Gang Song
StarBaeckea frutescens L.
Synonyms: Baeckea chinensis Gaertn., Baeckea sinensis Gaertn., Leptospermum frutescens (L.) J.F.Gmel.
Traditionally used for
- Headaches
- Colds & fever
- Digestion
- Bowel health
- Urinary & fluids
- Pain & joints
- Heart & circulation
- Skin
- Liver & jaundice
☯ TCM Properties
Dispels Damp Heat; Kills parasites and relieves itching; Promotes the circulation of Qi and alleviates pain
Traditional Chinese Uses
Gang Song (Folium Baeckeae Frutescens, 崗松) is bitter and cold and is used to clear and drain Damp-Heat. It dispels Damp-Heat and is applied for damp-heat patterns including jaundice, dysentery, damp-heat sores and skin eruptions, urinary dribbling and summerheat conditions. It kills parasites and relieves itching, so decoctions and washes are used externally for eczema, tinea, scabies and itchy damp skin lesions. It also promotes the circulation of Qi and alleviates pain, easing epigastric and abdominal distension and rheumatic aching. In folk practice the aromatic dried herb is burned as a fumigant or decocted for colds, headache and influenza. It is generally well tolerated; the cold, draining nature warrants caution in Spleen-Stomach deficiency-cold.
Relationships
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Botanical Description
Baeckea frutescens is a heath-like evergreen shrub of the Myrtaceae, reaching 1-3 m, with slender wiry branchlets and crowded, small, needle-like linear leaves that are aromatic when crushed. It produces tiny solitary white 5-petalled flowers in the leaf axils, followed by minute capsular fruits. The plant favours poor, sandy, acidic soils on open hillsides and heathland. The dried leafy aerial parts (Folium Baeckeae Frutescens), known in Chinese as Gang Song (崗松), constitute the medicinal material; they are strongly aromatic and bitter. Gang Song is botanically and therapeutically distinct from the superficially similar-sounding Gan Song (甘松, Nardostachys), which is an unrelated valerian-family root.
Open sunny hillsides, sandy acidic heathland, pine barrens and coastal scrub in warm-temperate to tropical zones.
Active Constituents
beta-Caryophyllene
Bicyclic sesquiterpeneConcentration: 28.05% of the volatile fraction of a supercritical CO2 extract of the leaves, the single largest component
The dominant sesquiterpene of the leaf volatile fraction. It is the main carrier of the aromatic, damp-dispersing character of the drug and contributes to the extract's fumigant antifungal activity.
alpha-Caryophyllene (alpha-humulene)
Monocyclic sesquiterpeneConcentration: 24.02% of the volatile fraction of the same supercritical CO2 leaf extract
The second major sesquiterpene of the leaf oil, present at almost the same level as beta-caryophyllene, with which it shares a biosynthetic origin.
delta-Cadinene
Bicyclic sesquiterpeneConcentration: 6.29% of the volatile fraction of the supercritical CO2 leaf extract
A minor sesquiterpene of the leaf oil, contributing to its overall antimicrobial profile.
Eucalyptol (1,8-cineole)
Monoterpene oxideConcentration: 5.46% of the volatile fraction of the supercritical CO2 leaf extract
One of four oxygenated terpenes, with terpineol, linalool and terpinen-4-ol, shown to carry the contact antifungal activity of the extract, with MIC50 values of 0.62-2.79 microlitres/mL against Pseudopestalotiopsis camelliae-sinensis and Colletotrichum gloeosporioides. Terpineol was the most active of the four.
Frutescone O
Terpene-phloroglucinol meroterpenoidConcentration: an isolated constituent of the aerial parts; not routinely quantified in the crude drug
Frutescone O suppresses nitric oxide production and iNOS expression in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages and dose-dependently reduces IL-1beta, IL-6 and TNF-alpha. Molecular docking and cellular thermal shift assay place it at the TLR4-MD2 active site, upstream of the MyD88, NF-kB and MAPK cascades.
Baeckein E
C-methylated biflavonoidConcentration: an isolated constituent of the aerial parts; the baeckein series was first characterised from the roots
Baeckein E inhibits NLRP3 inflammasome activation at both the priming and the assembly step, blocking pyroptosis and IL-1beta release in macrophages and reducing ankle swelling in a monosodium urate mouse model of gout. The baeckeins are an unusual skeleton, a flavonol conjugated to a coumaronochromone.
6-C-Methylquercetin
C-methylated flavonolConcentration: an isolated constituent of the aerial parts; not routinely quantified in the crude drug
Inhibits human prostate cancer PC3 cells, an effect attributed to ErbB/PI3K/AKT pathway signalling. This is laboratory work with no bearing on how the crude drug is used.
Evidence Tier
Moderate evidence · 5 studiesRecorded studies by study design, strongest design at the top. This is a study-design tier only, not a GRADE rating: it does not weigh risk of bias, consistency or precision.
Systematic review / meta-analysis
0
Randomized controlled trial
0
Other clinical trial
0
Observational / case report
0
In vitro / animal
5
1 verified · 4 unverified
Show 5 studies
- Chemical Composition of a Supercritical Fluid (Sfe-CO2) Extract from Baeckea frutescens L. Leaves and Its Bioactivity Against Two Pathogenic Fungi Isolated from the Tea Plant (Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze)
- Baeckein E suppressed NLRP3 inflammasome activation through inhibiting both the priming and assembly procedure: Implications for gout therapy
- Frutescone O from Baeckea frutescens Blocked TLR4-Mediated Myd88/NF-κB and MAPK Signaling Pathways in LPS Induced RAW264.7 Macrophages
- Baeckea frutescens L. Promotes wound healing by upregulating expression of TGF-β, IL-1 β, VEGF and MMP-2
- 6-C-methylquercetin in Baeckea frutescens exerts anti-prostate cancer effect via ErbB/PI3K/AKT pathway
Other / unclassified
0
Verified: design read from PubMed for a DOI that resolves to the cited paper Unverified: taken from the study's recorded description
Clinical Studies
Chemical Composition of a Supercritical Fluid (Sfe-CO2) Extract from Baeckea frutescens L. Leaves and Its Bioactivity Against Two Pathogenic Fungi Isolated from the Tea Plant (Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze)
The volatile fraction of Baeckea frutescens leaves was obtained by supercritical CO2 extraction and analysed. The major components were beta-caryophyllene (28.05%), alpha-caryophyllene (24.02%), delta-cadinene (6.29%) and eucalyptol (5.46%). Terpineol, linalool, terpinen-4-ol and eucalyptol showed strong contact antifungal activity against Pseudopestalotiopsis camelliae-sinensis and Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, with MIC50 values of 0.69-2.79 and 0.62-2.18 microlitres/mL respectively, and the whole volatile fraction inhibited both fungi by 20.87-92.91% by fumigation. Terpineol was the most active single compound.
Baeckein E suppressed NLRP3 inflammasome activation through inhibiting both the priming and assembly procedure: Implications for gout therapy
Baeckein E, isolated from the aerial parts of Baeckea frutescens, suppressed pyroptosis and IL-1beta secretion in LPS/ATP-stimulated J774A.1 macrophages and reduced ankle swelling in C57BL/6 mice given subcutaneous monosodium urate crystals. It blocked NLRP3 inflammasome assembly by interfering with pro-caspase-1 binding to ASC, limited mitochondrial damage and ROS production, and inhibited MAPK and NF-kB signalling. Mouse and cell work only.
Frutescone O from Baeckea frutescens Blocked TLR4-Mediated Myd88/NF-κB and MAPK Signaling Pathways in LPS Induced RAW264.7 Macrophages
Frutescone O from the aerial parts of Baeckea frutescens reduced iNOS expression and nitric oxide production in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages and dose-dependently suppressed IL-1beta, IL-6 and TNF-alpha. It reduced nuclear NF-kB (p50) and the phosphorylation of p38, JNK, ERK and MyD88. Docking and cellular thermal shift assays indicated stable binding at the TLR4-MD2 active site.
Baeckea frutescens L. Promotes wound healing by upregulating expression of TGF-β, IL-1 β, VEGF and MMP-2
An ethanolic extract of Baeckea frutescens leaves increased proliferation and migration of HaCaT keratinocytes and BJ fibroblasts and upregulated TGF-beta, IL-1beta, VEGF and MMP-2 at both gene and protein level. In Wistar rats it accelerated closure of excisional wounds and improved tensile strength on histology. This is consistent with the traditional Southeast Asian use for snakebite wounds and as a haemostatic, but remains a rodent result.
6-C-methylquercetin in Baeckea frutescens exerts anti-prostate cancer effect via ErbB/PI3K/AKT pathway
6-C-methylquercetin, a C-methylated flavonol of Baeckea frutescens, inhibited human prostate cancer PC3 cells, with the effect attributed to signalling through the ErbB/PI3K/AKT pathway. Cell-line work; there is no clinical evidence for this herb in prostate cancer and it should not be presented to patients as an anticancer agent.
References
- Hou JQ; Zhao H; Yu JH; Chen LJ; Wang H. New meroterpenoids and C-methylated flavonoid isolated from Baeckea frutescens . Chinese Journal of Natural Medicines (2020) [DOI]
- Jia BX; Zeng XL; Ren FX; Jia L; Chen XQ; Yang J; Liu HM; Wang Q. Baeckeins F–I, four novel C-methylated biflavonoids from the roots of Baeckea frutescens and their anti-inflammatory activities . Food Chemistry (2014) [DOI]
- Shahruzaman SH; Yusof FZ; Maniam S; Fakurazi S; Maniam S. The cytotoxic effect of Baeckea frustescens extracts in eliminating hypoxic breast cancer cells . BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies (2021) [DOI]
This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any herbal remedy, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or taking medications.
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