Evidence supporting the use of: Dichroa
For the health condition: Parasites (general)
Synopsis
Source of validity: Traditional
Rating (out of 5): 2
Dichroa, particularly Dichroa febrifuga (commonly known as Chinese hydrangea), has a long history of use in traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of malaria and other parasitic diseases. The roots of Dichroa febrifuga have been employed as a febrifuge and antimalarial agent for centuries. The key active compound, febrifugine, was isolated in the early 20th century and found to possess significant antimalarial activity in vitro and in animal models. This discovery even led to the synthesis of related antimalarial drugs. However, the clinical use of Dichroa or its extracts is limited by toxicity and side effects. While febrifugine does exhibit activity against the Plasmodium species responsible for malaria, broader evidence for its efficacy against other types of parasites is limited and has not been robustly established in modern clinical trials. Thus, while there is a strong traditional precedent and some historical pharmacological research supporting its use against parasitic infections (mainly malaria), contemporary scientific validation and safe clinical application remain limited. For general parasitic infections beyond malaria, the evidence is weaker. Therefore, its use for "parasites (general)" is justified primarily by tradition, with some scientific exploration but lacking high-quality modern clinical evidence.
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