Horseradish herb

The world is full of wonders, and Chinese medicinal materials are also varied and varied. Here I would like to introduce to you a Chinese medicinal material - horseradish.

[Source] Medicinal material source: The roots and stems of Daphne koreana of the Thymelaeaceae family.

[Original form] Daphne koreana is a small deciduous shrub, 20-30cm tall. The rhizome is horizontal and yellowish white. The stem has several branches and the branches are soft. The stem bark is gray-brown or gray-white and wrinkled. Simple leaves, alternate; with short petioles; leaf blades obovate-lanceolate, entire, covered with short hairs on the surface, with acute apex and cuneate base. The flowers are bisexual, pale yellowish white, and usually 4 in axillary; the perianth is short tubular, about 6-8mm long, with 4 lobes at the apex, and the lobes are oval and about 1-2mm long; there are 8 stamens in 2 whorls, each inserted in the middle of the perianth tube; the disk is annular; and the ovary is glabrous. The fruit is green when young and bright red or red when ripe. The flowering period is April-May, and the fruiting period is June-September.

[Habitat distribution] Ecological environment: Growing in mixed coniferous and broad-leaved forests and under and on the edge of coniferous forests at an altitude of 550-1800m.

【Chemical composition】 Daphne koreana contains daphnetin.

【Pharmacological action】 1. Effect on the central nervous system: Oral administration of 5g/kg Changbai Ruixiang decoction plus intraperitoneal injection of 40mg/kg sodium pentobarbital, and intraperitoneal injection of 100mg/kg daphnetin plus intraperitoneal injection of 25mg/kg sodium pentobarbital showed obvious synergistic effects on the sleep of mice. Intraperitoneal injection of 100 mg of daphnetin can significantly reduce the autonomous activity of mice; intraperitoneal injection of 100 mg/kg and 50 mg/kg of daphnetin into mice can significantly enhance the central inhibitory effect of chloral hydrate, and is proportional to the dose used; intravenous injection of 150 mg/kg, 200 mg/kg, and 250 mg/kg of daphnetin into rabbits can eliminate the righting reflex, corneal reflex, and pain reflex, and the dose is proportional to the sleep time; injection of 50 mg/kg of daphnetin can significantly inhibit the writhing reaction caused by acetic acid; injection of 100 mg/kg of daphnetin can significantly prolong the pain threshold reaction time. In short, daphneline has a sedative and analgesic effect. A small dose can make animals quiet and reduce their activity; a large dose can make animals sleep and anesthetized. Daphneline combined with sodium pentobarbital and chloral hydrate can make awake animals fall into deep sleep.

[Toxicity] The median lethal dose of daphnetin by intraperitoneal injection is 429 mg/kg.

【Nature and flavor】 Spicy; warm

【Functions and indications】Warms the meridians and dredges blood vessels; promotes blood circulation and relieves pain. Mainly used for coronary heart disease; angina pectoris; thromboangiitis obliterans; arthritis; frostbite

[Usage and Dosage] For oral use: decocted in water, 3-6g.

【Excerpt】 Chinese Materia Medica

Through the introduction of this article, we can learn some relevant knowledge about horseradish. Whether from the perspective of food health or traditional Chinese medicine, the role of horseradish cannot be underestimated.