This crude drug is the fruit of Evodia rutaecarpa  (Juss.) Benth. (family: Rutaceae).

This species is a deciduous shrub or small-type tree 2.5-8m high. The young branch, leaf rachis, petiole and inflorescence are covered with yellowish brown villi. The leaves are pinnately compound, opposite, each including 5-11 leaflets; the leaflet blade is long-elliptical or ovally elliptical, 5-14cm long, 2-6cm wide, with sparse hairs on the upper side and dense white villi and transparent glandular spots on the lower side. Occurring on top of branches and arranged in panicles, the flowers are unisexual, the male and female ones in different plants. The follicle is purplish red, exhibits big glandular spots and contains 1 seed. The plant blooms during June to August and fruits in September and October.

This species is distributed in Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Yunnan, Sichuan, Shaanxi, Hunan, Hubei, Fujian, Zhejiang and Jiangxi in China.

The branches with fruits are clipped out of the plant before the fruits dehisce during August to November. They are dried in the sun or dried at low temperature, then the branches, leaves and fruit stalks are removed.

The fruit is pentagonal-oblate, 2-5mm in diameter, with a dark yellowish green to brown coarse surface showing raised or depressed oil spots. It exhibits a crack in the form of a five-pointed star on the top and fruit stalk remnants covered with yellow fuzzes at the base. It is hard and brittle. This crude drug has a fragrant smell and a pungent and bitter taste.

1. The Evodiamine could improve the immunological function of intestinal mucosa, reduce the damage of lymphatic tissue of Intestinal mucosa of mice induced by cyclophosphamide, promote the functions, differentiation and maturation of the dendritic cells ^[1,2].

2. Extractive B of Evodia is efficiency treatment on protopathic Freund’s adjurant arthritis(AA) ^[3].

3. Rutaecarpine isolated from Evodia has marked protective effects on ischemic brain damage in rats possibly by increasing CGRP release in the brain^[4]. Rutaecarpine may protect against myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats and the protective effects of rutaecarpine are related to the activation of capsaicin- sensitive sensory nerves via activating vanilloid receptors^[5].

4. Rutaecarpine isolated from Evodia shows the most potent and selective inhibitory effect on CYP1A-catalyzed 7-methoxyresorufin O-demethylation (MROD) and 7-ethoxyresorufin O-deethylation (EROD) activities in untreated mouse liver microsomes. Rutaecarpine is a potent inhibitor of CYP1A2 in both mouse and human liver microsomes^[6].

5. 50% and 70% ethanol extract from " WuZhuYu broth" contain more anti-emetic fractions, more anti-emetic fractions can be gained at the concentrations of 50% and 70% ethanol; the mechanism of anti-emetic effect is related to its antagonism to the receptors of ACh, 5-HT, histamine^[7].

6. Evodiamine could induce cell death in HeLa cells and the mechanism is Evodiamine induces cell cycle arrest at G2/M phase. The inhibition of JNK exaggerates evodiamine induced cell death in HeLa cells^[8].

7. The polysaccharide isolated from Evodia exhibits obvious anti-oxidation effect^[9].

8. The chloroform extract of Evodia (EVO) has the anti-inflammatory activity on trinitrobenzene sulphonic acid (TNBS) experimental model of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in mice. That it lowered the PGE 2 perhaps is one of the mechanisms of anti-inflammatory effects of EVO^[10]. The water extract of Evodia shows effectively protective actions on ethanol-induced acute gastric lesions in rats, and the gastroprotective mechanisms maybe due to the strengthening action on gastric mucosal lining and the promotion of nitric oxide synthesis in local gastric mucosa.^[11].

9. Rutaecarpine enhances preservation with cardioplegia in guinea-pig hearts and that the protective effects of rutaecarpine are due to stimulation of endogenous calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) release via activating vanilloid receptors^[12]. Rutaecarpine protects against myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats and that the protective effects of rutaecarpine are related to activation of capsaicin-sensitive sensory nerves via activating vanilloid receptors^[13]. Rutaecarpine exhibits protective effects on cardiac anaphylactic injury and the mechanism maybe related to inhibition of TNF-alpha production by stimulation of CGRP release^[14].

10. A single bolus intravenous injection of rutaecarpine from 20mg/kg might cause immunosuppressive effects, and that rutaecarpine-induced immunosuppression might be mediated through the inhibition of cytokine production and cell cycle arrest in G(0)+G(1) phase, and caused possibly by mechanisms associated with metabolic activation^[15].

1.Hypertension: Wu Zhuyu(Medicinal Evodia Fruit) 80g grinded and mixe with vinegar，covered on the left-hand Laogong acupoint,right-leg Yongquan acupoint. Results showed that 59 cases of patients with hypertension, blood pressure returned to normal ^[1].

2. Urticaria: Wu Zhuyu(Medicinal Evodia Fruit) 2g and Fangfeng(radix sileris) 2g, grinded and mixed with vinegar, made into a paste application and covered on navel, 1 times a day, 7 days for the 1 course. Results showed that in 136 cases of patients ,after 1～2 courses of treatment , 82 cases were cured, 43 cases improved, 11 cases were invalid, the total efficiency was 92%^[2].

3. tympanites: Wu Zhuyu(Medicinal Evodia Fruit) 30g, added salt to fry and covered on navel, 2 times a day, retention time was 15min, 1 week for 1 course. Results showed in 30 cases, 8 cases had significant effect,16 had effect, 6 cases were invalid.The overall effective rate was 80％^[3].

4. Fantile diarrhea: two groups were given rehydration, resistance to infection, maintenance of water, electrolyte and acid-base balance therapy. The treatment group was based from Wu Zhuyu (Medicinal Evodia Fruit) 15g grinding and mixed cooked rice, pressed into a pie, applied directly tol umbilical, 3 for 1 courses. Results showed 320 cases of diarrhea, the effective rate of treatment group was better than control group ^[4].

5. children dental ulcer: Wu Zhuyu(Medicinal Evodia Fruit) 15g grinded and mixed with vinegar，applied to arch of the foot in 1～ 2 days. 30 cases of children were cured, The overall effective rate was 100％^[5].

[1] Zhou Lian-di, Zhang Qi-hui, Li Jian-chun. Effect of Evodiamine on Lymphatic Tissue of Intestinal Mucosa of Mice. Chin Arch Tradit Chin Med, 2005,23(10):1848-1849.

[2] ZHU Xuan, LIANG Hua-Ping, BAO Yi-Xi. Identification of the regulatory effect of evodiamine on functional regulation gene expressing in murine dendritic cell by microarrays analysis. Chinese Journal of Immunology, 2008,24(7):597-600.

[3] GAI Ling, GAI Yun, SONG Chun-qing, et al. Extractive B of Evodia to Treat Protopathic Freund’s Adjurant Arthritis(AA). Chinese Traditional Patent Medicine, 2001,23(11): 29-30.

[4] LIU Yong, CUI Ying-peng, SONG Tao, et al. Rutaecarpine Ameliorates Cerebral Ischemia-reperfusion Injury by Stimulating Calcitonin Gene-related Peptide Release in the Rat Brain. Journal of Chinese Physician, 2005,7(5):589-591.

[5] Hu Chang-ping, Li Nian-sheng, Xiao Liang, et al. Involvement of capsaicin-sensitive sensory nerves in cardioprotection of rutaecarpine in rats. Central South Pharmacy, 2003,1(2):67-70.

[6]Ueng YF, Jan WC, Lin LC, et al. The alkaloid rutaecarpine is a selective inhibitor of cytochrome P450 1A in mouse and human liver microsomes. Drug Metab Dispos, 2002, 30(3): 349-353.

[7] ZHANG Ting, WANG Min-wei, CHEN Si-wei. Anti-emetic Effect of Ethanol Extract from Wuzhuyu Broth. China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica, 2002,27(11):61-65.

[8] ZHANG Ying, ZHANG Qi Hui, WU Li Jun, et al. Intracellular regulation besides caspase of evodiamine-induced cell death in HeLa cells. Chinese Pharmacological Bulletin, 2004,20(1): 61-64.

[9] ZHEN Pan, WANG Zhi-bao, ZHANG Wan-ming, et al. Extractive Way and Anti-oxidation Effect of Evodia Polysaccharide. Chinese Traditional Patent Medicine, 2005,27(4): 123-124.

[10] Liu Baolin, Dai Yuanyuan, Tang Ning, et al. Anti-inflammatory activity of chloroform extract of Evodia rutaecarpa on experimental colitis in mice. Pharmacology and Clinics of Chinese Materia Medica, 2003,19(6):16-19.

[11] YU Xiao, WU Da-zheng. Protective effects of Evodia rutaecarpa water extract on ethanol-induced rat gastric lesions. China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica, 2006,31(21): 1801-1803.