Drugs A - Z
Zemaphyte®
Generic Name: Zemaphyte
Category
Herbs & SupplementsSYNONYMS
Akebia, anti-inflammatory, atopic eczema, dermatology, dictamnus, eczema, licorice, lophatherum, potentilla, red peony, rehmannia, schizonepeta, siler, tribulus.
For more information on individual herbs, please see Natural Standard's Herbs & Supplements Database.
BACKGROUND
Zemaphyte® is a produced in the United Kingdom. The remedy contains licorice and nine other herbs. Zemaphyte® is most commonly used to treat steroid resistance eczema, childhood and adult eczema as well as atopic eczema.
The powder formulation of Zemaphyte® is normally dosed according to packets. One or two packets is mixed in hot water and drank once a day.
| Common Name/Pin Yin | Botanical Name | TCM Category Description |
|---|---|---|
| Siler (fangfeng) | Ledebouriella seseloides | dispel wind, relieve surface |
| Potentilla (baitougweng) | Potentilla chinensis | clear heat, dry damp |
| Akebia (mutong) | Clematis armandii | dry damp, promote diuresis |
| Rehmannia (dihuang) | Rehmannia glutinosa | clear heat, cool blood |
| Red peony (chishao) | Paeonia lactiflora | vitalize blood, clear heat |
| Lophatherum (danzhuye) | Lophatherum gracile | clear heat, purge fire |
| Dictamnus (baixianpi) | Dictamnus dasycarpus | clear heat, clean toxin |
| Tribulus (baijili) | Tribulus terrestris | calm wind |
| Licorice (gancao) | Glycyrrhiza glabra | remove toxin |
| Schizonepeta (jingjie) | Schizonepeta tennuifolia | dispel wind, relieve surface |
THEORY/EVIDENCE
Zemaphyte® is proposed to exhibit it's main effects by producing an anti-inflammatory response as well as act as an immunomodulator or immunosuppressive agent.
Zemaphyte® has been proven in numerous clinical trials to reduce skin surface damage, erythema (redness of the skin) and itching as well as improve sleep quality.
A randomized, placebo controlled trial comparing Zemaphyte® to other Chinese herbal remedies commonly used for eczema found that the patients who used Zemaphyte® had less surface damage, less redness and better sleep than patients who used other Chinese herbal remedies.
SIDE EFFECTS/DRUG INTERACTIONS
Zemaphyte® has been associated with elevated liver function tests, diarrhea, uticaria (hives) as well as other rare but serious side effects.
Zemaphyte® has been shown to interact with methotrexate.
A qualified healthcare provider should be consulted before making decisions about therapies and/or health conditions.
AUTHOR INFORMATION
This information has been edited and peer-reviewed by contributors to the Natural Standard Research Collaboration (www.naturalstandard.com).
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Vender RB. 20 October 2006. www.skintherapyletter.ca
Zhang W, Leonard T, Bath-Hetal F, et al. Chinese herbal medicine for atopic eczema. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2005 Apr 18;(2):CD002291.
Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use this medication only for the indication prescribed.
