Author: Department of Pharmacy, Sports New City Campus, Dalian Women and Children's Medical Center (Group).
Pharmacist in charge Yu Hong
cactus
Cactus is also known as cactus palm, Guanyin palm. There are at least 2,000 species in the world, mainly produced in North and South America, especially Mexico is rich in cacti, known as the "cactus kingdom". There are 3 species of cactus plants distributed on the continent. That is, cactus, green cactus and pear fruit cactus, mainly wild, distributed in Hainan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Fujian, Yunnan, Guizhou and other tropical and subtropical regions. Cactus has excellent characteristics such as easy growth, wide planting range and rich nutritional value. In recent years, its edible value has attracted much attention, and its medicinal value has gradually been discovered and studied.
Medicinal records
Cactus as a medicinal plant in China was first published in the "Compendium of Materia Medica" written by Zhao Xuemin in the Qing Dynasty: "Yunnan Tongzhi": Cactus, the leaves are thick as palms, prickly, connected into branches, the flower name is jade, the color is red and yellow, and it is edible like a mountain melon. "The book records: cactus has a light taste, cold has the effect of promoting qi and blood, clearing heat and detoxification, reducing swelling and relieving pain, strengthening the spleen and stopping diarrhea, calming the nerves and diuresis, and treating a variety of diseases internally and externally. Cactus mainly treats boils and swelling, but also stomach pain, ruffian abdominal pain, acute dysentery, intestinal hemorrhoidal diarrhea, asthma and other diseases.
Plant morphology
Morphological shrub, also used medicinally.
【Sexual taste】Bitter taste, cold sex. It belongs to the stomach, lungs, and large intestine.
【Functional indications】 Activate blood qi, cool blood to stop bleeding, detoxify and reduce swelling.
For stomach pain, ruffles, dysentery, sore throat, pulmonary fever cough, tuberculosis hemoptysis, vomiting blood, hemorrhoidal blood, sore boils, cradle carbuncle, gills, ringworm, snake and insect bites, scalds, frostbite.
【Chemical composition】The components in cactus are relatively rich, mainly including fiber, minerals, a variety of amino acids, more fat, plant sterols and trace elements. In addition, many different bioactive compounds have been found in cactus, including betaine, polysaccharide components of galactose and arabinose, 3-O-methyldeoxyquercetin, isorhamnetin, quercetin, β-sitosterol, canosterol, eucommic acid, etc.
Pharmacological action
Cactus polysaccharides can significantly improve the vasodilation function of atherosclerotic rats, and at the same time have significant anti-atherosclerotic effects, and can also inhibit the expression of liver apolipoprotein B and diacylglycerol acyltransferase protein, thereby reducing plasma total cholesterol, triacylglycerol and LDL levels.
Cactus saponins have inhibitory effects on Escherichia coli, Megabacillus macrosiflora, and Penicillium; Cactus saponins have the effect of scavenging hydroxyl groups, and have an obvious dose-response relationship, and also have certain antioxidant activity. Cactus total flavonoids can significantly inhibit swelling reaction and increase capillary permeability, and can reduce local inflammatory reactions such as swelling and exudation, so it has anti-acute inflammatory effects.
Others: Mibonda cactus pectin can better alleviate the symptoms of behavioral despair in mouse models of chronic unpredictable mild stress, and improve the spatial memory and learning ability of mice. Rescue of organophosphorus poisoning in rabbits by cacti. Cactus is effective in detoxifying organophosphorus poisoning in rabbits, and the larger the dose, the earlier the rescue time, the better the effect.
Medicinal side prescription
Cure stomach pain for a long time: one to two cactus roots, with pork belly stew. (Min Dong Materia Medica)
Treat stomach pain: cactus research end, one dollar each time, swallow with boiling water; Or use one or two cactus, finely chopped, and stir-fry beef. (Guizhou Herbal Medicine)
Treatment of acute dysentery: fresh cactus one to two taels, fried in water. (Guangzhou Army's Handbook of Common Chinese Herbal Medicine)
Treatment of intestinal hemorrhoids and diarrhea: cactus and licorice soaked in wine. (Lingnan Medicine Collection)
Treatment of bronchial asthma: cactus stem, peeled and spines, dipped in honey in an appropriate amount. Once a day, each dose is 1/2 the size of your palm. The drug can be discontinued as soon as symptoms disappear. (Inner Mongolia "Selected Materials of the New Medical Law of Chinese Herbal Medicine")
Cure palpitations and insomnia: cactus two taels, pound the wool to take the juice, and boil the water with white sugar. (Guizhou Herbal Medicine)
Tuberculosis along the cradle carbuncle, painful, red and swollen: cactus roasted and ironed. This method also cures ox chengji (i.e. stone hardness). (Lingnan Medicine Collection)
Treatment of mumps, mastitis, boils and carbuncles: cactus fresh to thorn, pounded external application. (Guangzhou Army's Handbook of Common Chinese Herbal Medicine)
Treatment of eczema, yellow water sores: cactus stem in moderation. Dry the ground powder and apply externally to the affected area. ("Zhejiang Folk Herbal Medicine")
Treatment of children's bald sores: cactus roasted as the end, sesame oil blending. (Lingnan Medicine Collection)
Treatment of fire wounds: cactus, scrape off the skin with a knife, mash it and stick it to the wound, and wrap it in a disinfected cloth. (Fujian Folk Herbal Medicine)
Treatment of snake and insect bites: whole grass, pound juice to rub the affected area. (Hunan Drug History).
Beauty and beauty
In addition to clearing heat and detoxification, anti-inflammatory and sterilization, dispersing stasis and reducing swelling, promoting qi and blood, strengthening stomach and relieving pain, clearing throat and moisturizing lungs and many other medicinal effects, it also has the effect of weight loss, fat reduction, beauty and beauty. It is very suitable for use in beauty cosmetics.
Delicious medicated meal
Tomato cactus
Ingredients: 200 grams of cactus, 175 grams of tomatoes, seasoning: sugar to taste
Method: Peel the cactus, wash it separately with the tomato, and slice it for later use. Place the tomatoes on a plate, put the cactus, sprinkle with sugar, and mix well.
Cactus stewed ribs
Ingredients: 200 grams of cactus, 1000 grams of ribs.
Excipients: salt, soy sauce, cooking wine, peppercorns, large ingredients, fennel, cardamom, cinnamon, green onion, ginger, monosodium glutamate, sugar 5 grams each.
Method: Wash and cut the ribs into pieces, add 3000 grams of water to the pot and boil, and put the ribs in the pot; Bring to a boil and skim off the foam, add peppercorns, large ingredients, green onion and ginger, cooking wine, and cover the pot. Simmer over slow heat until eight years old, add cactus and salt to taste, pick out green onions, ginger, peppercorns, large ingredients, etc., and collect the juice. Heat oil in a spoon and sprinkle some cactus slices in a bowl before serving.
Tips
1. Not all cacti can be edible, and some cacti, such as black feather jade, rock peony, lunar world, guard, axe bulb, contain toxic ingredients such as mescalin and anchalin. These components have an anesthetic effect on the nerves of the person; There are also some cacti containing toxic alkali, easy to make people hallucinate after eating, once eaten too much, can make people's pupils dilated, body temperature rise, blood pressure rise, resulting in people's mental malaise, great harm to people's body. Therefore, edible cacti must be identified to avoid the harm of toxic cacti to people.
2. The cactus used in the dish has some bitterness, so the skin and thorns should be peeled off before processing, and soaked in light salt water for 15~20 minutes or blanched with water, and then rinsed with clean water to remove the bitterness.
3. During processing, be careful not to let the juice of the cactus splash into the eyes, which is easy to blind people. "Lingnan Miscellaneous": "Its juice is so good that it blinds people. "
4. Cactus is a bitter cold plant, so it has the function of detoxification, but it cannot be overeaten, otherwise it will cause diarrhea and other consequences, and those who are cold should be avoided. Do not use iron utensils when cooking. "Min Dong Materia Medica": "Those who are cold should not use it." And avoid ironware. ”
Reviewer Expert: Li Ling, Chief Pharmacist, Department of Pharmacy, Sports New City Campus, Dalian Women and Children's Medical Center (Group).
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