Effects and functions of Uncaria rhynchophylla

Uncaria rhynchophylla, also known as fishing vine and hooked vine, is a green plant Uncaria rhynchophylla or Chinese Uncaria rhynchophylla of the Rubiaceae family, and the branches of many similar plants. Its super-modified branches are hook-shaped, in pairs or single on the leaf stems, and bent downward, so it is called "Uncaria rhynchophylla". Every spring and autumn, the branches with hooks are harvested, and the vines without hooks are cut off and dried in the sun before being used as medicine.

Uncaria rhynchophylla is also known as Yingzhaofeng. The earliest written records of Uncaria rhynchophylla as a medicine can be found in "Famous Doctors' Records" by Tao Hongjing of the Han Dynasty. However, ancient Chinese medicine felt that its aroma was light and clear, so it was mostly regarded as a special medicine for children, as Tao Hongjing emphasized: "For the treatment of children, no other prescriptions can be used." Later Chinese biologists continued to expand its application scope, and it has become a commonly used medicine in internal medicine, pediatrics, and gynecology.

According to traditional Chinese medicine, Uncaria rhynchophylla is cold in nature, sweet in taste, and enters the liver and pericardium meridians. It has the effects of clearing away heat, removing dampness and stopping spasms. In recent years, Uncaria rhynchophylla has been more widely used in clinical medicine, often for the treatment of hypertension by virtue of its heat-clearing and dampness-removing properties. Pharmaceutical experiments have confirmed that Uncaria rhynchophylla has a significant blood pressure lowering effect and a significant sedative effect, but it does not cause the side effect of always wanting to sleep.

Drop Uncaria rhynchophylla. It is a hook with a stem, which is cylindrical, about 2-3 cm long and 3 mm in diameter. The surface is reddish brown to dark purple coffee color, with ring-shaped nodes on the stem, which are slightly raised. There are two downward-bent hooks on the nodes, shaped like an anchor. There are also those with only a single hook, with a raised scar at the entrance. The hooks vary in size, with the tip slightly wider and oblate, with a diameter of 2-3mm, and a narrow tip that bends inward. Overall smooth and hard. The body is light and strong, not easy to break. The medullary part in the cross section is yellow-white and soft like a sponge, while the two sides are hard and brown-red. No odor, light taste.

It is best to use a double hook, with a thin stem, a fat and firm hook, and both sides of the stem and the hook cut flat (double round mouth) and smooth, and a purple-brown color.

Blood pressure Uncaria rhynchophylla. The characteristics are basically similar to those of Uncaria rhynchophylla, but the difference is that the stem is upright, ridged, and slightly thick. The surface is gray-brown or light green, the tip of the hook is slightly wider, and I subconsciously feel that the quality of Uncaria rhynchophylla is better than that of Uncaria sinensis.