Alisma plantago, A. orientalis. 泽 泻 Zé xiè   Common water plantain tuber  Family: Alismaceae     
PART USED: Rhizome- harvested in winter
Nature: Cold       FLAVOR: Sweet, pleasant, bitter CHANNELS: Kidney, Bladder
FUNCTIONS- Although this herb promotes urination, it has less of a tendency to injure the Yin than other herbs that drain dampness.[4]
GROUP: Diuretic
1. Promotes urination and leaches out Dampness.[1,4] In classical texts it is prescribed as an adjunctive herb for wasting and thirsting disease (diabetes).[4]
2. Clear Damp Heat.[1,2] Drains Kidney Fire.[4]
INDICATIONS
1. Stagnation associated with Dampness;[4] Difficult urination,[1,4] Edema,[1,2,4]and diarrhea.[4] Edema due to Kidney infections.[3] Urinary infections. Diminished urination, Ascites.[1] Wu lin- (Five disease conditions involving the urinary tract)- Kidney stones, polyuria, hematuria, bladder distension and chyluria.[1]
2. Damp Heat in the lower Burner.[4] Damp Heat fever.[1] Settles Fire in the Kidneys by draining Damp Heat from the lower Heater.[6]
3. Vomiting, diarrhea.[1] Excessive sputum production.[1] Beri-beri foot-edema of feet.[1,3] Vertigo.
4. Kidney Yin deficiency patterns with Heat signs, including dizziness and tinnitus.[4]
5. If taken for a long time, the eye and ear become acute, hunger is not felt, life is prolonged, the body becomes light.[5] Stimulate the female generative apparatus and to promote conception.[5]
ACTIONS
CONTRAINDICATIONS: Cold Kidney signs- only use if have Heat symptoms.[3] Spermatorrhea or vaginal discharge due to Kidney Yang deficiency or Damp Cold.[4]
PATENT COMBINATIONS
COMBINATIONS
PREPARATIONS: Decoction.  Dried rhizome 6-12 g.[1,2,4] Good quality is big, yellowish white, lustrous, and powdery.
 
HABITAT: Grows plentifully in ditches and ponds.
DESCRIPTION: Appears in commerce as thin circular sections from 25-32 mm, pale yellow in color, often worm eaten.
References
Inner Path can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.
Constituents
Research
Alisma plantago- Ze xie is a very safe herb. The LD50 for oral preparations in rates is 4g/kg. The ingredeints of this herb can irritate the intestinal tracts, and gastroentritis may result from prolonged ingestion.[1]
References
[1] Chinese Herbal Medicine Materia Medica- Dan Bensky and Andrew Gamble- Eastland Press 1986 Seattle Washington ISBN 0-939616-15-7

Chemical constituents from Alisma plantago-aquatica subsp. orientale (Sam.) Sam and their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities.
Zhao XY, Wang G, Wang Y, Tian XG, Zhao JC, Huo XK, Sun CP, Feng L, Ning J, Wang C, Zhang BJ, Wang X.
Abstract
The chemical constituent investigation of Alisma plantago-aquatica subsp. orientale has led to isolation and identification of thirteen compounds, including one new sesquiterpene, (10S)-11-hydroxy-β-cyperone (1), three sesquiterpenes (2-4), five phenylpropanoids (5-9), and four alkaloids (10-13). We report herein, for the first time, the presence of compounds 2-13 in the genus Alisma. Their structures were established using 1D and 2D NMR and HRESIMS spectroscopic analyses. All the isolated compounds were assayed for their inhibitory activities against nitric oxide production in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 cells and antioxidant activities by DPPH scavenging assay. Compounds 1-13 displayed significant inhibitory effects against NO production at a certain concentration, while compound 5 showed antioxidant activity with IC50 of 55.28 μM. The interactions of compounds 1, 5, and 11 with iNOS were investigated using molecular docking.
PMID: 28954548 DOI: 10.1080/14786419.2017.1380024 Nat Prod Res. 2017 Sep 28:1-7. doi: 10.1080/14786419.2017.1380024. [Epub ahead of print] ncbi.nlm.nih.gov