Inula  cappa. 白 牛 胆 根 Bái niú dǎn gēn, Yang er ju    Sheep's ear, White ox gallbladder, White face wind   Family: Asteraceae      
PART USED: Dried roots or whole plant
Nature: Slightly warm, cool    FLAVOR: Biting, fragrant, pungent
FUNCTIONS
1. Heal swelling. Disperse Wind, clear Heat, counteract toxic effects. Dispels clots and reduces inflammation.[1] Detoxifies and promotes granulation (wound healing tissue).[1]
2. Resolves Phlegm and relieves asthma.[1]
3. Dispels flatus and alleviates pain.[1]
INDICATIONS
1. Rheumatic pain. Rheumatoid pains of back and legs, traumatic swelling and pain.[1]
2. Common Cold with fever, sore throat.[2] Post-partum colds and Wind type swelling.[1]
3. Skin- Carbuncle, tinea, mastitis.[2] Weeping sores of skin, pruritus.[1]
4. Nephritic edema.[1] Leukorrhea.[1]
4. Headaches.[1]
PREPARATIONS: Decoction. Dried roots or whole plant  2-5 g.
1.5-3 g.[1] 30-60 g.[2] For external use the whole plant is crushed or cooked in water for washing affected parts.[1]
    
HABITAT: Grows on wasted places on sunny hillsides and valleys.
DESCRIPTION: Deciduous semi shrub. Stem; erect, height 1 to 2 meters, branches coarse and strong, covered by fine white hairs. Leaves; alternate, long oval to almost obovate, apexes acute, bases cuneate, margins finely dentate, both sides pubescent, hairs white, particularly dense on underside. Flowers; in autumn, yellow terminal or axillary flowers forming a caputulum inflorescence. Fruit; achene, covered with fine hairs.
References
Research

Cytotoxic germacranolide sesquiterpene from Inula cappa.
Xie HG, Chen H, Cao B, Zhang HW, Zou ZM.
Abstract
A new germacranolide, inulacappolide (1), was isolated from the EtOH extract of the whole plant of Inula cappa along with 16 known compounds. The structure of inulacappolide was a rare 1(10)-saturated type of germacran-6,12-olide, identified as 2alpha-acetoxy-3beta-hydroxy-9beta-angeloyloxygermacra-4-en-6alpha,12-olide by spectral analysis (IR, HR-ESI/MS, (1)H-NMR, (13)C-NMR, HMQC, HMBC, NOESY). In vitro, it showed antiproliferative effects against human cervical cancer HeLa, human leukemia K562 and human nasopharyngeal carcinoma KB cell lines with IC(50) values of 1.2 microM, 3.8 microM and 5.3 microM, respectively.
PMID: 17666855 Chem Pharm Bull (Tokyo). 2007 Aug;55(8):1258-60. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory activities of Inula cappa roots (Compositae).
Kalola J, Shah R, Patel A, Lahiri SK, Shah MB.
Abstract
Background The medicinal properties of Inula cappa, a perennial shrub, are ascribed to its roots. In this article, we study the anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory activities of I. cappa root extracts based on its utilization in traditional medicine-treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, menoxenia, fever, jaundice and many others. Methods Anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory activities of I. cappa extracts were studied. The anti-inflammatory activity was determined by carrageenan-induced rat paw edema and cotton pellet-induced granulation method while the immunomodulatory activity was estimated by phagocytic assay method, hemagglutinating antibody (HA) titer assay, delayed-type hypersensitivity assay method, plaque forming cell assay and determination of immunoprophylatic activity. Results The methanolic extract showed maximum reduction in the rat paw edema and showed significant inhibition of the cotton pellet-induced granulomas in rats. The methanolic extract also showed potential immunomodulatory activity in all the assays performed. Two sesquiterpenes, isoalantolactone and germacranolide were also isolated from the methanolic extract. Conclusions The present study supports the evidence that the roots of I. cappa can be used as a potent anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory agent.
PMID: 28889730 DOI: 10.1515/jcim-2016-0083 J Complement Integr Med. 2017 Mar 18;14(3). pii: /j/jcim.2017.14.issue-3/jcim-2016-0083/jcim-2016-0083.xml. doi: 10.1515/jcim-2016-0083. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Anti-inflammatory Inositol Derivatives from the Whole Plant of Inula cappa.
Wu J, Tang C, Yao S, Zhang L, Ke C, Feng L, Lin G, Ye Y.
Abstract
Twelve new inositol derivatives, classified into myoinositol (1-6) and l-inositol (10-15) types, along with five known analogues were isolated from the whole plant of Inula cappa. The structures of the new compounds were established by extensive analysis of mass spectrometric and 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopic data. All the tested compounds showed anti-inflammatory activities against the production of NO in RAW264.7 macrophages stimulated by lipopolysaccharide, with IC50 values ranging from 7 to 23 μM.
PMID: 26444098 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jnatprod.5b00135 J Nat Prod. 2015 Oct 23;78(10):2332-8. doi: 10.1021/acs.jnatprod.5b00135. Epub 2015 Oct 7. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov