infections, and edema from damp-heat in the Small Intestine
Cools blood and stops bleeding — used for hematuria and hemorrhage from heat entering the blood level
Modern Research
Active Compounds
Chrysoeriol-7-O-β-D-glucoside — primary flavone glycoside; antioxidant and anti-inflammatory
Isovitexin (apigenin-6-C-glucoside) — flavone C-glycoside with anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and hepatoprotective properties
Isorhamnetin-3-O-β-D-glucoside and isoquercitrin — flavonol glycosides with antioxidant activity
p-Coumaric acid and caffeic acid — phenolic acids with antibacterial and anti-inflammatory activity
Protocatechuic acid and methyl gallate — phenolic acid antioxidants
D-Mannitol — polyol with antitussive and mild osmotic diuretic effects
Commelinin (malonylawobanin) — anthocyanin pigment of the blue flowers; antioxidant
Studied Effects
Phytochemical characterization — 15 compounds isolated including chrysoeriol glycoside, methyl gallate, p-coumaric and caffeic acids, and multiple novel flavonoid glycosides; several reported from the genus for the first time (PMID 24422397)
Antibacterial — methanol-phase extract achieves 58.33% inhibition rate against 24 species of common pathogenic bacteria; disrupts cell membrane integrity and increases membrane permeability in both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria (PMID 36840240)
Active constituents — early phytochemical study identified p-hydroxycinnamic acid (antibacterial) and D-mannitol (antitussive) as primary bioactive components (PMID 7945872)