Nelumbonaceae

Nelumbonaceae is a family of aquatic flowering plants. Lotus leaf (Heye), the dry foliage of Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn, has been valuable as a dietary herbal medicine for thousands of years. The drug properties of Heye are mild and bitter. Meridian tropism is mainly distributed in the liver, spleen, and stomach meridian. In the Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) theoretical system, it is in many formulas for the therapy of various symptoms, including wasting-thirst induced by summer heat, diarrhea caused by summer heat-dampness and spleen deficiency, hematochezia, flooding and spotting. The alkaloids and flavonoids are the main components of Heye. The extracts and active components of Heye demonstrate multiple bioactivities, for instance anti-obesity, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, cardiovascular protective, anticancer, hepatoprotective, hypoglycemic, antiviral, antimicrobial, as well as hemostatic activities.