The efficacy and function of Panax notoginseng

Chinese medicinal materials are very effective in treating certain diseases. Although the effect is a little slow, they have no side effects on the human body and are still highly respected by people. However, when choosing, you need to pay attention to its usage methods, etc. Let us learn about the medicinal material Panax notoginseng.

[Alias] Wild ginseng, earth essence, blood ginseng (Flower Mirror), sweet notoginseng, bamboo root notoginseng (Herbal Prescriptions), bamboo-joint ginseng (Scientific Folk Herbs), bamboo-joint ginseng (Modern Practical Chinese Medicine), bamboo whip Panax notoginseng, Arhat Panax notoginseng (Chinese Medicinal Plant Directory), bamboo-joint Panax notoginseng, bamboo notoginseng (Empirical Identification Method of Chinese Medicine Shape and Properties); Radish notoginseng, white Panax notoginseng (Discussion on Chinese Medicinal Material Varieties), water Panax notoginseng (Guizhou Herbs), Ming notoginseng, wild Panax notoginseng, chicken head notoginseng (Yuannan Economic Plants).

[Source] It is the bamboo-whip-shaped rhizome of the Araliaceae plant Panax notoginseng . Dig up the rhizomes in September and October, remove the fibrous roots, wash off the soil, and dry them in the sun.

[Original form] Perennial herb, about 60 cm tall. The rhizome is horizontal, bamboo whip-like or bead-like, with thick white inner substance and short internodes. The stem is erect, cylindrical, glabrous and has longitudinal stripes. Palmate compound leaves, 3 to 5 in whorls at the end of the stem; petiole slender, 4 to 9 cm long; leaflets usually 5, membranous, broadly elliptic, elliptic, elliptic-ovate to obovate-elliptic, 5 to 15 cm long, 2 to 5.5 cm wide, the lower 2 small, apex acuminate, rarely long-acute, base cuneate, rounded or several heart-shaped, margin serrated finely or doubly serrated; veins glabrous or sparsely covered with grayish-white bristles above, glabrous or sometimes densely pubescent on veins below; petiolules extremely short. The umbel is single and terminal: the peduncle is erect, about 15 cm long, with many florets and fine petioles; the calyx is green, with 5 sharp teeth at the apex; the petals are 5, light yellow-green, ovate-triangular, with pointed apex; the stamens are 5, the filaments are dorsifixed, the anthers are elliptical, and longitudinally fissured; the ovary is inferior, 2-chambered, with 2 styles, free and outward-curved. The drupe is berry-like, spherical, and red when ripe. The flowering period is May to June. Fruiting period is July to August.

[Habitat distribution] Growing on hillsides, ditch edges or under forests. Distributed in the southwest region and Zhejiang, Anhui, Henan, Hubei, Shaanxi, Gansu and other places. It is produced in Sichuan, Yunnan, Shaanxi and other places.

[Properties] The dry rhizome is in the shape of a bamboo whip, with enlarged nodules and short internodes. Each node has a shallow groove in a ring shape, a round and slightly concave stem scar on the top, and 1 to 3 raised dot-shaped root scars on the side, or remaining curved fibrous roots. The surface is pale yellowish white to grayish brown, smooth or wrinkled. The texture is hard. The fracture surface is flat and pink to milky white. Tastes bitter and slightly sweet. The best ones are slender, strong, heavy and have a strong flavor.

[Chemical composition] The rhizome contains about 5% saponins, including bamboo saponin IV, and the aglycone is oleanolic acid.

【Pharmacological action】 ① Anti-inflammatory effect

【Nature and flavor】 Sweet and bitter, warm.

【Meridian】 "Sichuan Chinese Medicine Annals": "Enters the liver and spleen meridians."

【Functions and indications】Relieve cough, resolve phlegm, disperse pathogenic factors, and promote blood circulation. Treats cough with excessive sputum, vomiting blood due to overwork, bruises, carbuncles, and bleeding from trauma.

[Usage and Dosage] For oral use: decoct in water, 1 to 3 qian. For external use: grind into powder and apply or sprinkle dry.

【Note】 "Sichuan Traditional Chinese Medicine Annals": "Pregnant women should not use it."

[Additional prescription] For treating injuries from falls: one qian of Panax notoginseng root and one qian of Rhizoma Polygoni Multiflori root. Wash, mash and take with warm wine. (Hunan Pharmacopoeia)

[Remarks] The rhizomes of the same genus plants, Panax notoginseng (see the entry for "Panax notoginseng") and Panax ginseng (distributed in Sichuan and Guizhou), are also called Panax notoginseng in Sichuan and are used as medicine.

【Excerpt】 《*Dictionary》

The above is a detailed introduction to Bamboo Panax notoginseng. Since it is a traditional Chinese medicinal material, we can eat it with confidence. Bamboo Panax notoginseng has a very good effect on improving all aspects of the human body.