The efficacy and function of one leaf reed

Scutellaria baicalensis is a common medicinal material in traditional Chinese medicine. So what are the health benefits of Scutellaria baicalensis? In what aspects of daily life is Scutellaria baicalensis widely used? Let's take a brief look at Scutellaria baicalensis.

[Alias] Leaf bead, small-grained wormwood, flower broom, horse broom teeth, child's fist, leaf bead (Chinese Medicinal Plants), dog tongue strip (Atlas of Northeast Woody Plants), eight leaf beads (Zhejiang Tianmu Yam Sandalwood), mountain broom strips (Jilin Chinese Herbal Medicine).

[Source] It is the young branches, leaves and roots of the Euphorbiaceae plant Rehmanniae affine . Tender branches and leaves can be harvested from late spring to late autumn. Cut the green tender branches with leaves, tie them into small bundles, and dry them in the shade. The roots can be harvested all year round. Remove the mud and sand, wash them, slice them and dry them in the sun.

[Original form] Shrub, 1 to 3 meters high. The roots are light reddish brown with punctate protrusions and elongated lenticels. The bark is light gray-brown with many irregular longitudinal cracks. The stem is much branched, and the new branches of the current year are light yellow-green and slightly angular. Leaves are alternate, elliptical, rectangular or ovate-rectangular, 1.5-5 cm long, 1-2 cm wide, mucronate or obtuse at apex, cuneate at base, entire or with irregular lanceolate teeth or fine obtuse teeth, glabrous on both sides; petiole short. The flowers are small, unisexual, dioecious, and without petals. Male flowers are clustered in leaf axils in groups of 3 to 12; sepals are 5, ovate; the male flower disc has 5 glands, separate, 2-lobed, and alternate with the sepals; the reduced ovary is small, cylindrical, and 2-lobed; female flowers are solitary, or clustered in 2 to 3, with an entire disc, a 3-chambered ovary, and a 3-lobed style. The capsule is triangular-oblate, about 5 mm in diameter, reddish brown, glabrous, and 3-lobed. Flowering period is from July to August. The fruiting period is from September to October.

[Habitat distribution] Growing in bushes on hillsides and in sunny places. Distributed in Northeast China, North China, East China, Hunan, Henan, Shaanxi, Sichuan and other places.

[Properties] The young branches are cylindrical, slightly angular, about 30 to 40 cm long, and about 2 mm in diameter at the thick end. The surface is dark green-yellow, sometimes slightly red, with fine longitudinal texture. The texture is brittle, the cross section is fibrous around the edges and white in the center. The leaves are mostly wrinkled and broken, and sometimes there are yellow flowers or gray-black fruits. It has a faint smell and tastes slightly spicy and bitter.

[Chemical composition] The leaves contain spatholobiaceous alkaloids, the content is highest during flowering and lowest when fruiting. The content in dry leaves is generally 0.2-0.3%. Young stems and mature fruits also contain sedum, but the content is not as high as in the leaves. The leaves contain rutin (iRutin, 1.32%), tannins, a small amount of allosecurinine, dihydroseeurinine and three types of soeurinols: soeurinol A, soeurinol B and soeurinol C.

[Toxicity] Poisoning by strychnine can cause spinal convulsions, but they are weaker than strychnine. The amount that causes convulsions in cats is about 10.5 times that of strychnine, and the amount that causes death is about 100 times that of strychnine. Therefore, the treatment range is wider than that of strychnine. The median lethal dose for mice by intravenous injection is 6.3 mg/kg, for intraperitoneal injection it is 25 mg/kg, and for rats by intraperitoneal injection it is 41 mg/kg. It is also said that the median lethal dose for mice injected intravenously is 3.5 mg/kg. Toxicity was enhanced when mice were pretreated with SKF 525-A or when the liver was damaged with carbon tetrachloride. The excitatory effect and toxicity (median lethal dose) of dihydrogen chloramine on the central nervous system of mice are twice as strong as those of chloramine. Continuous administration of nitrate for a long time had no significant effect on the growth, development, liver, kidney function and red blood cells of animals.

【Nature and flavor】 Bitter, warm, poisonous.

【Functions and indications】 Promote blood circulation and relax muscles, strengthen the spleen and benefit the kidneys. Treat rheumatic low back pain, numbness of limbs, hemiplegia, impotence, facial nerve paralysis, and sequelae of polio.

[Usage and Dosage] For oral use: decoct in water, 3 to 5 qian.

[Additional prescription] ① For the treatment of infantile malnutrition: 5-6 qian of Reed Root, 5-6 qian of Purple Ivy (i.e. Rhamnaceae Gulliver Tea), 5-6 qian of White Horse Bone Root (i.e. Rubiaceae Serissa), 5-6 qian of Wild Hammerwort Root (i.e. Loganaceae Dioscorea paniculata), 5-6 qian of Indigofera Root (i.e. Loganaceae Dioscorea Root), 14 roasted black soybeans (half-cooked), and 5 red dates. Decoction in water, add brown sugar, and take once in the morning and evening on an empty stomach. (Zhejiang Tianmu Yam Plant Records)

【Excerpt】 《*Dictionary》

From the above description, we can know that the nutritional value and medicinal value of Smilax glabra are very high. It can treat some diseases and can also be used as a raw material for diet therapy. It is indeed a good choice for health and wellness.