What to do if medicinal materials are moldy?

Everyone knows that in ancient times, Chinese medicinal materials needed to be dried in the sun. Then store it, which will make it more convenient and effective to use. However, many people now have problems with moisture and mold due to improper storage of medicinal materials. If it is not handled properly at this time, it will directly cause great economic losses to yourself, so everyone wants to know what to do if the medicinal materials are moldy?

In summer and autumn, the temperature is high and there is more rain. Chinese medicinal materials are prone to absorb moisture and mold. If not handled in time or handled improperly, economic losses will occur. To this end, the following are some treatment methods for moldy Chinese medicinal materials:

The bumping and brushing method: For medicinal materials that are not seriously moldy, after drying them thoroughly in the sun or by baking, put them into a bumping cage or a sack or cloth bag and shake them back and forth. The mildew is removed by rubbing against each other. Medicinal materials suitable for using a brush to remove mold include Codonopsis pilosula, Panax notoginseng, Ophiopogon japonicus, Rehmannia glutinosa, Dioscorea batatas, Jade gold, Cyperus rotundus, Radix Trichosanthis, Morinda officinalis, Dipsacus asper, Pueraria root, Belamcanda chinensis, dried ginger, Stemona japonica, Polygonum multiflorum, and Euphorbia rubrum. For long roots or sheet-like medicinal materials, the brushing method should not be used. After sun exposure or baking, the mold can be removed with a brush, such as radix cylindricae, radix imperatae, gentiana, and radix smilax.

Washing method: Put the moldy medicinal materials into a jar or basin, add water and rub or brush them. After removing the mold, take out and dry it. For medicinal materials that require color, you can take them out after washing, drip off the water or slightly dry them. For every 50kg of medicinal materials, use 200-250g of sulfur to fumigate and then dry them in the sun to improve their color. When washing, use cold water if the mold is slightly severe, and use hot water if the mold is more severe. Wash quickly and do not soak for too long to avoid loss of effective ingredients which may affect the smell or quality, and it will also be difficult to dry. For some medicinal materials with easily broken skin, such as Gastrodia elata and Fritillaria thunbergii, it is necessary to add some white inkstone powder to the water and stir well before washing, so as to avoid rubbing the skin and increasing losses. Chinese medicinal materials suitable for washing and removing mold include Codonopsis pilosula, Fritillaria thunbergii, Bletilla striata, Asparagus cochinchinensis, Raw Pinellia ternata, Dry stems, Polygonatum sibiricum, Polygonum multiflorum, Curcuma zedoaria, Millettia reticulata, Arisaema consanguineum, etc.

Vinegar washing method: For Chinese medicinal materials that cannot be exposed to water and are relatively precious, such as Cornus officinalis, Schisandra chinensis, Black Plum, Ziziphus jujuba seed, Amomum villosum, etc., they can be sprayed with vinegar after they become moldy. The ratio is 2.5 to 3 kg of vinegar for every 50 kg of medicinal materials. The specific operation method is: spread the moldy Chinese medicinal materials thinly on a mat or a clean cement floor, spray them with vinegar, turn them over and rub them with hands as you spray, and after spraying them evenly, cover them tightly with a sack or cloth. Let them sit for 1 to 2 hours, then spread them out to dry.

The above are the methods you can use to deal with moldy medicinal materials. What you can do is to deal with the problem in a timely manner when you find that the medicinal materials are moldy. Help yourself reduce losses, and remember to find some effective ways to store medicinal materials after removing the mold. This will also prevent the medicinal materials from getting damp and moldy again. Otherwise, if the medicinal materials are always moldy, it will have a great impact on the quality.