This is Starwest's nitrogen-flushed double wall silverfoil pack.

Used as an infusion, decoction, extract and external wash.

Japanese honeysuckle is edible and medicinal. High in Calcium, Magnesium, and Potassium, the leaves can be parboiled and eaten as a vegetable. The edible buds and flowers, made into a syrup or puddings.

The entire plant has been used as an alternative medicine for thousands of years in Asia. The active constituents include calcium, elaidic-acid, hcn, inositol, linoleic-acid, lonicerin, luteolin, magnesium, myristic-acid, potassium, tannin, and zink. Some of this plant's complex chemistry is discussed in the experimental trials listed below.

Honeysuckle is particularly good for upper respiratory tract infections. The stems and flowers are used together in infusion or decoction.

The stems are used internally in the treatment of acute rheumatoid arthritis, mumps and hepatitis.

Honeysuckle is alterative, antibacterial, antiinflammatory, antispasmodic, diuretic, febrifuge, and is also used to reduce blood pressure.

Polyphenolic compounds isolated from Lonicera japonica inhibit human platelet activation and provide protection from cellular injury, and thus help maintain human vascular homeostasis.

Experimentally, the flower extracts have been shown to lower blood cholesterol levels and are antibacterial, antiviral and tuberculostatic.

Externally, the flowers are applied as a medicinal wash to skin inflammations, infectious rashes and sores.

Leaves and flowers are traditionally used to treat chicken pox.

http://www.herbmed.org/Herbs/Herb172.htm:

Pharmacodynamics

Several tannins such as caffeoylquinates (CQs) isolated from Lonicera japonica Thunb, galloylquinates (GQs) and galloylshikimates (GSs) purified from Castanopsis hystrix were shown to have a much less selective inhibitory effect on HIV-1 RT. Chang 1995

The inhibitory effect on platelet activation and the cytoprotective effect on hydrogen peroxide-induced cell injury may explain the possible role of polyphenolic compounds isolated from Lonicera japonica Thunb in maintaining vascular homeostasis. Chang 1992

Pharmacokinetics (ADME)

Fulvotomentosides (Ful) is total saponins of Lonicera fulvotomentosa. Ful pretreatment protects against acetaminophen (AA)-induced hepatotoxicity. One mechanism appears to be the decreased AA toxic activation via P-450 and an increased detoxication via glucuronidation of AA. Liu 1992

Genetics & Molecular Biology

Ochnaflavone, a medicinal herb product isolated from Lonicera japonica, strongly inhibited rat platelet phospholipase A2 , which was concentration and pH dependent, inhibiting the enzyme by a noncompetitive manner and the inhibition was irreversible. Chang 1994

Animal Studies

Lonicera japonica flower (AELJ) inhibited the increase of NF-kappaBp65 and degradation of I-kappaBalpha in the liver of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-challenged rats. Immunohistochemical analysis of rat hepatocytes showed that LPS-induced inflammatory responses. Lee 2001

Fulvotomentosides (Ful) is the total saponins of Lonicera fulvotomentosa. Ful protected against cadmium(Cd) hepatotoxicity by inducing metallothionein in mice, which binds Cd in the cytosol and lowers the amount of Cd available to other critical organelles and proteins. Liu 1992

KEX-I (Lonicera japonica, Ophiopogon japonicus, Astragalus membranaceu) directly inactivates the Coxsackie B3 virus, protect heart cells, prevent attack by Coxsackie B3, promote the growth of internal interferon and increase the NK cell's function to regulate immunity in experimental mice. Yan 1991

When cerium nitrate was used accompanied with Astragalus membranaceus or Lonicera japonica Thunb., their effects on restoration of cell-mediated immunities were significantly better than that when any single drug was administered alone. Luo 1990