aconitum carmichaelii

Aconitum carmichaelii is a perennial herb native to East Asia and eastern Russia and is commonly known as Chinese aconite or Carmichael’s monkshood. It has been used for centuries in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), particularly the lateral ("Fuzi") and mother ("Chuanwu") roots. Traditionally it has been employed for analgesic (pain-relieving), anti-inflammatory and antirheumatic purposes as well as in the treatment of heart failure and rheumatoid arthritis. The plant contains a variety of alkaloids—most notably diester-type diterpene alkaloids such as aconitine—which are highly toxic but also considered the main active ingredients. Polysaccharides from the root have shown hypoglycemic (blood sugar lowering), hypolipidemic (lipid lowering), cardiovascular protective effects and immunomodulatory activity in preclinical studies. However—due to its extreme toxicity—even small amounts can cause fatal poisoning by paralyzing respiratory or cardiac muscle; thus its use is not recommended outside of strictly controlled settings[2][4][5][6]. Processing methods may reduce toxicity but do not eliminate risk.

Other names

aconiteaconiti tuberblue rocketbushicaowuchuanwudevil's helmetfriar's capfutzuhelmet flowerleopard's banemonkshoodshenfusoldier's capwolfsbanewutouChinese aconiteCarmichael's monkshood