Properties: Bitter, sweet, cold

Meridans Entered:
Primary: Liver, Stomach and Lung

1. Reduces abscesses and dissipates nodules
   Internal abscesses and external sores particularly if they are firm and hard, especially breast and intestinal abscess, Chuang Yung (internally and topically)
2. Clears the Liver and clears the eyes
   Eye redness and swelling (alone as a steam)
   Liver Heat, cirrhosis
3. Clears Heat, resolves Dampness and unblocks painful urinary dysfunction
   Damp-Heat painful urinary dysfunction
   Damp-Heat jaundice
4. Relieves Fire toxicity
   Fire toxicity , swollen, painful throat, upper respiratory tract infection
5. Promotes lactation
   Insufficient lactation due to Heat
6. Clears Heat in the Blood
   Congested Fire of the Spleen and Stomach

Suggested Daily Dosage: 10-30g in decoction.

Cautions: Overdosage may cause loose bowel or excessive urination. Concurrent use with quinolone antibiotics such as Ciprofloxacin may influence the bioavailability and disposition of the quinolone antibiotics.

• Inulin
  Indigestible prebiotic that stimulates the growth of beneficial bacteria in the colon, including Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli, thereby modulating the composition of microflora. This creates an environment that protects against pathogens, toxins and carcinogens, which can cause inflammation and cancer. In addition, fermentation of inulin leads to an increase in short-chain fatty acids and lactic acid production, thereby reducing colonic pH, which may further control pathogenic bacteria growth and may contribute to inulin's cancer protective properties
• Taraxasterol
  Metabolite and an anti-inflammatory agent
• Taraxalisin
  Enzyme found only in the latex of the roots which seems to get a lot of attention in discussion of dandelion but is absent from the Pubchem database and all enzyme databases searched to date. It "hydrolyzes a chromogenic peptide substrate Glp-Ala-Ala-Leu-pN" although what the actual effect of this is not stated anywhere.

Notes:

In western herbalism the plant is divided into the roots and ariel parts with the roots being used to treat the eyes and the liver and the ariel parts being used for fluids. The Chinese do not make a distinction between these parts and use the whole plant.