The Great Decryption of Chinese Herbal Medicines: Identification of the Authenticity of Longan Meat

Longan meat is also known as longan, round eye, guiyuan, nootropic, honey spleen, dried longan, etc., with the effect of tonifying the heart and spleen, nourishing blood and calming the spirit. Clinically, it is often used for deficiency of qi and blood, palpitations, forgetfulness and insomnia, weakness of fatigue, blood deficiency and yellowing. Scarce is expensive, because of its small output, coupled with the pharmaceutical industry, health care product production and other increasing demand for this product, resulting in some criminals in the longan meat mixed with a large number of shapes and color similar to the shape of dried fruits, jam, brown sugar and other miscellaneous products, after processing to fake the real, increase the weight, and then seek huge profits, endanger people's health. Because the appearance of adulterated products is very similar to that of genuine products, you should polish your eyes when purchasing, grasp the key features, and carefully identify them.

Genuine features

Longan meat is generally irregularly flakeed, constantly bonded. It is about 1.5 cm long, 1.3 to 4 cm wide, and about 1 mm thick. Yellow-brown to tan, translucent, with uneven outer surfaces and brighter inner surfaces with fine longitudinal wrinkles. Soft texture, slightly fragrant, sweet taste. Its cells contain calcium oxalate crystals that are needle-like, rod-like or cluster-like.

Characteristics of dried fruit counterfeits

Characteristics of brown sugar counterfeits: soaked in high concentration of brown sugar water and processed, shape, size similar to longan meat, yellow to tan. There is a candied feeling, the thickness of the flesh increases to about 1.5 mm, and the constant pieces are bonded together and vary in size. Carefully break open the glued longan meat will find that it is wrapped in sugar, heavy sugar, slightly fragrant, sticky hands, easy to absorb moisture. Its weight is heavier, soaked in yellowish brown, precipitated, sweet taste.

Characteristics of mixed jam counterfeits: the shape of the mixed jam after processing, the size is similar to the longan meat, yellow to tan, there are particles mixed in between, the flesh skin adsorbs debris, the gloss is poor, fine longitudinal wrinkles can not be seen, and the constant pieces are bonded together, and the size is different. Carefully break open the glued longan meat, and often find jam in the heart of the meat. Sweet taste, fragrant smell, sticky hands, moist, easy to absorb moisture. Its weight is heavier, the water is soaked yellow-brown, the sediment is more, and the taste is sweet.

Characteristics of dyed raisins and dried cherries: mixed with dyed raisins, dried cherries, etc. after processing, the size is similar to longan meat, yellow to tan. Constant sheets are bonded into pieces, with traces of artificial processing, irregular thin sheets, and uneven surfaces. The sugar is heavy and the smell is slightly fragrant. Its weight is heavier, decolored after water immersion, and the taste is slightly sweet. (HE Juncheng, LIU Ang)