The Efficacy of the Chinese Patent Medicine Wuji Wan for Gastroenteritis
Wuji Wan is recorded in the Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China (Volume I, 2005 edition). Its composition is: Huanglian (Coptidis Rhizoma, coptis) 300 g, Zhizhi (processed Evodiae Fructus, evodia) 50 g, Chao Baishao (stir-fried Paeoniae Radix Alba, white peony) 300 g. Crush the three herbs into a fine powder, sieve, mix, form pills by panning with water, and dry to obtain the product.
According to traditional TCM theory, Wuji Wan drains liver fire and harmonizes the spleen and stomach. It is indicated for liver-stomach disharmony, bitter mouth with gastric discomfort, vomiting and acid regurgitation, abdominal pain, diarrhea and dysentery. These symptoms resemble the clinical features of modern reflux esophagitis, hyperchlorhydria, gastritis, and acute enteritis.
Wuji Wan was developed by adding Baishao to the Zuojin Wan formula (composed of Huanglian and Wuzhuyu). In Zuojin Wan, the ratio of Huanglian to Wuzhuyu is 6:1, and Wuji Wan retains this ratio. Zuojin Wan is indicated for liver fire invading the stomach, with gastric discomfort and acid regurgitation, vomiting and hypochondriac pain, hernial nodules and masses, and cholera with muscle spasms; it is a commonly used TCM remedy for acute digestive tract infection.
The Huanglian in Zuojin Wan has broad-spectrum antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects and has some therapeutic action against digestive tract diseases caused by a variety of pathogens. Wuzhuyu warms the middle and stops vomiting, relieving the vomiting caused by digestive tract disease. However, Zuojin Wan lacks the pain-relieving Baishao, so its analgesic effect is not as good as that of Wuji Wan. TCM holds that Baishao softens the liver and stops pain; modern pharmacological research shows that the total glucosides of paeony contained in Baishao indeed have good anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects and exert some inhibitory action on smooth muscle.
This small improvement made to Zuojin Wan enhances the clinical efficacy of Wuji Wan, making it more suitable for patients with digestive tract diseases.