Juncus effusus.  灯 芯 草  Dēng xīn cǎo  Soft rush, Juncus, Wick grass   Family: Juncaceae           
PART USED: Pith of stalk- harvested from late Summer to Autumn.
Nature: Cold, Cool    FLAVOR: Sweet, tasteless CHANNELS: Heart, Lung, Small intestine
FUNCTIONS
GROUP: Diuretic- Disperses Damp.[3]
1. Promotes urination and leaches out Dampness.[4]
2. Clear Heat from the Heart channel; moves Heat into the Small intestine channel where is expelled through urine.[4] Clear Fire of Heart.[1,2,3] Calms nerves.
INDICATIONS
1. Dysuria.[1,2] Heat disorders with dark scanty urine.[4] Hot painful urinary dysfunction.[4]
2. Heart Fire:[3] Children with Heart Fire- Crying at night, insomnia, less urine- use 1 bunch- boil and drink. Restlessness. Insomnia.[1,2]
3. Disharmony of Heart and Kidney due to Heart Fire or Yin deficiency: [3,4] Restlessness, insomnia- Take 1-2 bunches- boil and drink, before bedtime.
4. Commonly used in pediatric sleep disorders accompanied by dark, scanty urine and irritability, especially at night.[4] Acute convulsions and fright in small children.[4]
5. Jaundice.
6. External applications for laryngitis and mouth canker.[2]
CONTRAINDICATIONS
Use with caution in cases of deficient Cold.[4]
PATENT COMBINATIONS
COMBINATIONS
PREPARATIONS: Decoction. Aerial part of the plant- Dried pith of stalk  1.5-2.5 g.[2,3] Whole plant 15-30 g.[1] 1.5-4.5 g.[4] Good quality is white, long and elastic.
    
HABITAT: Grows wild along edges of swamps and damp lands.
DESCRIPTION: Perennial herb. Rhizomes creeping, with short internodal spaces. Culms clustered, erect, non-branching, cylindrical, height 30-90 cm, pith white. No leaves on culm, basal sheath-like leaves purplish-brown. Flowers; in summer, numerous small, appearing alongside the upper culm section, forming a capitulum inflorescence or a non branching cymose inflorescence. Fruit; a capsule.
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.
Research

Anti-inflammatory effects of Juncus effusus extract (JEE) on LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells and edema models.
Park NY, Kim SG, Park HH, Jeong KT, Lee YJ, Lee E.
Abstract
CONTEXT:
Juncus effusus L. var. decipiens BUCHEN. f. leschenaultii GAY has been used in traditional medicine for the treatment of anxiety and insomnia.
OBJECTIVE:
The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of ethanol extract from the pith of Juncus effusus (JEE) on anti-inflammatory activities in RAW 264.7 cells.
MATERIALS AND METHODS:
The production of inflammatory mediators and the underlying mechanisms using 3.1, 6.3, and 12.5 μg/mL concentrations of JEE were investigated. In addition, the topical anti-inflammatory effects of JEE (0.5, 1, and 2 mg/mL) on 12-O-tetradecanoylphorobol-13 acetate (TPA)-induced ear edema and oral administration of JEE (50, 100, and 200 mg/kg) on carrageenan-induced paw-edema were studied in mice.
RESULTS:
JEE reduced the release of nitric oxide (NO, IC50 value=1.98 μg/mL), prostaglandin E2 (IC50 value=5.5 μg/mL), and pro-inflammatory cytokines, IL-1β (IC50 value = 4.74 μg/mL) and IL-6 (IC50 value=20.48 μg/mL). JEE also suppressed the protein expression of inducible NO synthase and cyclooxygenase-2 in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. Mechanism studies showed attenuation of LPS-induced activation of NF-κB by JEE via abrogation of IκBα degradation and a subsequent decrease in nuclear p65 level. Phosphorylation of all three MAP kinases (ERK, JNK, and p38) in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells was also suppressed in a dose-dependent manner. In acute inflammation models of mice, topical application (1 and 2 mg) and oral administration (50, 100, and 200 mg/kg) of JEE ameliorated TPA-induced ear edema and carrageenan-induced paw edema, respectively, in dose-dependent manners.
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION:
These results indicate that JEE exhibited anti-inflammatory activities by suppressing the production of inflammatory mediators in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells and by attenuating edema in mice.
Pharm Biol. 2016 Feb;54(2):243-50. doi: 10.3109/13880209.2015.1029053. Epub 2015 Apr 17.   ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Four new phenanthrenoid dimers from Juncus effusus L. with cytotoxic and anti-inflammatory activities.
Ma W, Liu F, Ding YY, Zhang Y, Li N.
Abstract
Four new phenanthrenoid dimers, effususins A-D (1-4), were isolated from an ethanolic extract of the medullae of Juncus effuses (Juncaceae). Their structures were elucidated by 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopic analysis and mass spectrometry. Compounds 1-4 was in vitro evaluated for their cytotoxic activities by CCK-8 assay against five human cancer cell lines (SHSY-5Y, SMMC-7721, HepG2, Hela, and MCF-7) and their inhibitory effects on NO production in lipopolysaccharide-activated murine macrophage RAW264.7 cells. Effususin B exhibited moderate to strong cytotoxic activities against the tested cancer cell lines and moderate anti-inflammatory activity.Fitoterapia. 2015 Sep;105:83-8. doi: 10.1016/j.fitote.2015.06.006. Epub 2015 Jun 10. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov