The efficacy and function of sweet potato seeds

Sweet potato seeds are a very common Chinese medicinal material in daily life. They have high medicinal and nutritional value to the human body, and they are not too difficult to purchase. Let’s analyze several aspects of sweet potato seeds.

[Other name] Ground radish seeds (Guizhou Folk Prescriptions and Medicines Collection)

[Source] The seeds of the yam bean, a plant of the legume family.

[Chemical composition] The seeds contain fish poison and insecticide ingredients. This type of ingredient includes isoflavone derivatives collectively known as rotenone-like ingredients, such as rotenone, dacic acid ketone, 12α-hydroxydacic acid ketone, demethoxydacic acid ketone, 12α-hydroxydemethoxydacic acid ketone, and digua ketone, as well as phenylpyranocoumarin compounds dacic acid ketone and digua lactone. The newly harvested seeds contain 8.11% moisture, 4.32% ash, 39.50% protein, 25.81% fat and 22.26% carbohydrates.

[Toxicity] Sweet potato seeds are often used by the public to kill insects, but there have been reports of people being poisoned due to accidental ingestion. Three pediatric patients developed symptoms 2 to 8 hours after eating, and all experienced vomiting, general weakness, and coma. Some also had urinary incontinence, difficulty breathing, hypothermia, or obvious shock. One adult patient, in addition to nausea and vomiting, also complained of dry mouth and numbness in the limbs. All of them recovered after symptomatic treatment and intravenous rescue. However, one child still spoke unfluently and could not walk independently after regaining consciousness.

【Properties and flavors】 "Chinese Medicinal Plants Illustrated Guide": "Toxic."

【Functions and indications】 "Guizhou Folk Prescriptions and Medicines Collection": "It is used to treat scabies, carbuncle and swelling."

【Usage and Dosage】 For external use: grind into powder and apply on the affected area.

【Note】 Do not take internally.

【Excerpt】 《*Dictionary》

Sweet potato seeds are a medicinal material that has existed for a long time. There are records about them in many Chinese medicine books, which shows that sweet potato seeds do have good medicinal value.