Cucurbitacin IIa and cucurbitacin IIb are the characteristic chemical constituents of
the hemsleya. Hemsleyadinum are extracted from the Cucurbitaceae,
Chrysanthemum, and Hemsleya, which have the function of clearing heat and
removing toxicity and antisepsis and anti-inflammation. There are 31 species of
Hemsleya in the world, most of which are distributed in China’s Yunnan, Guizhou,
and Sichuan provinces, besides the 2 species distributed in India and Vietnam. The
main species are H. emiensis, H. pengxianensis, H. amabilis, H. dolichocarpa, H.
graciliflora, and H. gigantha . Hemsleya plants are commonly used as Chinese
herbal medicines.
