The efficacy and function of shark skin

I believe many people are familiar with shark skin, a common Chinese medicinal material. Shark skin is rich in nutrients. Let us take a closer look at it.

【Other name】 Mackerel skin

[Source] Medicinal material source: The skin of the white-spotted star shark or other sharks of the family Carcharhinidae.

[Original form] 1. White-spotted star shark, with a slender body, generally less than 1m in length. The head is broad, the snout is slightly thick, and the front end is blunt. The eyes are oval, brown, flat and exposed, with a small blowhole behind the eyes. The nostrils are located 1/3 of the way from the mouth to the snout and have nasal valves. The mouth is triangular, with lip folds at the tip of the snout. The upper lip folds are wide, flat and long, while the lower lip folds are narrow and short. The teeth are small and numerous, arranged like pavement. There are 5 gill openings, the first 3 of which are wider and larger than the eye diameter. The last two are narrower and are located above the pectoral fins. There are two dorsal fins, the first one is located approximately above the middle of the body cavity, with a rounded upper corner, a concave rear edge, and an elongated and pointed lower corner. The second dorsal fin is slightly smaller and similar in shape. Anal fin small, originating approximately opposite to the middle of the base of the second dorsal fin. The pectoral fin is medium to large, starting from below the fifth gill opening, with the posterior edge obliquely straight or slightly concave. The pelvic fin is located below the front half of the dorsal fin interval, with a sharp inner angle. The tail fin is long and narrow, with the upper lobe straight and slightly narrow, the lower lobe slightly protruding in the front, a notch in the middle and rear part, and a triangular protrusion in the rear. The back and upper sides are gray-brown, with many irregular white spots scattered along and above the lateral line; the fins are brown with lighter edges, and the lower sides and belly are silvery white.

【Habitat distribution】Ecological environment: 1. Lives near the sea. It feeds on mollusks, shrimps, crabs and small fish. Ovoviviparous, giving birth to more than 10 pups each time.

[Chemical composition] Gray star shark skin contains a large amount of colloidal protein, mucus and fat. The skin of sharks can be used to make fish skin glue, which is the raw material for making gelatin and hemostatic sponge.

【Nature and flavor】 Sweet; salty; non-toxic

【Meridian】 Stomach; Lung

【Functions and indications】Detoxify fish; eliminate food stagnation; kill tuberculosis parasites. Fish poisoning; fish poisoning; tuberculosis

[Usage and Dosage] For internal use: cook and eat appropriate amount; or grind into powder.

【Excerpt】 Chinese Materia Medica

In general, the role of shark skin is quite significant. It is precisely because shark skin has relatively good health-preserving effects that the application of shark skin in health-preserving life can be said to be quite high.