Qiyelian (Scheffera arboricola) - an Analgesic Herbal

Qiyelian is the root or stem and leaf of Scheffera arboricola (family Araliaceae), mainly distributed in Guizhou, Guangxi, Guangdong, Hainan, and Taiwan. It is not a commonly used Chinese herb, but in Guizhou and the two Guang provinces it is widely used in folk medicine.

Qiyelian has a marked analgesic effect; in Guangdong and Guangxi it is mainly used for rheumatic pain. Besides pain relief, Zhuang medicine uses it for cirrhotic ascites, Dong medicine for acute and chronic nephritis, and Yao medicine for anemia (taken internally) and skin itching (decocted for external washing of the affected area). But in fact, facarinol contained in Scheffera arboricola is a sensitizer for allergic contact dermatitis, so patients with allergic skin diseases should use it cautiously.

Qiyelian can treat various pains, and its analgesic effect is even superior to atropine. Chinese Medical Journal <1976, 56(2): 107> reported observing 66 cases of various types of pain, some of which could not be relieved by oral analgesics, or by injected atropine or chlorpromazine; they were given intramuscular Qiyelian injection. Pain disappeared in 25 cases, was markedly reduced in 23, and relieved in 12; the shortest onset time was 10 minutes, and the great majority showed no significant side effects within 30 minutes.

The Guangxi Guilin Medical College pharmaceutical factory also reported treating 1500 cases of various pains with Qiyelian injection; the patients had diseases of the digestive, nervous, respiratory, and connective-tissue systems, and the analgesic effect was significant. For cancer pain, the usual dose was not obviously effective, but at double the dose the analgesic effect was significant, and patients with cancer pain tended to fall asleep after use.

The Chinese patent medicine Qiyelian tablets (sugar-coated) also have good analgesic effects and are widely used for sciatica, trigeminal neuralgia, biliary colic, functional headache, cancer pain, tension headache, and abdominal pain. The effective rate is 80% for sciatica, 90.5% for biliary colic, 87.5% for functional headache, 76.5% for cancer pain, 91% for tension headache, and up to 100% for abdominal pain.

Because of its good analgesic action, Qiyelian has even been used as an anesthetic in dental extraction, jaw cyst excision, and jaw fracture reduction.

Qiyelian can also be used for herpes zoster and asthma. Qiyelian injection relieves asthma symptoms with fairly rapid anti-wheezing action. Qiyelian tablets or injection also quickly relieve pain in herpes zoster.

In Guangdong and Guangxi folk, Qiyelian is decocted in water for internal use or soaked in liquor, to treat pain from fractures and arthritis; the daily dose in decoction is 9-30 g. Cancer patients using Qiyelian decoction for pain may increase the dose to 60-100 g, but cancer patients should not take Qiyelian soaked in liquor, because alcohol can promote rapid cancer progression.

Qiyelian has low toxicity. The LD50 of intravenous Qiyelian injection in mice is 150 g (crude drug)/kg; the usual adult dose by body weight is far below this value, so it is very safe.