Table 3.
Percentage distribution of herbs with the ability to inhibit over 50% NO production in each TCM characteristics.
| TCM characteristic | Hit extracts (inhibition over 50%) | Percentage of effective herbs (32) | Herbs sharing same flavors | Percentage (in 81 herbs) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Four properties | ||||
| Cold | 9 | 28.13 | 30 | 37.04 |
| Cool | 1 | 3.13 | 2 | 2.47 |
| Warm | 11 | 34.38 | 33 | 40.74 |
| Hot | 3 | 9.38 | 4 | 4.94 |
| Moderate | 8 | 25 | 12 | 14.81 |
| Five flavors | ||||
| Pungent | 20 | 62.5 | 42 | 51.85 |
| Sweet | 9 | 28.13 | 30 | 37.04 |
| Bitter | 20 | 62.5 | 47 | 58.02 |
| Sour | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3.70 |
| Astringent | 2 | 6.25 | 6 | 7.41 |
| Salty | 3 | 9.38 | 3 | 3.70 |
| Mild | 2 | 6.25 | 3 | 3.70 |
| Meridian distributions | ||||
| Liver | 18 | 56.25 | 43 | 53.09 |
| Lung | 17 | 53.13 | 35 | 43.21 |
| Spleen | 13 | 40.63 | 29 | 35.80 |
| Heart | 10 | 31.25 | 30 | 37.04 |
| Kidney | 8 | 25 | 25 | 30.86 |
| Stomach | 7 | 21.88 | 22 | 27.16 |
| Intestinum crassum | 4 | 12.5 | 9 | 11.11 |
| Urinary bladder | 2 | 6.25 | 7 | 8.64 |
| Gallbladder | 2 | 6.25 | 6 | 7.41 |
| Intestinum tenue | 1 | 3.13 | 2 | 2.47 |