On the 27th, Guangxi Medicinal Botanical Garden introduced that its drug research and development center has recently made valuable explorations on the potential of Yao medicine Sijifeng as a therapeutic agent for liver cancer, and has made progress. It is reported that researchers have identified the most effective component of Four Seasons Wind, petroleum ether extract, as the research object, and studied its effects on the proliferation and apoptosis process of two types of liver cancer cells, MHCC97-H and HepG2. The research results indicate that the petroleum ether extract of Sijifeng can effectively inhibit the proliferation of liver cancer cells and promote apoptosis by regulating the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway. The research findings were published in the international journal Journal of Ethnopharmacology in June 2024. Gong Xiaomei, Deputy Director Pharmacist of Guangxi Medicinal Botanical Garden, and Zhou Yun from Tianjin Medical University are co first authors, while Xia Xianghua, Senior Engineer of Guangxi Medicinal Botanical Garden, and Wang Shuo, Chief Pharmacist, are co corresponding authors. The Four Seasons Wind is the common name of the silk ear golden corn orchid plant in the field of Yao medicine. As a folk herb, its medicinal history is long. However, there are currently no reports on the anti liver cancer activity of Sijifeng, which affects the development and utilization of this medicinal plant resource. Therefore, researchers at the drug research and development center focus on exploring its activity and pharmacological mechanism information, in order to find and develop new highly effective anti liver cancer drugs from traditional Chinese medicine (ethnic medicine) that are not easily resistant, can prevent metastasis, and have multiple targets Gong Xiaomei said. She introduced that the study used a nude mouse tumor xenograft model for efficacy validation. After drug treatment, the growth of tumors in nude mice was inhibited. Experimental evidence supports that the extract of Four Seasons Wind is a potential therapeutic agent for liver cancer, which not only provides a scientific basis for the traditional application of the silk ear golden corn orchid plant, but also provides an example for promoting the combination of Yao pharmacy and modern scientific research. According to Yao medical works, the Four Seasons Wind has the effects of dispelling wind and regulating qi, dispelling toxins and relieving pain, promoting blood circulation and dispersing blood stasis. Its decoction is commonly used in folk medicine to treat symptoms such as liver deficiency and diarrhea, liver yang transforming wind, liver depression and spleen deficiency, and liver softening. (New Society)