safflower

safflower

(Ben Cao Tu Jing)

[synonyms] honglanhua (Synopsis of the Golden Chamber), cihonghua (records of traditional Chinese medicine of four states), caohonghua (records of traditional Chinese medicine of Shaanxi).

[source] it is the flower of Safflower in Compositae.

[plant morphology] safflower, also known as Huanglan (Natural History), Honglan (ancient and modern notes by Cui Bao), safflower (Lvyan materia medica), safflower (salvaging materia medica).

Annual herbs, 30-90 cm high, all glabrous and smooth. Stem erect, base lignified, upper part branched. Leaves alternate, hard, nearly sessile and clasping; ovate or ovate lanceolate, 3.5 cm long, 9 cm wide, 1-3.5 cm wide, base gradually narrowed, apex sharp, margin with spines; upper leaves gradually smaller, into bracts, around the head. Inflorescence is large, terminal, involucral bracts are in many rows, 2-3 rows outside are leaflike, lanceolate, with Needling at the edge; the inner row is ovate, with white membranous margin without thorns; receptacle is flat; tubular flowers are mostly bisexual, orange red, apex 5-lobed, lobes linear; stamen 5, anther coalescence; pistil 1, style slender, protruding out of anther tube, stigma 2-lobed, lobes short, ligulate. Achene elliptic or obovate, ca. 5 mm, base slightly oblique, white, 4-ribbed. The flowering period is from June to July. The fruit period is from August to September.

It is widely cultivated all over the country.

The seedlings (safflower seedlings) and fruits (safflower seeds) of this plant are also used for medicine. Please refer to the special section for details.

[collection] from May to June, when the petals turn from yellow to red, the tubular flowers are picked and dried in the sun, in the shade or in the oven.

[medicinal materials] the dried tubular flower is about 1.5 cm long, orange red, with narrow and thin tube, 5-lobed apex, narrow linear lobes, 5-7 mm long, 5 stamens, yellow anthers, united into a tube, higher than the lobes, with stigma exposed in the middle. It has special aroma and slightly bitter taste. The flowers with long petals, bright red color and soft texture are preferred.

It is mainly produced in Henan, Zhejiang, Sichuan and other places.

[chemical constituents] safflower contains safflower yellow pigment and safflower glycoside. Carthamin was hydrolyzed by hydrochloric acid to obtain glucose and carthamin. It also contains 15 α, 20 β - dihydroxy - Δ 4-pregnen-3-one. In addition, it also contains fatty oil, known as safflower oil, which is the glyceride of palmitic acid, stearic acid, arachidic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, etc.

The leaves contain luteolin-7-glucoside

[pharmacological action] ① effect on uterus

The results showed that the decoction had excitatory effects on isolated and in situ uterus of mice, guinea pigs, rabbits, dogs and cats, and on uterine fistula of rabbits, but it was weaker than Crocus sativus decoction. The pharmacological research varieties of Carthamus tinctorius reported in the early years have not been identified, and the results are uncertain.

② Effect on circulatory system

The nature of the decoction is similar to that of Crocus sativus. It can depress blood pressure and inhibit heart in anesthetized animals, but it is weak. In the isolated rabbit ear, it can constrict blood vessels. The water-soluble part of Guanxin No.2 (Salvia miltiorrhiza: Safflower: Radix Paeoniae Rubra: Ligusticum chuanxiong: Dalbergia odorifera = 2:1:1:1) has dilating effect on canine coronary artery (measured by electromagnetic flowmeter) and femoral artery in vivo; the water and decoction of Guanxin No.2 have no effect on myocardial ischemia induced by pituitrin. In addition, safflower water extract 10 mg / kg intravenously increased the coronary flow (coronary sinus catheterization) in anesthetized dogs to a certain extent. Water extract had no significant effect on blood pressure, but ethanol extract (100-300 mg / kg) could decrease blood pressure. It can enhance the ability of hypoxia tolerance in mice.

③ Other functions

In Hypercholesterolemia Rabbits, safflower oil (1 g / kg / day) can reduce the levels of serum total cholesterol, total fat, triglyceride and nonesterified fatty acids. Oral administration of Guanxin No.2 extract (10 ml / Rabbit / day) can significantly reduce the levels of serum cholesterol, neutral fat and β - lipoprotein, and the levels of total cholesterol and total cholesterol in aortic wall Compared with the control group, the lipid staining of the plaque was more uneven and the lipid moved to the middle layer, which indicated that the plaque had a tendency to subside, but there was no significant difference in the histochemical and morphological indexes. Safflower oil can also stimulate some smooth muscle organs, such as small intestine, bronchus and so on. Guanxin No.2 has inhibitory effect on isolated rat ileum and can antagonize intestinal spasm induced by acetylcholine. Saffron toxicity is far less than saffron: feeding mice with 6% saffron powder in the feed for more than one month, there is no weight loss, if it increases to 8-10%, the weight loss will be as high as 15%, and saffron mixed with 2% can make mice lose weight after one month, and then increase to death.

[processing] clean the impurities, remove the stems, leaves and pedicels, and dry them in the sun.

[flavor] pungent, warm.

① Kaibao materia medica: "pungent, warm, non-toxic. "

② "Tangye Materia Medica": "spicy and sweet, warm and bitter. "

[Guijing] into the heart and liver channels.

① "Lei Gong's treatment of medicinal properties": entering the heart and liver meridians. "

② "Herbal classic solution": "into the foot Jueyin liver meridian, hand Taiyin lung meridian. "

③ Ben Cao Zai Xin: "entering liver and kidney meridians. "

Functions and indications: promoting blood circulation and dredging meridians, removing blood stasis and relieving pain. It is used to treat amenorrhea, Baihuang, dystocia, stillbirth, postpartum lochia, pain caused by blood stasis, carbuncle swelling and falling injury.

① Tang materia medica: "it is used to treat mouth silence, blood stasis and postpartum diseases. "

② "Kaibao Materia Medica" says: "after giving birth, the blood supply in the mouth is quiet, the blood in the abdomen is endless, colic, fetal death in the abdomen, and the wine is boiled and taken. It's also used to poison the blood. "

③ "Materia medica Mengyao": "throat obstruction, choking blocked, mash juice pharynx. "

④ "Compendium": "promoting blood circulation, moistening dryness, relieving pain, dispersing swelling and dredging menstruation. "

⑤ Bencaozheng: "it's difficult to get rid of the blood heat of acne, and it's difficult to get rid of the blood stagnation of mottled rash. "

⑥ "Bencao Zaixin": "diuresis, detumescence, stillbirth, abortion. "

[usage and dosage] oral administration: decoct soup, 1-2 yuan; add powder or liquor, and mash juice if fresh. External use: grind and sprinkle.

[should avoid] pregnant women should not take it.

[selected prescriptions] ① for the treatment of female meridian obstruction, such as blood diaphragm: haohonghua (Xiba), sufangmu (Chuishui), Danggui, etc. Finely cut, each with one or two, 1.5 liter of water, first fried flowers, wood: then into a wine, and angelica, and then fried, hollow food before warm. (Zhu Shi Ji Yi Fang)

② Treatment of fetal death due to fever: red flower wine, two or three drinks. (supplement to the good prescription)

③ Treatment of fetal membranes: Safflower wine boiling juice, drink two or three. (milk producing prescription)

④ Cure 62 kinds of wind and abdominal blood gas tingling: red and blue flowers one or two. Take a large liter of wine, fry in half, take half at a meal, and take it again. (honglanhua wine in Synopsis of the Golden Chamber)

⑤ Cure all swelling: red and blue flowers, knead and pound to take juice. (waitai secret recipe)

⑥ Treatment of obstruction of larynx: red and blue flower mash juice a small liter, take it, to the degree of difference. If there is no wet flower in winter, it can be soaked and dried. If you take it before you take it. (collected prescriptions on the sea)

⑦ Treatment? Ear, years of pus, stinky: Safflower one point, alum one or two (ash). On a piece of medicine, fine research for the end, each with a little, Na er. (Sheng Hui Fang)

⑧ Treatment of falls and wall injuries: Chuanma 1, Muxiang 2, safflower 3, licorice 4. They are all used raw, at the end of research, and yellow rice wine is sent. (emergency prescription)

⑨ Treatment of bedsore: appropriate amount of safflower, external application of soaking wine. (Yunnan Chinese herbal medicine)

[clinical application] ① treatment of acute and chronic muscle strain

5% safflower injection was injected at pain points or acupoints along meridians. After the needle is punctured, it should be lifted and inserted first. After the patient has the feeling of sore, numbness and distention, it should be injected with medicine solution, 0.5-1 ml per acupoint, once a day or every other day. The course of treatment depends on the patient's condition. After 3-15 times of treatment, 51 cases were cured (37.8%), 49 cases were markedly effective (37.1%), 21 cases were improved (15.9%), 11 cases were ineffective (8.3%), and the effective rate was 90.8%. Some patients were cured after 5-6 injections, and no recurrence was found in more than one year. No adverse reactions were found in the course of treatment; some patients had increased pain after the first injection, which could be gradually alleviated later, and generally continued treatment without the use of adjuvant drugs.

② Treatment of subcutaneous congestion and swelling caused by crush and sprain

Take the dried safflower and immerse it in 40% alcohol at the ratio of 1% for one week. After the safflower is yellow and white, it will be sunk at the bottom of the bottle and filtered with gauze. When using, add 1 times distilled water to dilute, use absorbent cotton to wet external application, bandage, if heated, the effect is more significant. The number of dressing changes depends on the severity of the injury. 775 cases of crush and sprain were treated, 347 cases were cured, 399 cases were improved and 29 cases were ineffective. The mild cases recovered in 2-3 days, and the severe cases disappeared in 3-5 days. In addition, 59 cases of tenosynovitis were treated, 18 cases were cured, 39 cases were improved and 2 cases were ineffective. In addition, this product is also effective in the initial stage of furuncle, but it is not effective in the case of suppuration.

③ Treatment of bedsore

Use 500g safflower, add 7000ml water, fry for 2 hours. After the safflower turns white, filter and take out the solution, then fry for 3-4 hours with slow fire to make it gelatinous. When using, apply it on the gauze, stick the affected part, cover it with sterilized gauze and fix it. Change the dressing every other day. According to the treatment observation of 24 bedsores in 20 cases, 8 bedsores were cured within 5 times, 11 bedsores were cured within 10 times, and 5 bedsores were cured more than 10 times (among them, 2 cases were cured 20-25 times, and the disease course was 1-2 years)

④ Treatment of coronary heart disease

Safflower 5, Curcuma 6, Salvia miltiorrhiza 6 and Trichosanthes Trichosanthes 1 were used as one dose. They were boiled into liquid extract, dried and crushed, and then pressed into 30 tablets. 10 tablets each time, 3 times a day, 4 weeks as a course of treatment. 44 cases were observed

Chinese PinYin : Hong Hua