Lily bulb

Chinese Name: Bai He
Medical Name: Bulbus Lilii
Latin Name: Liliium brownii
Origin: Rhizome
Taste: Sweet, slightly bitter

Quotes from Chinese historical sources

THE HERBAL CLASSIC OF SHEN NONG: "Treats abdominal distension caused by pathogenic factors, cardiac pain, laxative and diuretic, nourishes the internal organs and benefits vitality."

RI HUAZI MATERIA MEDICA: "Calms the mind, boosts the courage, promotes even temperament, and maintains the five internal organs."

SUPPLEMENT TO THE COMPENDIUM OF MATERIA MEDICA: "Clears phlegm due to toxic heat, and nourishes the vitality when it has become weak and damaged."

Western Research

Life Sci 2002 Jan 18;70(9):1075-84
Isolation of lilin, a novel arginine- and glutamate-rich protein with potent antifungal and mitogenic activities from lily bulbs.
Wang H, Ng TB.
Department of Microbiology, College of Biological Science, China Agricultural University, Beijing.
From the dried bulbs of the lily (Lilium brownii), a protein with strong antifungal and mitogenic activities was isolated. It also exhibited an inhibitory action on the activity of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase.

Chem Pharm Bull (Tokyo). 1990 Nov;38(11):3055-9.
Steroidal saponins and alkaloids from the bulbs of Lilium brownii var. colchesteri.
Mimaki Y, Sashida Y.
Tokyo College of Pharmacy, Japan.
The fresh bulbs of Lilium brownii var. colchesteri were found to contain five steroidal saponins: 26-O-beta-D-glucopyranosylnuatigenin 3-O-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1----2)- beta-D-glucopyranoside (6), 26-O-beta-D-glucopyranosylnuatigenin 3-O-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1----2)- O-[beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1----4)]- beta-D-glucopyranoside (7), brownioside (8), deacylbrownioside (9) and 27-O-(3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaroyl)isonarthogenin 3-O-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1----2)- O-[beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1----4)- beta-D-glucopyranoside (10); and two steroidal alkaloids: beta 1-solamargine (11) and solasodine 3-O-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1----2)-O- [beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1----4)- beta-D-glucopyranoside (12); along with several phenolic constituents. Compounds 7, 10 and 12 are new naturally-occurring compounds.