Açaí ( Euterpe Oleraceae Mart.) is a South American herbal medicine which has been introduced into China. The aim of this study is to investigate Açaí’s Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM) properties by comparing with Radix Rehmanniae Recens and Cinnamomi Cortex, which are traditionally accepted as Cold and Hot drugs and determine the material basis of Açaí’s TCM properties by studying the biological effects of Açaí and Açaí extracts on Kidney-Yin and Kidney-Yang deficien cy Syndrome Mice . Firstly, we splited Açaí into oil, alcohol extract and water extract, then KM mice were randomly divided into blank, Kidney-Yin model, Kidney-Yin+Açaí, Kidney-Yin+oil extract, Kidney-Yin+alcohol extract, Kidney-Yin+water extract, Kidney-Yang model, Kidney-Yang+Cinnamomi Cortex, Kidney-Yang+Açaí, Kidney-Yang+oil, Kidney-Yang +alcohol extract, Kidney-Yang+water extract groups; the mice were administered orally at the dose of 160mg/kg thyroxine and 25mg/kg hydrocortisone per day respectively for 14 days to induce Kidney-Yin and Kidney-Yang models; temperature trend of mice were investigated by cold/hot plate differentiating assay; the levels of cAMP, cGMP, cAMP/cGMP, T3, T4, CORT, E2, T, IgG, IgM, C3, C4, TC, TG, TP, FFA, Alb, 5-HT and NE in serum were detected. Cold medicine mostly has central inhibition, which can weaken the respiratory, circulatory, metabolic activities, etc, while hot medicine has the opposite effect. From the analysis of cyclic nucleotides, thyroid hormones, endocrine hormones, metabolism, neurotransmitters, we veried that Acaí is cool, alcohol extract is cool, while the oil and water extract are warm, thus alcohol extract is the material basis of the cool properties. The propertie of Açaí is the result of the combined effects of the different extracts.
Keywords: Açaí ; material basis; Açaí oil ; Açaí alcohol extract ; Açaí water extract ; Hot/Cold TCM Properties