Peony, White

Other names: Lucerne?

Scientific  name: Paeonia lactiflora

Common names: Bai Shao (Mandarin), Peony, White Peony

Ayurvedic names:

Chinese names: Bai shao yao, Mu dan pi

Bangladesh names: Oode Salam 

Arabic names:    البايونيا (al baioniah)

Rain Forest names:

Family: Fabaceae?

Approximate number of species known:

Common parts used: Root

Collection: late spring

Annual/Perennial: Perennial

Height: 20 to 28 inches

Actions: anti-allergic, anticonvulsant, anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, bitter, cognition enhancer, immune enhancing, skeletal muscle relaxant, slightly cold, sour

Known Constituents: paeoniflorin (monoterpene glycoside), benzoylpaeoniflorin, albiflorin, oxypaeoniflorin, pentagalloylglucose, paeonilactones A, B and C

Constituents Explained:

Description: 

Traditional Use: 

Used for female complaints such as period pain, fibroids, polycytic ovaries, and to induice fertility.

Clinical Studies:

A study observed the effect of total glucosides of paeony (TGP) combined with methotrex-ate (MTX) on rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Two hundred and sixty patients were assigned to two groups, the treated group (180 cases) was orally administered with MTX plus TGP, and the control group (80 cases) with MTX plus sulfasalazine (SSZ).

The therapeutic course for both groups was 24 weeks. The clinical effect and the indexes for RA were observed after treatment.

The total effective rate at the 4th, 8th, 12th, 24th week of the treatment was 70%, 81%, 94%, 98% in the treated group, and 60%, 85%, 93%, 94% in the control, respectively, with insignificant difference found between the two groups.

Various indexes of RA were markedly improved in both two groups after treatment but the improvement in the treated group was better than that in the control group. 

TGP combined MTX treatment shows favorable effect on RA, showing a quicker initiation with less side-effect and higher compliance.

Reference:

Wang Y, Xing HY. “Clinical Observation On Effect Of Total Glucosides Of Paeony Combined With Methotrexate On Rheumatoid Arthritis.” 2007 September http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17969901