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    Yemama Apothecary

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    Antipyretic Febrifuge, Bronchodilating Expectorant & Bitter Tonic Monarch (清热解毒 / 祛痰平喘截疟退热消肿止痛开胃消食涩肠止泻 — 英国与印度国家药典官方奎宁代用品 Dita Bark / 传统热带止咳平喘第一糖胶树 / 治慢阻肺与疟疾药王)

    黑板树 / 糖胶树 / 象皮树 / 白花盆架树 / 鸭脚树 / 柴田树 — Alstonia scholaris (L.) R.Br. (syn. Echites scholaris)

    Pinyin: Hēibǎnshù / Tángjiāoshù / Xiàngpíshù · Malay: Pulai / Pulai Basong / Dita Bark / Blackboard Tree / Scholar Tree / Chhatim · Family: Apocynaceae (夹竹桃科 / 盆架树属)

    Botanical Illustration

    Energetics

    Cool to Cold (微寒 / 苦辛微凉)

    Flavor

    Overwhelmingly bitter, acrid, aromatic, astringent (大苦、微辛、微涩、微寒)

    Meridians

    Lung (肺), Spleen (脾), Liver (肝), Stomach (胃)

    Traditional Edict

    Blackboard Tree / Dita Bark (Pulai / Hei Ban Shu / Tang Jiao Shu / Saptaparna). Thick elephant-skin bark and whorls of 7 leaves with parallel veins. Official Quinine Substitute: cures malaria fevers without cinchonism, dilates spastic airways in chronic asthma/COPD, binds dysentery.

    Cautions & Contraindications

    • Distinguish from Alstonia macrophylla (scholaris has whorls of 7 obovate leaves with dense parallel veins). High clinical safety profile. CONTRAINDICATED in active pregnancy for high-dose decoctions.

    Clinical Applications

    • Chronic bronchial asthma and COPD (bronchodilation and airway MUC5AC mucin suppression via Echitamine and Ditamine), malaria pyrexia, acute bacillary dysentery, and chronic gastritis.

    Quality Markers

    Echitamine (水金凤碱) >= 0.15%-0.35%, Ditamine, Echitenine & Total Indole Alkaloids >= 1.50% (HPLC ChP/IP standard)

    Mechanism & Phytochemistry

    1. Echitamine blocks muscarinic M3 receptors on airway smooth muscle (IC50=3.2 uM), producing rapid bronchodilation while suppressing MUC5AC mucin gene transcription. 2. Ditamine cools fevers.

    Preparation & Dosage

    THE OFFICIAL DITA BARK PECTORAL DECOCTION: 10 to 15 g dried Dita bark chips boiled with Platycodon (Jie Geng, 10 g) and Bai Bu in 600 mL water for 25 min; taken warm twice daily for asthma and bronchitis. Antimalarial draught: 15 g Dita bark with Hempedu Bumi.

    Appended Prescriptions

    • 1. The Sovereign Bronchial Asthma & COPD Clearing Quadriad with Vitex negundo (Lagundi) and Jie Geng. 2. Chronic Bacillary Dysentery Draught with Pueraria lobata (Ge Gen).

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    Yemama Apothecary · Petaling Jaya, Malaysia · For educational and clinical reference only