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Posts Tagged ‘Chinese Angelica’

Radix Polygoni Multiflori Preparata (Heshouwu)—Fleeceflower Root

April 22nd, 2009

Fleeceflower RootOrigin
Prepared Fleeceflower Root is the dried root tuber of Polygonum multiflorum Thunb. Processed in the black bean menthod.

Description and Identification
Mass or irregular fusiform,6 ~ 15cm long,4 ~ 12cm in diameter. Externally reddish-brown, shrunken and uneven,shallowly grooved,with transverse elongated lenticels and lime roodet scars. Tecture heavy,compact,uneasily broken,fracture pale yellowish-brown or reddish-brown,starchy, bark exhibiting 4-11 subrounded rings abnormal vascular bundles,forming brocaded patterns, wood in central part relatively large,some having a woody core. Odourless; taste, bitterish, sweetish and astringent.

Chemical Ingredients
It has phospholipid, saccharides, and anthraquinones compound, chrysophenine glycoside, starch, fat, etc.

Property and Channel Tropism
Property: slightly sweet, acerbity and bitter in taste, warm in nature. Channel tropism: liver, heart, kidney.

Action and Indications
Supplementing liver and kidney, nourishing essence and blood darkening the air and strengthening the tendon.
Weakness due to blood deficiency, dizziness, tinnitus, premature grey hair, lassitude of the loins and legs .numbness in the limbs , hematorrhea, leukorrhagia, chronic malaria, high blood cholesterol.

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Blood-Nourishing Drugs and Recipes , , , , ,

Radix Angelicae Sinensis (Danggui)—Chinese Angelica

April 19th, 2009

Chinese Angelica
Origin

Chinese Angelica is the dried root of Angelica sinensis ( Oliv. ) Diels. The drug is collected in late autumn, removed from rootlet and soil, sighlty dried and tied up in small bundle, placed on a shelf and smoke-dried.

Description and Identification
Somewhat cylindrical, 3 ~ 5 or more branched at the lower part, 15 ~ 25 cm long. Externally yellowish-brown to brown, longitudinally wrinkled and transversely lenticellate. Root stocks (Guitou) 1.5 ~ 4cm in diameter, annulated, apex obtuse and rounded, showing purple or yellow-ish-greeen remains of stems and leaf sheaths; main roots ( Guishen ) lumpy on the surface; branching roots (Guiwei ) 0.3 ~ 1cm in diameter, the upper portion thick and the lower portion thin, mostly twisted and exhibiting a few rootlet scars. Texture flexible, fracture yellowish-white or yellowish-brown, bark thick , showing some clefts and nnumberous brown dotted secretory cavities , wood paler in colour, cambium ring yellowish-brown. Odour, strongly aromatic; taste, sweet pungent and slightly bitter.
It is not used medicinally if the roots becomes woody, withered and not oily, or greenish-brown on the fracture.

Chinese AngelicaChemical ingredients
Essential oil: ligustilide, ferulic acid, Grdoratan, phospholipid.

Property and channel tropisrn
Property: pungent and sweet in taste, warm in nature. Channel tropisrn: liver, heart, spleen.

Action and Indications
To enrich blood, activate blood circulation, regulate menstruation, relieve pain, and relax bowels. Radix Angelicae Sinensis ( stir-fried with wine):  Amenorrhea , dysmenorrhea , rheumatic arthralgia,traumatic injuries.

Place of Production
Gansu , Yunnan , Sichuan, Shan’ xi are the main places of production. Mingxian in Gansu province boasts the largest output and highest quality.

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Blood-Nourishing Drugs and Recipes , , , ,