Rhus chinensis (family: Anacardiaceae) is a plant native to China and Japan. It is used for treatment of colds, fever, malaria and coughs. It contains two very important compounds:- gallic acid and PGG (pentagalloylglucose).
Ethanol (90%) extracts and petroleum ether fractions of stems from the plant have suppressed HIV-1 activity. This could be important in dealing with AIDS where drug-resistant variants develop.
References
Djakpo, O., & Yao, W. (2010). Rhus chinensis and Galla Chinensis–folklore to modern evidence. Phytotherapy Research, 24(12), pp. 1739-1747.
Wang, R. R., Gu, Q., Wang, Y. H., Zhang, X. M., Yang, L. M., Zhou, J., … & Zheng, Y. T. (2008). Anti-HIV-1 activities of compounds isolated from the medicinal plant Rhus chinensis. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 117(2), pp. 249-256
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