The efficacy and role of ants

Ants are a very common traditional Chinese medicine in our daily life and are also very important in our daily life. However, some people don’t know much about the efficacy and functions of ants, so let us learn about them in detail below.

[Other names] Ant, black colt, insect, horse ant

[Source] Medicinal material source: It is the whole body of various non-toxic ants such as the silky brown forest ant and the pseudo-black multi-winged ant of the Formicidae family.

[Original form] 1. Silky brown forest ant, the worker ant is about 13mm long. The whole body is pitch black, smooth and shiny, with a round triangular head. There is a pair of oval compound eyes and three simple eyes arranged in a triangular shape. Antennae genu-shaped, 12 segments. The pronotum is well developed, and the mesonothrix is ​​relatively small. There are three pairs of legs, and the junction between the chest and abdomen is narrowed into a thin stalk shape. There is one upward-facing scale; the abdomen has 5 segments. Soldier ants are similar to worker ants. Female ants are similar to male ants, both have wings and slender antennae that are not bent. The larvae have a small head and thorax, a wide abdomen, a yellow-white body, no legs, and a white pupa.

[Habitat distribution] Ecological environment: Live in groups and often build nests underground.

[Properties] Property identification (1) The silky brown forest ant is about 13 mm long, black, smooth and shiny. The base of the pronotum is well developed, the mesothorax is smaller, and there is an upward scale on the belly of the stipe. It is brittle and easily broken, often with head and feet missing, and tastes sour when licked.

[Chemical composition] 1. The silky brown forest ant contains a variety of saturated straight-chain and branched alkanes with nine to nineteen carbon atoms, unsaturated alkanes with thirteen carbon atoms, farnesene, homofarnesene, formic acid, a variety of free amino acids, and R, S-3,4-dihydro-8-hydroxy-3,5,7-trimethylisocoumarin.

【Nature and flavor】 Salty; sour; neutral

【Meridian】 Liver; Kidney

【Functions and indications】Nourishes the kidney and replenishes essence; promotes blood circulation and activates collaterals; detoxifies and reduces swelling. It is mainly used for dizziness and tinnitus caused by kidney deficiency; insomnia and dreaminess; impotence and spermatorrhea; rheumatic pain; hemiplegia caused by stroke6; numbness of hands and feet; lupus erythematosus; scleroderma; dermatomyositis; carbuncle, furuncle; snake bites

[Usage and Dosage] For oral administration: grind into powder, 2-5g; or make into pills; or soak in wine and drink. For external use: take appropriate amount, mash and apply.

【Excerpt】 Chinese Materia Medica

Ants not only have many functions, but they can also be eaten in many ways in our lives, so they are loved by many people.