Tripterygium wilfordii Hook. f. (Celastraceae) is a perennial vine growing in southern China. The herb, also called Lei Gong Teng (Thunder God Vine or "three-wing nut"), has been used in Chinese medicine for treatment of fever, edema, and carbuncles for centuries. Tripterygium has anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive activity. For more tripterygium research.
What's in tripterygium
plant?
Tripterygium contains terpinoids such as triptolide, tripdiolide, tripchlorolide,
demethylzelastral, wilforlide B, and wilforlide, wilfortrine, wilfordine,
wilforgine and wilforine, Another research paper called them sesquiterpene
alkaloids: Wilfortrine, wilfordine, wilforgine and wilforine. We don't know
enough about this type of chemistry to determine whether terpinoids and
sesquiterpene alkaloids are related.
Potential clinical uses
Rheumatoid arthritis condition
Lupus disease
Leiomyomas (uterine fibroids)
Autoimmune disorders
Tripterygium has been
tested in vitro against glioblastoma cells
Benefit of triptolide found
in tripterygium for autoimmune conditions
Triptolide alters mitochondrial functions.
Adv Exp Med Biol. 2007;599:139-46. Su Y, Yang S, Xiao Z, Wang W,
Okunieff P, Zhang L. Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Rochester
Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA.
Triptolide, a small molecule purified from the herb Tripterygium
wilfordii, has potential clinical application for suppression of chronic
autoimmune disorders and inhibition of tumor growth. In this study, the effect
of Triptolide on mitochondria was explored with a panel of molecular probes that
detect the alteration of mitochondrial functions. When Lewis lung carcinoma
(LLC) cells were treated with different doses of Triptolide for four hours,
impaired mitochondrial functions were detected. This included an increased
production of reactive oxygen species, the opening of the transition pore of
mitochondria, the depolarization of the mitochondria membrane, the inhibition of
the production of ATP and increased release of ATP as well as the induction of
apoptosis. It is likely that by impairment of mitochondrial function, Triptolide
exerts its inhibitory effect on growth of tumor and progression of inflammatory
disease.
Caution
Tripterygium has anti-fertility effect in male rats and in men after oral
administration at dose levels not showing apparent toxicity or side effects. Fertility
appears to be reversible after cessation of treatment.
Tripterygium therapy may cause amenorrhea in women
Long-term administration of Tripterygium could decrease bone mineral density
levels in women.