The efficacy and function of cat's claw

I believe many people are familiar with the Chinese medicinal material cat's claw. As a common Chinese medicinal material, cat's claw is rich in nutrients. Let us learn about it in detail.

【English name】 Herb of Nodding Meadow

[Other names] Thalictrum indici, Thalictrum sutchuenensis

[Source] Medicinal material source: the root and stem or whole herb of the Ranunculaceae plant Thalictrum splendens.

[Original form] Spreading thrush, perennial herb, 60-100cm tall. The rhizome is slender with fibrous roots at the nodes. Stem erect, usually dichotomously branched from middle. Leaves are alternate; petioles are 1-4cm long; basal leaves wither during flowering; leaves at the lower and middle parts of the stem are two to three times ternate-pinnate; with short petioles; leaf blades are 8-18cm long; leaflets are hard, papery or thinly leathery, cuneate-obovate, broadly obovate, oblong or rounded-ovate, 0.8-3.5cm long, 0.6-2.6cm wide, with acute apex, cuneate or rounded base, 3-lobed, lobes entire or with 2-3 teeth, upper veins often slightly sunken, with white bulges below, veins flat or slightly descended, and obvious reticulate veins. Inflorescence, nearly dichotomously branched; flowers bisexual, pedicels thin, 1.5-3cm long, slightly longer when fruiting; sepals 4, petal-shaped, narrowly ovate, about 3mm long, about 0.8mm wide, light yellowish green, or greenish white, caducous early; petals absent; stamens 5-14, 3-5mm long, filaments filiform, anthers oblong, about 2.2mm long, with short tips; carpels 1-5, sessile, stigma with broad wings, arrow-shaped achenes narrowly ovoid, slightly oblique, 4-5.2mm long, with 8 longitudinal ribs. The stigma is about 1.6 mm long and slightly curved. The flowering period is July-August, and the fruiting period is August-September.

[Habitat distribution] Ecological environment: Grown in plain grasslands, field edges or dry grass slopes.

【Properties】 Identification of properties: the rhizome is horizontal and nodular. Dozens of fine roots densely grow under the rhizome, 10-15cm long and 0.5-1mm in diameter; the surface is light brown, the outer skin often falls off, and the fallen part is yellow; it is brittle and easy to break, and the cross section is slightly fibrous; it has a slight odor and tastes bitter. The stems and leaves are yellow-green, smooth, hairless, slender, and mostly broken; the base of the petiole is widened and membranous sheath-like; the leaf blade is nearly leathery, ovate or broadly obovate, with 3 blunt teeth or entire margin at the apex.

[Chemical composition] The aerial part contains daucosterol and various glycosides. Squarroside A1, A2, B1, and B2 have been separated. Squarrogenin 1, 2, and squarrofuric acid are obtained by enzymatic hydrolysis of glycosides. The roots contain thick thalidasine.

【Identification】 Physical and chemical identification, thin layer chromatography; take 0.5g of the powder of this product, put it in a conical flask, add appropriate amount of ammonia water to moisten it, add 10ml of benzene, plug it tightly, shake it, leave it for 24 hours, take 5ml of the supernatant, concentrate it to dryness, add 1ml of anhydrous ethanol as the sample solution. Take the thiabendazole reference substance and add anhydrous ethanol to make a solution containing approximately 1 mg per 1 ml. Take 5 μl of sample solution and control solution respectively, and place them on the same silica gel GF254 plate, use benzene-acetone-ammonia water (15:5:0.1) as the developing agent, develop, take out, dry, and identify under ultraviolet lamp (254nm). The chromatogram of the test sample is at the corresponding position of the chromatogram of the reference sample, showing the same dark spot; spray with modified potassium bismuth iodide test fluid, the dark spot turns into a red spot.

【Nature and flavor】 Bitter; cold; toxic

【Meridian】 Liver; Large Intestine

【Functions and indications】 Clears away heat and detoxifies; Regulates acid. Mainly used for acute conjunctivitis; infectious hepatitis; dysentery; stomach acid reflux

[Usage and Dosage] For oral use: decocted in water, 3-10g.

[Additional prescription] ① Treat headache and dizziness in summer: Take appropriate amount of Thalictrum lucidum and boil it in water and drink it. ②Treat acid vomiting and heartburn: Take appropriate amount of Thalictrum lucidum and eat it raw.

【Excerpt】 Chinese Materia Medica

This is the end of this article's introduction to the medicinal value of cat's claw. In fact, cat's claw has many different medicinal effects and all have significant benefits to the human body. Everyone can try it.