Gleditsia sinensis
Gleditsia sinensis or Chinese honey locust is a species of flowering plant native to Asia.Etymology
In China, Gleditsia sinensis is commonly known as zào jiá. The English equivalents include Chinese honey locust, soap bean and soap pod.Traditional medicine
It is one of the alleged "50 fundamental herbs" used in traditional Chinese medicine. Gleditsia sinensis has been used in China for at least 2000 years as a detergent. The thorns of Gleditsia sinensis are used as a medicinal herb in China and Korea and may have antitumor properties. The thorns of Gleditsia sinensis LAM. have been used in traditional medicine for the treatment of inflammatory diseases including swelling, suppuration, carbuncle and skin diseases.Scientific study
G. sinensis has in vitro effects that may be indicative of antiallergic activities, possibly due to the saponins in fruits. Studies in mice suggest that Gleditsia sinensis ethanolic extract could be an effective therapeutic agent for the treatment of allergic asthma.
Thorns showed antibacterial activity against a Gram-positive bacterium Xanthomonas vesicatoria and a Gram-negative bacterium Bacillus subtilis. A lupane acid extracted from the thorns showed in vitro anti-HIV activity.
The fruit extract of Gleditsia sinensis also has inhibitory effects on isolated cancer cell cultures.
