Concanavalis
1、 Pharmacopoeia standard of concanavalis       This product is the dried mature seed of the legume Canavalia GLADIATA (jacqu.) dc. Harvest mature fruits in autumn, peel seeds, and dry them in the sun.
      [properties] the product is in the shape of flat egg or flat kidney, 2-3.5cm long, 1-2cm wide and 0.5-1.2cm thick. The surface is reddish to reddish purple, slightly wrinkled and slightly shiny. The edge is eyebrow shaped black, about 2cm long, with 3 white fine lines. It is hard to break. The seed coat is leathery, and the inner surface is brownish green and bright; Cotyledons 2, yellowish white, oily. .
      . Sertoli cells are 2-6 rows in dumbbell shape. The vegetative layer is composed of more than ten rows of tangentially extended parenchymal cells, and the medial cells are decadent; There are vascular bundles and a number of polygonal endosperm cells below the seed coat. Cotyledon cells contain numerous starch granules. The tracheid island is oval, the wall is reticulated and thickened, and marginal pits are rare. There are 4-5 layers of parenchymal cells around it, which are stellate tissue on both sides, and the cells are stellate, with large intercellular spaces.
      Decoction pieces
      [processing] remove impurities and mash them in time.
      [character] [identification] is the same as that of medicinal materials.
      [nature, taste and meridian tropism] sweet, warm. Return to stomach and kidney channels.
      [functions and indications] warm the middle, lower the Qi, and stop EH. Used for cold deficiency, hiccup and vomiting.
      .
      [storage] store in a ventilated and dry place to prevent moths.
 


2、 Chemical constituents of concanavalis
1. concanavalis seed contains 28.75% protein, 37.2% starch, 7.50% soluble sugar, 1.36% lipid, 6.10% fiber and 1.90% ash. It also contains canavanine, canavalmine, γ - guanidinooxyproplamine, aminopropylcanavalmine and aminobutylcanavalmine. The seeds also contain concanavaline A and agglutinin.
2. concanavalis seeds contain 50% starch, 31.00% - 31.54% protein, 3.48% - 4.14% lipid, 8.44% - 9.24% fiber, 2.85% - 3.04% ash, 2.48% - 2.75% total sugar and 0.26% - 0.40% reducing sugar. After degreasing, the seeds were analyzed to contain oleic acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid and other fatty acids, while the unsaponifiable part containedLupeol（lupeol），Stigmasterol(stigmasterol) andβ - sitosterol（β-sitosterol）。 The seeds also contain saponins, namely lupeol-3-o - β - d-xylopyranosyl (1 → 4) - O - β - d-glucopyranoside, concanavaline B, l-concanavaline and canatoxin. Leaf containsrutin(rutin) andQuercitrin（quercitrin）。

3、 Pharmacological action of concanavalis
Concanavalin has been found to activate lipoxygenase, and its effective component is concanavalin. Daily intraperitoneal injection of concanavalin at 50 μ g/kg, 100 μ g/kg or 200 μ g/kg caused a sudden increase in the levels of luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) in the plasma of female rats, with no change in progesterone levels and a decrease in prolactin (PRL). The frequency of pre estrus and weight gain were significantly increased in the 200 μ g/kg group, but the weight of uterus and ovary did not change. The increase of FSH and LH is consistent with the activation of lipoxygenase, but the reason for the decrease of prolactin level is unknown. . It can also selectively activate suppressive T cells (TS) cells, which plays an important role in regulating the body's immune response. Therefore, the use of Con A to activate TS cells in morbid (or old) conditions is expected to improve the prospects for the prevention and treatment of some autoimmune diseases, or even graft rejection or malignant tumors.