Ziwan (Asteris Radix et Rhizoma) is a classic traditional Chinese medicine for relieving cough and resolving phlegm. Its application history can be traced back to Shennong’s Classic of Materia Medica. Under the background of the Silk Road civilization exchange, the compatibility prescription of Asteris Radix et Rhizoma contained in Dunhuang medical classics P.2882 reflects the integration and dissemination of Eastern and Western medical knowledge. Through the integration of herbal textual research and modern research methods, the chemical composition, pharmacological effects and clinical application of Asteris Radix et Rhizoma were systematically analyzed. Studies have shown that triterpenes such as shionone, cyclic peptide astins and flavonoids in Asteris Radix et Rhizoma are the material basis of its antitussive and expectorant, anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor effects. The classical drug pairs formed by its compatibility with Kuandonghua (Farfarae Flos) and Tinglizi (Descurainiae Semen or Lepidii Semen) have shown clear efficacy in the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma and lung cancer. It provides a scientific basis for the in-depth development of Asteris Radix et Rhizoma, and shows the important value of Silk Road civilization exchange in traditional medicine research.

Asteris Radix et Rhizoma  /  quercetin  /  shionone  /  relieves cough and asthma  /  antitumor  /  herb pair