Ancient Natural Painkillers

Corydalis Plant

In ancient China, the tubers of the Corydalis plant were dug up, boiled in vinegar, and used to alleviate the pain caused by headaches and backaches. A member of the poppy family, the Corydalis plant grows mostly in central eastern China. According to modern scientists, it’s an effective analgesic because it contains dehydrocorybulbine (DHCB), a natural painkilling compound. “This medicine goes back thousands of years, and it is still around because it works,” said Olivier Civelli, a pharmacologist at UC Irvine. Ancient Chinese doctors believed that the Corydalis plant remedied pain because it improved the flow of the life force chi. Current research has shown that DHCB acts in a way similar to that of morphine. However, DHCB acts on receptors that bind dopamine rather than on morphine receptors. Also, unlike morphine, DHCB is not addictive. Ironically, a plant used for centuries in China may provide new ways to alleviate pain in modern patients. Scientists believe that the DHCB produced from the Corydalis plant’s tubers may become the drug of the future in combating several types of pain.