Licorice

Licorice

(materia medica)

[synonyms] Mei Cao, MI Gan (Ben Jing), MI Cao, Bi Cao (BIE Lu), Guo Lao (Tao Hongjing), Ling Tong (Ji Shi Zhu), Fen Cao (Qunfang PU), Tian Cao (Chinese medicine Zhi Zhi), Tian Gen Zi (Chinese medicine Zhi), bang Cao (Heilongjiang Chinese Medicine).

[source] the root and rhizome of Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch.

Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch

Perennial herbs, about 30-70 cm high, rarely up to 1 m, rhizome cylindrical; main root very long, thick, skin reddish brown to dark brown. Stem erect, slightly woody, covered with white short hairs and glandular scales or glandular hairs. Leaflets 4-8 pairs, petioles very short, about 1 mm long; leaflets ovate, ovate elliptic or occasionally nearly round, 2-5.5 cm long, 1.5-3 cm wide, apex acute or nearly obtuse, base usually round, glandular scales and short hairs on both sides. Raceme axillary, flowers dense, 5-12 cm long; calyx bell shaped, about 1 / 2 of corolla and slightly longer, calyx teeth 5, lanceolate, slightly longer than calyx tube, outer coat short hair and glandular scales; corolla lilac pansy, about 14-20 mm long, flag petal large, oblong elliptic, apex rounded or slightly missing, lower part with short claws, keel straight, shorter than wing petals, all with long claws; stamens 10, 2-body, filaments The length of anther varies, the size of anther varies; pistil 1, ovary sessile. Pods linear oblong, falcate or curved, usually 6-8 mm wide, densely covered with brown spiny glandular hairs. Seeds 2-8, oblate or reniform, black and smooth. The flowering period is from June to July. The fruit period is from July to September.

It grows in sunny and dry calcareous grassland and sandy soil along river bank. It is distributed in Northeast, northwest and North China.

The rhizome of this plant is also used for medicine, including the Lutou part (licorice head), the terminal part of the root or the small root (licorice tip), and the part of the root or rhizome filled with brown black resinous substance (licorice node).

In addition to the main varieties mentioned above, there are also some plants of the following genera that are used for medicinal purposes.

① Glycyrrhiza glabra, also known as Glycyrrhiza uralensis. It is characterized by local glandular hairs, glandular hairs and long oval or narrow ovate leaflets. Pods oblong, flat and straight or slightly curved. It is distributed in Xinjiang.

② Licorice (Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch.) is characterized by the upper part of the stem covered with hairs or subglabrous. The pods are slightly falcate curved, swollen, glandular hairy. It is distributed in Gansu Province.

③ The characteristic leaflets of Glycyrrhiza inflata are 3-5 pieces, thin up to 7 pieces, and the lower midrib is glabrous. Pods oblong and straight, swollen. Distributed in Xinjiang, Gansu and other places

[collection] in autumn, remove the stem base, branches, forks and fibrous roots, cut them into sections of appropriate length, sun them to half dry, form small bundles, and then sun them to full dry. There are also those who cut off the outside cork, called "powder grass". Place in a dry and ventilated place to prevent mildew and moth.

Its branches are cylindrical in shape, 3-120 cm in diameter, not long, 3.6-120 cm in length. Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch. With skin is different in tightness, reddish brown, brown or grayish brown, with obvious wrinkles, furrows and sparse fine root marks, with transverse pores, micro protuberances and dark yellow. The cut planes of both ends are flush, and the center of the cut plane is slightly sunken. The quality is solid and heavy. The cross section is fibrous, yellow white, powdery, with an obvious ring pattern and chrysanthemum heart, often forming cracks. It has a special aroma, sweet and special taste. The shape of rhizome is similar to that of root, but there are bud marks on the surface and pith in the center of cross section. The appearance of mealweed is flat, light yellow, fibrous, with longitudinal cracks. Licorice with skin is better for its thin and tight skin, wrinkled groove, reddish brown, solid quality, powdery foot and yellowish white cross section; its rough skin, grayish brown, loose quality, small powder and dark yellow cross section are secondary; its brown black skin, hard quality, brownish yellow cross section and bitter taste are not suitable for use as medicine. Fencao is better than Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch.

It is mainly produced in Inner Mongolia and Gansu, followed by Shaanxi, Shanxi, Liaoning, Jilin, Heilongjiang, Hebei, Qinghai and Xinjiang. Hangjin Banner, YIKEZHAO League, Inner Mongolia has the best product quality.

[chemical constituents] the roots and rhizomes of Glycyrrhiza contain glycyrrhizin, which is the potassium and calcium salt of glycyrrhizic acid. It also contains liquiritin, liquiritigenin, isoliquiritin, isoliquiritigenin, Neo liquiritin and neoiso liquiritin.

[antitumor effect] glycyrrhetinic acid has inhibitory effect on Oberling Guerin myeloma transplanted in rats. The mixture of glycyrrhetinic acid monoammonium salt, sodium glycyrrhetinic acid and glycyrrhetinic acid derivative has inhibitory effect on Ehrlich ascites cancer and sarcoma in mice, even if taken orally. Glycyrrhizin and glycyrrhizin can produce morphological changes on ascites hepatoma cells of rats and Ehrlich ascites cancer cells of mice. Glycyrrhizin can also inhibit subcutaneously transplanted Yoshida sarcoma.

[processing] licorice: remove impurities, wash, soak in water until 80% transparent, remove, moisten, slice and dry. Honey fried licorice: take licorice slices, add a little honey and boiling water, mix well, slightly stuffy, put in the pot, stir fry gently until dark yellow, not sticky, take out and let cool. (100 Jin of Gancao tablet, 25-30 Jin of honey)

① "Lei Gong Pao Zhi Dun" says: "if you want to use licorice, you must go to the tip of the head and tail, soak it in wine and steam it. When it comes out in the afternoon, it should be dried and filed. A Jin with crisp seven Liang, coated with fried, crisp as degree. The first gun to make good use of red and yellow inside and outside. "

② Compendium: "in the recipe, the licorice is soaked in long running water and then roasted until it is ripe, and the red skin is scraped off. Or heat it with water. "

③ "Must match Materia Medica": "stir fried japonica rice, or fried with honey. "

Sweet and smooth.

① Ben Jing: "it tastes sweet and flat. "

② Bielu: "non toxic. "

③ Ben Cao Yan Yi: "Wei Liang. "

④ "Pearl bag" said: "health sweet, flat; fried sweet, warm. "

[channel tropism] entering spleen, stomach and lung channels.

① "Tang Ye Ben Cao": "enter the foot Jueyin, Taiyin and Shaoyin meridians. "

② "Lei Gong's treatment of medicinal properties": entering the heart and spleen meridians. "

③ "Into the spleen and stomach. "

④ According to the interpretation of Materia Medica classic, "the lung meridian of Taiyin and the spleen meridian of foot Taiyin should be started. "

[functions and indications] it is used to treat emergency, moisten the lung, detoxify and harmonize various medicines. It can be used to treat weakness of spleen and stomach, lack of food, abdominal pain, loose stool, fatigue and fever, impotence, cough, palpitation and convulsion; it can be used to treat sore throat, peptic ulcer, carbuncle, sore, antidote and food poisoning.

① Ben Jing: "it governs the five internal organs and six prefectures, cold and heat evil Qi, strengthens the muscles and bones, grows the muscles, increases the strength, cures the swelling, and detoxifies. "

② Bielu: "warming the middle and lower Qi, irritating the short Qi, injuring the internal organs, coughing, relieving thirst, dredging channels, promoting blood Qi, and detoxifying drugs. "

③ According to the theory of medicinal properties, "it can control the cold pain in the abdomen, treat convulsion and epilepsy, eliminate abdominal distension, tonify the five zang organs, control all kinds of drugs and poisons, nourish the kidney qi, cause Yin (not) flaccidity; the housewife's blood drips and has low back pain; it is deficient but hot; it can be used additionally. "

④ "Rihuazi's Materia Medica" said: "calm down. Tonic five tired seven injured, all empty loss, palpitation, bored, forgetful. Through nine orifices, Li pulse, Yijing Yangqi, Zhuanggu, jielengre. "

⑤ "Pearl bag": nourishing blood and stomach. "

⑥ "Tang Ye Ben Cao" says: "it is the same as Huangqi in treating empyema and blood of lung flaccidity, but it is used as emetic. "

⑦ "Gangmu": "it can relieve infantile fetal toxicity and convulsion, reduce fire and relieve pain. "

⑧ "Treatment of peptic ulcer and jaundice. "

[usage and dosage] oral administration: decoction, 0.5-3 Qian; or into pills, powder. External use: grind powder, mix or fry, wash with water.

[should avoid] in the empirical study, the full stomach distension should not be taken.

① Notes to the classic of materia medica: "Shu, dry lacquer and Sophora flavescens are used for it. Evil ambition. It is composed of Euphorbia, genkwa, kansui and seaweed. "

② Introduction to medicine: "the first work of dysentery, not available. "

[prescription selection] ① for treatment of Rongwei Qi deficiency, weakness of viscera, fullness of heart and abdomen, no appetite, bowel sounds, diarrhea, vomiting and vomiting: Ginseng (removing reed), Poria Cocos (removing skin), licorice (frying) and Atractylodes macrocephala. For the fine powder, each take two money, a water, fried to seven minutes, through oral, regardless of time. Add a little salt and a little white soup. (Sijunzi Decoction in Ju Fang)

② Treatment of impotence, salivation and cough: licorice four Liang (fried), dried ginger two Liang (gun). Apply the medicine and cut it carefully. Take three liters of water and boil one liter of water. Remove the dross and take it at different temperatures. (Gancao Ganjiang Decoction in Synopsis of the Golden Chamber)

③ Treatment of heat cough: licorice two liang, pig bile soak for five nights, percolate out Zhixiang, pound for the end, refining honey and pills, such as mung bean, after eating Mint soup under 15 pills. (Liangge pill in Shengji Zonglu)

④ Treatment of typhoid, pulse generation, palpitation: Licorice (fried) four Liang, ginger (cut) three Liang, ginseng two liang, raw Rehmannia 1 jin, cinnamon (peeled) three Liang, donkey hide gelatin two liang, Maimendong (heartless) half Jin, hemp kernel half liter, jujube (brag) 30. Right nine flavor, seven liters of sake, eight liters of water, first boil eight flavor, take three liters, to dross, the glue closed to eliminate, warm clothing one liter, three times a day. (Zhigancao Decoction in Treatise on febrile diseases, a name of Fumai Decoction)

⑤ Treatment of Shaoyin disease two or three days, sore throat, and licorice soup is not bad: Platycodon grandiflorum one or two. Two liang licorice. Add two flavors, three liters of water, boil one liter, remove the residue, warm and serve. (Platycodon grandiflorum Decoction in Treatise on Febrile Diseases)

⑥ Treatment of insomnia, fever, palpitations: licorice one money, stone Acorus five to one money. Take it in water. Take one dose twice a day. (Ganzhou, Jiangxi Province, China)

⑦ Treatment of malaria: licorice 2, kansui 1. Two hours before the attack, take one minute and put it on the navel, then stick it with adhesive tape or small plaster.

Chinese PinYin : Gan Cao