Mai Men Dong (Radix Ophiopogonis) is from the root tuber of Ophiopogon japnicus, family Liliaceae. The roots are dug and collected in the summer. After the fibrous roots have been removed, it is cleaned, dried and used in its unprocessed form.
Category: Tonifying – Yin Tonifying.
Common Name: Ophiopogon Tuber.
Channels Entered: Heart, Lung and Stomach.
Properties and Functions: Mai Men Dong is sweet and slightly bitter in flavour, and slightly cold in nature. Its functions are:
- Nourish Yin and moisten the Lung.
- Benefits Stomach Yin and regenerates body fluids.
- Moistens the intestines.
- Clears Heart-Heat and relieves irritability.
Indications: Clinical applications for Mai Men Dong include:
- Dry, hacking cough with sticky sputum caused by Lung Dryness.
- Cough due to invasion of Warm-Dryness with less sputum that is difficult to expectorate, dry nose and throat.
- Cough due to Lung Yin deficiency with hemoptysis.
- Insuficiency of Stomach Yin with dry tongue and thirst and constipation due to intestinal dryness.
- Irritability and palpitations caused by Heart-Heat.
Dosage: 6 – 12g
Cautions and Contra-Indications: It is not suitable for cough due to exterior Wind-Cold and obstruction of Phlegm-Dampness in the Lung. It should also not be used in cases of loose stool due to Spleen deficiency. It can antagonise Kuan Dong Hua and counteracts the functions of Ku Shen and Bai Mu Er.