Chinese ginseng

Chinese ginseng

(Shaanxi Chinese herbal medicine)

[source] it is the root of Panax quinquefolium.

[plant morphology] Panax quinquefolium

Perennial herbs, 20-60 cm high. The root is stout, fleshy, conical and cylindrical. The stems are erect, hairy and tufted. Leaves alternate, ovate, broadly ovate or triangular, broadly ovate, 3-7 cm long, base cuneate decurrent, sometimes subtruncate or shallowly cordate, entire or microwavy; petiole 5-6 cm long. Corymb terminal or axillary; pedicel 7 cm long, densely hairy white; calyx campanulate, lobes 5, long elliptic or long triangular, margin and outer surface with white hairy, expanding into a spherical sac in fruit: corolla yellowish green, or margin yellowish green, margin below purple brown, lobes 5, broadly ovate to triangular, corolla outside and margin with hairy; stamens 5, inserted in Corolla tube below; ovary 2-locular, style filiform. Capsule dehiscent, enveloped in cystic persistent calyx. Seeds reniform. The flowering period is from March to May. The fruit period is from May to June.

On hillsides, valleys, or grasslands. Distributed in Shaanxi, Shanxi, Henan and other places.

[collection] the wheat is harvested and dug.

[herbal medicine] the dry root is cylindrical, sometimes slightly curved, with thick head and gradually thin downward, 13-30 cm long and 1-3.5 cm thick. The surface is brown, brownish red, or even brownish purple, and the lower part of the root is mostly grayish yellow. The root is usually attached with a rhizome of 1-10 cm in length; the rhizome links are obvious; the surface of the root head is transversely striated, and the upper or middle part of the root often has one to several branches. The skin hole is horizontal and the color is light. The embolus peels off easily. The xylem is about 3 / 4 of the section, and the vessels are arranged radially. The smell is special, the taste is sweet and bitter, slightly numb tongue. After processing, the surface of huashanshen shows longitudinal patterns, which are golden yellow, translucent, gray brown or tan. Those with golden color and fine stripes, sugar like smell, sweet and slightly bitter taste are preferred.

[chemical constituents] it contains atropine, scopolamine and other alkaloids with the content of 0.26%. It also contains amino acids, polysaccharides, reducing sugars, starch and sterols.

[pharmacological action] ① effect on central nervous system

The results showed that the latent period of defensive conditioned reflex was prolonged in rats after oral administration of 2 g / kg Decoction; in addition to this effect, the positive conditioned reflex of most animals was destroyed and the inhibition of differentiation of some animals was relieved after intraperitoneal injection of 1 g / kg Decoction; the free activity of rats and rabbits was significantly reduced by intraperitoneal injection of 1-4 g / kg decoction, but the passive activity of mice was not reduced; the passive activity of dogs was 2-5 g / kg decoction It also has obvious sedative effect, but it also reacts to external stimuli such as sound and touch. Intraperitoneal injection of 4 g / kg could synergize the hypnotic and anesthetic effects of thiopental sodium and chloral hydrate on mice, and antagonize the excitatory activities of amphetamine and caffeine on mice. However, even intraperitoneal injection of 10 g / kg could not antagonize the toxic effect of amphetamine on mice, nor could it antagonize the convulsions caused by strychnine and pentylenetetrazol in mice, nor could it antagonize the vomiting caused by morphine dehydrated in dogs. Subcutaneous injection of 20-70 mg / kg of water or alcohol extract also had obvious sedative effect on mice.

② Antiasthmatic effect

Oral administration of 100 mg / kg oral liquid has obvious antiasthmatic effect (guinea pig histamine spray and asthma method), and its active ingredient seems to be alkaloid.

③ Other functions

Both water and ethanol extracts can relieve the spasm of isolated rabbit intestines caused by pilocarpine, and can also resist the salivation caused by pilocarpine.

[processing] wash the root, remove the rough skin, cook it with licorice, Ophiopogon japonicus, Gardenia jasminoides and rock sugar, and then dry it in the sun.

[flavor] sweet and slightly bitter, hot and toxic.

Functions and indications: tonifying deficiency, warming the middle, calming the nerves and calming the asthma. It can be used to treat fatigue, weakness, deficiency cold, diarrhea, insomnia, palpitation, irritability, cough, phlegm and asthma, night sweat and self perspiration.

[usage and dosage] oral administration: decoction, 1-3 minutes.

[taboo] avoid ironware, wulingzhi, Gleditsia sinensis, black beans, brine, Veratrum, etc.

[prescription selection] ① for deficiency cold, diarrhea and insomnia: three parts of huashanshen, five pieces of longan meat and proper amount of rock sugar. Take it in water.

② Treatment of deficiency cold cough, phlegm and asthma: huashanshen three points, Ophiopogon three money, licorice one money, rock sugar one money. Take it in water. (the following is Shaanxi Chinese herbal medicine)