How to distinguish the authenticity of epimedium

Epimedium is a very common Chinese medicine and is very effective in treating male diseases. Many male friends can choose to use the Chinese medicine Epimedium when they suffer from male diseases such as semen abnormalities. However, due to the special growth characteristics of this traditional Chinese medicine, there are now many fake epimediums circulating on the market. So how do we distinguish the authenticity of epimedium? Here I will briefly introduce the method to you.

Authenticity Identification

① Korean Epimedium: The dried stem is slender and cylindrical, hollow, 20 to 30 cm long, brown or yellow, with longitudinal ridges, and hairless. The leaves grow at the top of the stem, usually one stem has three branches, and one branch has three leaves. The leaves are ovate and heart-shaped, which can cause congestion of the spermatic vein and lead to the occurrence of varicocele.

② Secondary varicocele: mostly occurs in men over 35 years old. It is usually caused by certain compressive lesions, such as renal tumors, ureteral tumors, hydronephrosis, etc., which block the spermatic vein during its return.

1. Add 10 ml of ethanol to 0.5 g of Epimedium powder, soak for several minutes, filter, and the filtrate undergoes a hydrochloric acid-magnesium powder reaction to produce a red color.

2. Thin layer chromatography (1) Epimedium (2) Epimedium (3) Epimedium (4) Icariin Thin layer chromatography

Sample solution: Take 0.5g of powder, add 10ml of ethanol, soak for 30 minutes, filter, evaporate the filtrate to dryness, add 1ml of ethanol to dissolve, and use it as the test sample. Reference solution: Take icariin and add ethanol to make 0.5mg per 1ml as the reference solution.

Development: On silica gel H-cmC (0.5%) thin layer plate, develop with butyl acetate: formic acid: water (52:40:40), development distance 15 cm.

Color development: Spray 1% aluminum chloride ethanol solution and inspect under ultraviolet light (365nm), it will show orange-red color; the test sample will show the same spots as the control at the corresponding positions.

The above is the method that people usually use to identify the authenticity of Epimedium. For the sake of everyone's health, when choosing to use epimedium for treatment, you must go to a regular hospital to get it or go to a regular pharmacy to buy it. Never try to save a little money by choosing cheap drugs whose safety is not guaranteed.