"Will the Chinese herbal decoction pieces expire?" "Is the Chinese medicine decoction piece as long as possible, how to understand the statement that Chen is the best?" The above questions are often asked in the daily work and life of pharmacists. So will the efficacy of Chinese medicine decoction pieces be better after aging? Will the "old" drugs exceed their expiration date? For the questions of "period" and "Chen", the pharmacist will answer them for you one by one.
1. There is a "period" for medicinal use
Drugs generally do not say the shelf life, but use the expiration date or expiration date to express, the expiration date of the drug refers to the period of time to ensure the quality of the drug under the specified storage conditions. It is important to note that the expiration date of a drug is not equal to the expiration date. The expiration date is the period during which the drug can maintain its quality under the specified storage conditions, and if the storage conditions are improper, the drug may also deteriorate or be contaminated during the expiration date and cannot be used. Generally, medicines can be stored at room temperature. If "cool place" or "cool dark place" is specified, it means no more than 20°C. "Cold place" refers to 2~10°C. The specific validity period of traditional Chinese medicine is related to the production process, processing method, storage and maintenance methods of traditional Chinese medicine decoction pieces. There is a "period" for medicinal use, and this "period" will involve restrictions such as specified storage conditions, packaging materials, etc.
Second, "Chen" is better
In the clinical practice of traditional Chinese medicine, some medicinal materials need to be used immediately after harvesting for better results, which is called "fresh use of traditional Chinese medicine". Some medicinal materials should be left for a few years after harvesting, so that the medicinal effect will be better, which is called "traditional Chinese medicine aging".
The earliest existing monograph on materia medica in the mainland, "Shennong's Materia Medica", records that "the land is produced, the authenticity is new, and each has its own law." "It was first proposed that drugs should be recycled, but there was no specific drug involved. And "Mencius: Lilou Shang" contains: "Those who want to be kings today are still sick for seven years, and they are seeking Ai for three years." The seven-year illness here refers to a serious illness that is incurable. And the three-year Ai refers to Chen Ai who is more than three years old. This is the earliest recorded use of Chinese medicine that needs to be aged.
Tao Hongjing of the Liang Dynasty clearly recorded in the "Commentary on the Materia Medica" that "all wolf poison, citrus aurantium, orange peel, banxia, ephedra, and dogwood must be aged for a long time, and the rest must be refined and new." For the first time, the existence of "Six Chen" was proposed. Li Dongyuan, the master of Jin Yuansi, recorded the "Six Chen Ge" in "Pearl Capsule Tonic Medicinal Properties": "Citrus aurantium tangerine peel Banxia Qi, ephedra wolf venom and Wu Yu." The six kinds of medicine should be aged for a long time, and the prescription will be effective. "The medicine of the six chens was once again emphasized and widely circulated." Chen", what exactly does it do? The following takes "Liuchen" as an example.
1. Tangerine peel
It is the dried ripe peel of the Rutaceae plant tangerine and its cultivated variety. Its taste is bitter and pungent; Sexual temperature. It has the effect of rationalizing qi and strengthening the spleen, drying and dampness and dissolving phlegm. Wang Haogu of the Yuan Dynasty said that "orange peel is better if it is red for a long time, so it is called red peel and tangerine peel." ”
Modern studies have shown that with the extension of storage time, the volatile oil of tangerine peel undergoes polymerization and oxidation reaction, and the content of flavonoids increases[1], and the appearance is manifested as a darkening of color, a decrease in bitterness and pungency, and a more mellow odor. Therefore, when tangerine peel is used as medicine, those who have been aged for a long time are better at regulating qi, and those with a shorter storage period have a better effect on phlegm [2].
2. Citrus aurantium
It is the dried unripe fruit of the Rutaceae plant lime and its cultivated variety. Its taste is bitter, pungent and sour; Slightly cold. It has the effect of rational qi and stagnation and deflating. The "Book of Sketches" records that "the doctor takes the thick skin and the small one as the citrus aurantium, and the big one as the shell,...... The one who has to wait for a long time wins. "It is mentioned here that citrus aurantium and citrus aurantium are of the same origin and also need to be aged.
Modern research believes that citrus aurantium contains more volatile oil components, and it is easy to consume gas and hurt the body, so the use of aging method can significantly reduce the irritation of its pungent dispersion. Most of the volatile oils are unsaturated alcohols, alkenes, and terpenes, which are sensitive to temperature and sun exposure, and after being left for a long time, the volatile oils are lost more, thereby reducing dryness [3-4].
3. Dogwood
It is the dried near-ripe fruit of the Rutaceae plant, Evodia glacia, Tigerus or Evodia sparsely. Its taste is pungent and bitter; sexual heat; There is a small poison. It has the effect of dissipating cold and relieving pain, reducing inversion and relieving vomiting, and helping yang and stopping diarrhea.
Modern studies believe that the volatile oil content of Evodia officinalis is very high, and the taste is pungent and hot, which is easy to make people walk around and get angry and dizzy, and after aging, its volatile oil content is reduced, which can alleviate the pungent and hot properties and reduce the side effects [5].
4. Ephedra
It is the dried grassy stem of ephedra, medium ephedra or equisetum ephedra. Its taste is pungent and slightly bitter; Sexual temperature. It has the effect of sweating and dissipating cold, relieving asthma in the lungs, and reducing swelling with water.
Ephedra is an important medicine for diaphoresis and epidemiosis, but if it is not used properly, its pungent and warm Xuansan is very easy to consume qi and hurt the positive, resulting in excessive sweating and death. Ephedra becomes mild after aging, sweating and not easy to hurt, and does not appear to sweat.
Modern studies have demonstrated that the ephedrine in ephedra has a central excitatory effect, and after one or two years of storage, the effect of the excitatory nerve center decreases [6].
5. Half summer
It is a dried tuber of the Araceae family in the middle of summer. Its taste is pungent; sexual temperature; Poisonous. It has the effect of drying and dampness, reducing inversion and relieving vomiting, and eliminating phlegm.
The toxicity of the excipients is reduced after processing, and the excipients can be stored for a long time to make the excipients play a more thorough role in removing toxicity and have fewer toxic side effects [7].
6. Wolf venom
The dried roots of the Euphorbiaceae plant Euphorbia luna or Euphorbia lupus. Its taste is pungent; Flat sex, with great poison. It has the effect of scattering knots and killing insects.
Tao Hongjing of the Liang Dynasty said: "The wolf poison is good, and the one who sinks is good." "Wolf venom is highly toxic, and after processing and aging, the toxicity is reduced [2].
Third, "Chen" has a way
The use of traditional Chinese medicine "Chen" can reduce or remove the irritation, toxicity and side effects of some drugs, and enhance the clinical efficacy. Like tangerine peel, citrus aurantium, ephedra, evodia and the like all contain a certain amount of volatile oils, which are mostly dry and irritating, and may have adverse reactions when taken. After being placed for a long time, the volatile oil will be volatilized, and the irritability will be weakened, and the toxicity will be reduced, and it is not easy to have side effects.
However, the use of traditional Chinese medicine "Chen" has a time limit, and it is not better to get older. The main purpose of "Chen" is to weaken some of the effects of the herb, and if it is left indefinitely, the medicinal properties may be excessively lost, thus losing the efficacy. "Aging" is based on the characteristics of the drug, efficacy and the requirements of the disease to be treated, such as tangerine peel into the decoction, used to contain phlegm should be shorter storage period is better, used to regulate qi is good for a long time.
In addition, not all herbs are good for a long time, and the effect of most Chinese herbal medicines does not change significantly after aging, and the toxic or irritating components of drugs such as aconitum and euphorbia are not volatile, and they are not sensitive to sunlight and temperature, although aging does not play a role in reducing toxicity. In addition, it should be noted that there is a prescribed process for the aging of medicinal materials, and self-aging may not achieve the expected effect. If the tangerine peel is not well controlled, it is easy to produce mold, which not only cannot improve the efficacy, but also increases the safety risk.
Source: Yaoquan Network