Banbianlian (Lobelia Chinensis): Anti-Cancer, Diuretic and Swelling-Reducing Actions

The TCM herb Banbianlian is the whole herb with roots of Lobelia chinensis of the Campanulaceae family. It is called "half lotus" because its corolla resembles half a lotus flower. Banbianlian is first recorded in the Diannan Bencao, which states that it "chiefly and excellently treats blood hemorrhoids, male hemorrhoids, female hemorrhoids, sheep's-milk hemorrhoids, cock's-comb hemorrhoids, cauliflower hemorrhoids, and all sores and toxins; its branches and leaves boiled in water and used to wash all toxic sores and tinea work like a god." According to this record, Banbianlian treats hemorrhoids, various toxic sores, and psoriasis.

Modern TCM works mostly summarize its actions as clearing heat and detoxifying, and draining dampness and reducing swelling, using it for venomous-snake bites, welling-abscesses and ding boils, tonsillitis, eczema, tinea pedis, traumatic injuries, damp-heat jaundice, appendicitis, enteritis, nephritis, cirrhotic ascites, schistosomal ascites, and various cancers.

Screening by monolayer culture of cervical-cancer HeLa cells showed that Banbianlian has anti-cancer activity; in vivo experiments confirmed it inhibits mouse sarcoma S37. Lobeline also has an inhibitory effect on cancer cells. Banbianlian is widely used in oncology: liver, gastric, intestinal, esophageal, lung, laryngeal, nasopharyngeal, renal, eyelid, glioma, melanoma, malignant lymphoma, cervical and ovarian cancers—provided the pattern is internal excess of heat-toxin with water-damp obstruction, Banbianlian may be used. It is especially suitable for patients with pleural effusion, ascites, or pelvic effusion.

Banbianlian may be taken as a decoction or applied externally. The Shengcaoyaoxing Beiyao says it can "apply to sores and reduce swelling toxin." Banbianlian is common in the south; in my hometown a large patch grows by the damp ditch behind our house. My father often used it with Yizhihuangua (Goldenrod) externally for ding boils and furuncles; country people are not so particular—they pick it, crush it in their hands, and apply it. For red, swollen, hot, painful furuncles, this external application of a heat-clearing detoxifying herb works well; usually the swelling goes down overnight.

In some places Banbianlian is also used as an anti-snakebite medicine. Modern pharmacology confirms that Banbianlian decoction does have anti-snake-venom effects, but it must be given promptly; if given 25 minutes after venom injection, it no longer protects. I mentioned in an earlier article on the mechanism of toxins that the main toxin in snake venom is metalloproteinase, which inhibits platelet aggregation and causes fatal massive bleeding. Besides clearing heat and toxin, Banbianlian also has a hemostatic effect, so its anti-snake-venom action may relate to both. Country people collecting Banbianlian for snakebite usually combine external application and oral use.

Banbianlian's most common use is draining dampness and reducing swelling; it is a good diuretic. Animal and human experiments confirm that orally administered Banbianlian powder or decoction in anesthetized dogs, normal rats and humans all produces a significant, lasting diuretic effect. Urinary chloride excretion also increases markedly; deteriorated Banbianlian preparations lose this effect. Banbianlian is commonly used for jaundice hepatitis, ascites and edema.

For cancer, Banbianlian is often combined with Baihuasheshecao (Oldenlandia), Banzhilian (Scutellaria Barbata), Shijianchuan (Salvia Chinensis), Chonglou (Paris Rhizome), Shandougen (Sophora Tonkinensis Root), Xianhecao (Agrimonia) and other heat-clearing detoxifying herbs, and with Sanleng (Sparganium), Ezhu (Curcuma), Ruxiang (Frankincense) and Moyao (Myrrh) and other blood-activating, swelling-reducing herbs.

TCM textbooks generally classify Banzhilian as non-toxic, but in fact Banbianlian is toxic: the LD50 of Banbianlian decoction in mice by IV is 5.84–6.36 g/kg. Experimental mice showed respiratory excitement and restlessness before death, followed by convulsions, usually dying within five minutes of these side effects. But the gavage LD50 is much higher, reaching 60–80 g/kg; three months of continuous dosing showed no obvious side effects. The usual adult dose is 15–30 g, which for adults over 30 kg body weight means negligible toxicity. In practice, when I use Banbianlian for severe ascites, the common dose is 60 g, which is also very safe.

Modern research confirms Banbianlian also treats cellulitis, paederus dermatitis, herpes zoster, and ascites from cirrhosis in advanced schistosomiasis.

For herpes zoster, external treatment may be used: fresh Banbianlian is crushed and applied to the affected area, kept moist with cooled boiled water when dry; it relieves pain very rapidly, and most patients form scabs within a week.

For ascites from cirrhosis in advanced schistosomiasis, Banbianlian clearly increases urine output, but once ascites is nearly gone, urine output no longer increases. It also improves liver function, raising the patient's hemoglobin and red blood cells somewhat.