mimosa

　　【Chinese name】 Mimosa

　　[Alias] Mimosa pudica ("Notes on Nanyue"), Mimosa pudica ("Herbal Medicine"), Hehucao ("Guangxi Tongzhi"), Phoebe pudica ("Guangzhou Flora"), Wangjiangnan ("Nanning Drug Chronicles").

　　[From He Shu] "Lingnan Medicine Collection"

　　[Origin] It is the whole plant of the leguminous plant Mimosa pudica.

　　[Plant form] Mimosa pudica

　　It is an erect, soupy or climbing semi-shrub, up to 1 meter high, with scattered sharp thorns and numerous inverted quills. There are usually 4 pinnae, arranged in a palmate shape; there are many leaflets, which are closed and drooping when touched. They are oblong, 8 to 13 mm long, with short pointed apex, scattered stinging hairs, and sessile. The flower head has a long stalk, solitary or 2 to 3 borne in the leaf axil, about 1 cm in diameter; the flowers are light red and very numerous; the calyx is bell-shaped, with short tooth lobes; the lower part of the corolla is connate, the upper part is 4-lobed, triangular, with 4 stamens, long filaments, extending; the ovary has a short stalk, the style is filamentous, and the stigma is borne. The pods are flat, slightly curved, numerous, 1 to 2 cm long, with a beak at the top, and 3 to 5 segments, with 1 seed in each segment. They fall off when mature, leaving only the pod edge with stinging hairs: the seeds are broad and oval. Flowering period is August.

　　Grows on hillsides, roadsides, wetlands, or cultivated. Distributed in East China, South China, and Southwest China.

　　The roots of this plant (Mimosa pudica) are also used for medicinal purposes. Details will be discussed in a separate article.

　　[Functions and Indications] Clearing heat, calming the nerves, eliminating accumulation, and detoxifying. Treat enteritis, gastritis, insomnia, malnutrition in children, hot and swollen eyes, deep abscesses, and herpes zoster.

　　①"Herbal Medicine Nature Preparation": "Relieves pain and reduces swelling. "

　　②"Materia Medica Qiuyuan": "Apply sores,"

　　③"Lingnan Medicine Collection": "Cure eye pain due to heat. "

　　④"Nanning Drug Chronicles": "Clear liver fire, treat malnutrition and hyperactivity of liver fire in children, and treat sores and pain externally." "

　　⑤Guangzhou Army's "Handbook of Commonly Used Chinese Herbal Medicines": "Soothes the mind and calms the mind. "

　　⑥"Practical Chinese Herbal Medicine": "Clears heat and promotes dampness. Treat deep abscess, enteritis, gastritis, hernia, and infantile malnutrition. "

　　[Collection] Harvested in summer and dried in the sun.

　　[Chemical Composition] The whole plant contains flavonoid glycosides, phenols, amino acids, organic acids, and also contains mimosine and mimosine o-β-D-glucoside. The leaves contain contractile proteins similar to myosin. The seeds contain about 17% oil, which has properties similar to soybean oil. The fatty acid composition of the oil is: 0.4% linolenic acid, 51% turbid acid, 31% oleic acid, 8.7% palmitic acid and 8.9% stearic acid. It also contains 2.5% unsaponifiable substances, mainly.

　　[Pharmacological effects] Plants containing mimosine can cause hair loss when eaten by horses, donkeys and other animals. Mimosine can be regarded as a toxic amino acid with a similar structure to tyrosine. Its toxic effects are due to the inhibition of the enzyme system that utilizes tyrosine, or the replacement of tyrosine in some important proteins. Feed containing 0.5 to 1.0% mimosaine can cause growth stagnation, hair loss, and cataracts in rats or mice. Ingestion of plants containing this alkali can cause hair to fall out suddenly. It mildly inhibits alkaline phosphatase and does not significantly inhibit metal-containing enzyme systems. Its low-iron complex is far less toxic. A large amount of tyrosine can antagonize the inhibitory effect of mimosine on the growth of rats.

　　[Usage and Dosage] Oral administration: decoction, 0.5 to 1 tael; or stew. External use: pound and apply.

　　【Select side】

　　①Treat neurasthenia and insomnia: 1 to 2 liang of Mimosa pudica (dry product). Decoction in water.

　　②To treat herpes zoster: Mimosa pudicae fresh leaves are mashed and applied externally.