The efficacy and function of Nanchuan Cimicifuga

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

【Other name】 Cimicifuga heracleifolia

[Source] Medicinal material source: The rhizome of Cimicifuga nanchuanensis, a plant of the Ranunculaceae family.

[Original form] Cimicifuga foetida, perennial herb. The stem is erect, cylindrical and glabrous. Leaves are one to three times trifoliate; petiole up to 22cm long, nearly glabrous; terminal leaflet with long petiole, ovate, 9-15cm long, 5.5-14.5cm wide, acuminate or abrupt at apex, cordate or nearly rounded at base; lateral leaflets are 5-9.5cm longer than terminal leaflets, 4-8.5cm wide, and glabrous on both sides. The compound raceme has 4-8 branches, each 3-14.5cm long, and the inflorescence axis and pedicel are densely covered with gray short soft hairs; the flowers are bisexual, small, about 4mm in diameter, and the pedicel is 3-4mm long; the bracts are subulate, about 1mm long; the sepals are 4-5, petal-shaped, white, broadly elliptic or obovate-round, 3-4mm long, 2.5-3.2mm wide, and fall off from time to time; the petals are absent; the reduced stamens are elliptic, about 3.8mm long, about 2.2mm wide, with 2 shallow lobes at the apex and 2 white appendages; the stamens are numerous, 4-7mm long, the filaments are narrowly linear, and the anthers are broadly elliptic, about 0.6mm long; the carpels are 3-5, about 1.5mm long, with short stalks, and are glabrous or nearly glabrous. Fruit follicles, stalked. Flowering period is summer and autumn.

【Habitat distribution】Ecological environment: Grown in mountains.

[Properties] Identification of properties: the rhizome is irregularly long and block-shaped, with many branches and nodules, 6-13cm long and 2-3.5cm in diameter. The surface is dark brown and rough, with a circular hollow stem base mark, 0.7-2cm in diameter and 0.5-2cm in height. The inner wall is black, flat and deep; there are hard remaining fibrous roots underneath. The body is solid, not easy to break, the cross section is uneven, powdery, with radial texture, the wood is yellow-green, scaly, and has cracks; the pith is dark brown. It has a faint smell and tastes bitter and slightly astringent.

【Chemical composition】 The rhizome contains cimicifugoside, caffeic acid dimethylether and norcimifugin.

[Identification] Physical and chemical identification, thin layer chromatography: proceed according to the method under the thin layer chromatography of Cimicifuga heracleifolia. In the sample liquid chromatogram, spots of the same color appear at the corresponding positions of a reference substance, ferulic acid, caffeic acid, cimicifuga, and caffeic acid dimethyl ether.

【Nature and flavor】 Sweet; bitter; cold; slightly toxic

【Functions and indications】 Clears away heat and detoxifies; dispels wind and relieves rashes; raises yang and lifts the sunken. Mainly used for macules that do not clear up; sore throat; fatigue; qi sinking; diarrhea and heavy stool; traumatic injury

[Usage and Dosage] For oral use: decocted in water, 3-9g; or soaked in wine.

【Excerpt】 Chinese Materia Medica

Through the detailed introduction of the traditional Chinese medicine Nanchuan Shengma in the above article, we know that Nanchuan Shengma has many effects and functions and is extremely beneficial to the body. So if you have related symptoms, you might as well give it a try.