What are the medicinal values ​​of soapberry?

Soapberry is a seed grown from the soap tree. It is called soapberry because of its special name. It is a plant distributed in the southern region, mainly growing in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Hubei, Guangzhou, and Guangxi. The appearance of this plant is quite special. The seeds are spherical, black and smooth. It can usually be seen on the street. So what are the medicinal values ​​of soapberry?

[Alias] Spike (Duoneng Bi Shi), wood seed, fat beads, oil beads, bodhi seeds (Compendium of Materia Medica), wood branch, oil seed (Chinese Tree Taxonomy), round soap, longan soap (Modern Practical Chinese Medicine), hand-washing fruit, bitter branch (Guangxi Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicinal Plants).

[Source] The seeds of the Sapindaceae plant Soapberry. Pick the ripe fruits, remove the pulp, take out the seeds and dry them.

[Original form]

The Chinese herb Mukdenia (Supplement to Compendium of Materia Medica), also known as: Huan (Classic of Mountains and Seas), Shiluomu (Cui Bao's Annotations to Ancient and Modern Times), Lulou, Shiluomu (Zhuanwen), Jinlou (Supplement to Compendium of Materia Medica), Shiluoguimu (Annotations to Ancient and Modern China), Luguimu (Compendium of Materia Medica), Huangmushu (Taiwan Prefecture Records), and Mulangshu.

The roots (Sapindus mukorossi root), bast (Sapindus mukorossi bark), young branches and leaves (Sapindus mukorossi leaves), flesh (Sapindus mukorossi bark) and seeds (Sapindus mukorossi kernels) of this plant are also used for medicinal purposes.

[Habitat distribution] Distributed in Anhui, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Hubei, Hunan, Fujian, Taiwan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Sichuan, Guizhou, Shaanxi and other places. Produced in Guangdong, Guangxi and other places.

[Properties] The dried seeds are spherical, with a diameter of 14 mm. The exterior is black and smooth. The hilum is linear and surrounded by white hairs. Seed coat bony and hard. There is no endosperm, the cotyledons are thick and yellow, and the embryo is thick and slightly curved.

Soapberry [Chemical composition] Contains sapindus saponin, fatty oil and protein.

【Nature and flavor】

Bitter, neutral, poisonous.

① "Ben Jing Feng Yuan": bitter, neutral, non-toxic.

② "Nanning Pharmacopoeia": bitter, slightly toxic.

【Function and indications】

Clears away heat, eliminates phlegm, eliminates accumulation and kills insects. It is used to treat sore and swollen throat, cough and asthma, food stagnation, leucorrhea, malnutrition, sores, and swelling. Used for diphtheria, seminal vesiculopathy, stranguria and frequent urination. Clears away heat, eliminates phlegm, eliminates accumulation and kills insects. Throat swelling and pain, cough and asthma, food stagnation, leucorrhea, malnutrition, sores, ringworms, and swelling.

① "Essentials of Raw Medicinal Herbs": Stops bleeding; stewed and eaten can kill insects and remove greasiness; boiled plaster can dispel wind, reduce swelling, and draw out toxins.

The soapberry we are talking about is a kind of small fruit that we usually see on trees outside. The seeds inside are a bit bitter, but they do not contain toxins. Drinking it in water can clear away heat and detoxify, remove heat and phlegm, treat abnormal leucorrhea, irregular menstruation, and have the effect of killing insects and regulating the stomach and intestines.