Common Name:

General Information

Sinomenium acutum is a deciduous climbing shrub with twining stems that can be more than 20 metres long[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for use as a medicine, food and as a source of materials. It contains the alkaloid sinomenine, which is used in the treatment of inflammatory diseases.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

E. Asia - central China, Japan, northern India, Nepal, northern Thailand.

Habitat

Thickets and sparse forests; at elevations up to 1,500 metres[, ]

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Deciduous Climber
Height	6.00 m
Self-fertile	No
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Succeeds in most soils in sun or shade[].
A polymorphic species, the leaves varying considerably in shape and lobing[].

Edible Uses

Root - cooked[].

Leaves - cooked[].

Medicinal

The plant has a history of more than 1,000 years of medicinal use in China, where it is used especially in the treatment of rheumatic arthritis[].
The roots are anodyne and carminative[]. A decoction is used in the treatment of oedema, moisture-related beriberi, rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory diseases[, ].

The plant, especially the roots and stems, contains the alkaloid sinomenine, which has been demonstrated to have antiinflammatory and immunosuppressive effects[, ].
A highly pure drug made of hydrochloric sinomenine has shown therapeutic efficacy and few side effects in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, being used in China since the 1990's[].
Sinomenine has also been shown to have positive therapeutic activity in the treatment of other inflammatory diseases, including Irritable Bowel Syndrome[].

Other Uses

The plant is used for making rattan articles[].

Propagation

Seed - sow late winter in a greenhouse[]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.
Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 5 - 10cm taken at a node, mid summer in a frame[]. Good percentage[].