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Herbology > Herbology 1 Lecture 3 > Flashcards

Herbology 1 Lecture 3 Flashcards

1
Q

Two General Categories of Products for Herb Processing

A

Raw Herbs

Herbs Prepared for Ingestion

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2
Q

Raw Herbs

生藥

A

These are either uncut or roughly cut by untrained personnel

They are easily recognized as they are dirty, uncut, or cut in pieces that are 3-5cm long

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3
Q

Herbs Prepared for Ingestion

飲片

A

Unlike raw herbs, these have been cut and processed according to the standards of processing in the various provinces.

They are always cleaned and then sorted, washed, and cut according to specific standards, which includes sizing the pieces for the final product

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4
Q

Good quality herbs must meet the standard set forth in the official Chinese Pharmacopoeia with respect to:

A 
Ash content
Loss on drying
Extract content
Content of volatile oil
Content of a particular constituent
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5
Q

Herb Processing Cautions

A

Unless one uses quality herbs, it is hard to get quality results

Herbs must be free of mold, microbes, pesticides and heavy metals

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6
Q

Pao Zhi

炮製

A

General term for any type of herb processing

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7
Q

Reasons why herbs are prepared

A

Increase potency
Direct its actions to a certain place
Can minimize side effects
Can increase or alter the properties of an herb

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8
Q

The most basic way an herb is prepared

A

Slice or Pulverize the herb, thus increasing its surface area

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9
Q

Mechanical Methods

A

Sorting, Sifting, Scraping, Peeling and Winnowing

Pulverizing

Slicing

These also increase the surface area and makes it easier for extraction and digestion

Defatting

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10
Q

Methods Utilizing Water

A

Washing
Bleaching
Soaking in Cool Water or Boiling Water
Aqeous Trituration

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11
Q

Sorting, Sifting, Scraping, Peeling and Winnowing

A

To remove the non-medicinal portions of a substance

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12
Q

Pulverizing

A

Grinding, Pounding, Filing – especially with minerals and shells

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13
Q

Slicing

A

Shapes herb into standard size and weight

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14
Q

Defatting

A

remove oils from grains and seeds to reduce the side effects and toxicity of some herbs

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15
Q

Washing

A

Removes Dirt

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16
Q

Bleaching

A

Removes Salt and other substances used in storage

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17
Q

Soaking in cool water or boiling water

A

Softens the herbs for cutting (or covering with a damp cloth for a couple of days after soaking)

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18
Q

Aqeous Trituration

A

Shui Fei

Minerals are ground with water until reduced to an extremely fine powder (often used for opthalmological preparations)

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19
Q

Methods Utilizing Heat

A 
Dry Frying
Frying with Liquids
Calcining
Quick Frying
Dry Curing or Baking
Roasting in Ashes
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20
Q

Dry Frying

A

Chao

Browning is used to dry herbs for storage and increase the Spleen-awakening, Stomach-strengthening action of the herbs

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21
Q

Stir Frying with Salt directs actions to

A

Downward to the Kidneys

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22
Q

Stir Frying until charred (tan) increases the herbs _______ ability

A

Hemostatic

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23
Q

Charred human hair is great ______ ability

A

Hemostatic

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24
Q

Hemostatic

A

Stops Bleeding

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25
Frying with Liquids: Frying with Honey
Zhi Increases an Herb's Tonifying and moistening actions
26
Frying with Liquids: Frying with Vinegar
Enhances its astringent, analgesic, blood-invigorating and detoxifying actions
27
Frying with Liquids: Frying with Wine
Enhances its ability to clear blockages from the channels, expel wind and alleviate pain
28
Frying with Liquids: Frying with Ginger Juice
Reduces the tendency of bitter and cold herbs to upset the stomach Also enhances some herbs ability to warm the Stomach and stop vomitting
29
Fresh Ginger
For Vomitting due to cold in middle jiao
30
Calcining
Duan Placing a substance directly or indirectly in the flames until it is thoroughly heated and turns red. Makes the substance brittle and easy to pulverize Use for minerals and shells
31
Quick Frying
Pao Fried at an extremely high temperature until it is dark brown or cracked This reduces its toxicity or moderates its harsh characteristics
32
Dry Curing or Baking
Hong or Bei | Slow, mild heat to avoid charring the herb often used with flowers or insects, so they are not destroyed
33
Roasting in Ashes
Wei Wrapping the herb in moistened paper, paste, or mud and heating it in hot cinders until the coating is charred or cracked and its insides have reached a high temperature
34
Methods Utilizing Both Heat & Water
Steaming Boiling Quenching Simmering
35
Steaming
Zheng | Steaming and then drying the herbs in the sun used to transform sheng di huang into shu di huang
36
Sheng Di Huang Vs. Shu Di Huang
Sheng Di Huang cool blood | Shu Di Huang tonify yin & blood
37
Boiling
Zhu In water or some other medium, such as vinegar, to alter its characteristics or toxicity
38
Quenching
Cui Substances (usually minerals) are heated and then immediately immersed in cold water of vinegar. Facilities pulverization and moderates their properties
39
Simmering
Ao Herb is reduced to a thickened liquid or syrup by boiling in several changes or water, collecting the supernatants, and then condensing and solidifying it into a gel
40
Methods of Delivery
``` Decoctions Drafts Pills Powders Syrups Plasters Wines ```
41
Decoction
Tang Literally "soups" Solutions and Suspensions that are readily absorbed, thus expediting their effect Often used for acute conditions
42
Cautions for Decoctions
Do not use aluminum pots or cooking utensils Corning ware or porcelain pots are preferred Use a tight fitting lid
43
Solvents
Water is the most common Wine (Invigorates the Blood) Vinegar (Astringing)
44
Types of Heat
High Flame or Military Fire (Wu Huo) Low Flame or Civilian Fire (Wen Huo) According to Li Shi-Zhen in his Grand Material Medica, "Bring to boil with a Military Flame and then lower to Civilian Fire for Cooking"
45
Decocting the Herbs
Cover the herbs with water and allow them to soak for awhile. This will help with the extraction of ingredients when decocting Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat Keep the herbs covers, so the "flavors" do no escape
46
Decocting the Herbs -- Formula
A formula is usually cooked 20-30 minutes, but this depends on the ingredients: Formulas that Release the Exterior, Clear Heat or contain herbs with volatile oils (aromatic) should be cooked over a high flame for a shorter period of time (10-15 minutes) Tonics and other formulas with rich, cloying substances should be cooked over a relatively low flame for a longer period of time (45-60 minutes) to extract as much as possible Toxic Substances should be cooked for at least 45 minutes to reduce their toxicity
47
Decocting the Herbs -- Most Common Properties
The most common method is to decoct the herbs twice (using less water the 2nd time) Both times the herbs are boiled down to 1 cup of liquid Discard the herbs Combine the 2 cups of liquid Take 1 cup 2X daily or 2/3 of a cup 3X daily Decoctions are generally taken before meals If the ingredients irritate the digestive tract, then they can be taken after meals
48
Decocting the Herbs -- Time
When taking a formula, it is important to take it at the most appropriate time for optimal effect Tonics should be taken on an empty stomach Calm the spirit formulas should be taken before bed Formulas for a malarial disorder should be taken 2 hours before an attack if the timing is regular
49
Decocting the Herbs -- Additional Properties
Decoction is usually taken warm. Even when the disorder is due to excess heat, except when it causes nausea and vomitting When using formulas with toxic herbs, start with a small dose and slowly increase the dosage until the desired effect is obtained
50
What should be Decoct First? Xian Jian
Toxic Herbs Minerals and Shells Lightweight substances in a large dosage
51
What should be added near end? Hou Xia
Aromatic Herbs Da Huang to have a strong purgative effect
52
What should be decocted in gauze? Bao Jian
Herbs with cilia (fine, hair-like structures) Small seeds Some minerals Powdered substances
53
What should be separately decocted or simmered? Ling Jian or Ling Dun
Rare and expensive substances (i.e. Ren Shen) Often cooked in a double boiler for 2-3 hours to extract all of the active ingredients
54
What should be dissolved in a strained decoction? Rong Hua
Highly Viscous or sticky substances They would stick to the pot or the other herbs and reduce the effect of decocting (i.e. Er Jiao)
55
What should be taken with the strained decoction? Chong Fu
Some expensive, aromatic substances are ground into a powder and taken first, followed by the strained decoction This is also the case with precious horns, which are shaved or filed into a powder and ingested, followed by the decoction
56
Other Methods of Delivery
``` Boiled Powders or Drafts Pills Powders Special or Vermillon Pills Syrups Plasters Medicinal Wines ```
57
Herb-Drug Interactions
There is little modern research and much disagreemnt, as plants are not single chemical components and there are millions of variations Most of the information is empirical and accumulated over many years of practice
58
Boiled Powders or Drafts
Zhu San Powders decocted for 10 minutes Dosage is much smaller than decoctions
59
Pills
Wan These are made by combining the fine powder of pulverized herbs with a viscous medium Usually milder and slower in action. Can be prepared with: Water -- good solvent Honey -- Dissolves slowly & good for tonic pills Wax -- Dissolves slowly, usually in intestines and prevents gastric irritation
60
Powders
San Easily absorbed and easy to store Medicinal action is between decoction and pill
61
Special or Vermillion Pills
Dan These pills are finely processed, expensive substances or minerals The name vermillion is used because they used to be coated with Cinnabaris (Zhu Sha) It served as a protective coating and had a calming effect, but no longer used because of its toxicity
62
Syrups
Gao These are prepared by decocting in water, reducing the strained decoction to a thick concentrate and adding sugar or honey to the decoction. Good for sore throats and coughs
63
Plasters
Gao External application -- for dermatological issues, painful joints and muscles, fractures & sprains and fixed masses. Gao Yao and Yao Gao
64
Gao Yao
Medicinal Herbs are simmered in Oil (Sesame Oil), then beeswax is added
65
Yao Gao
A powder of medicinal substances are added to a heated mixture of oil and beeswax
66
Medicinal Wines
Jiu Steeping medicinal substances in wine Wine is used for nourishing, blood invigorating and unblocking channels Used to treat wind-damp painful obstruction, traumatic injury and deficiency induced disorders
67
Two Types of Interactions
Pharmacokinetic Interaction | Pharmacodynamic Reaction
68
Pharmacokinetic Interaction
Can change absorption, distribution, metabolism or elimination
69
Pharmacodynamic Reaction
Can alter the way in which a drug or herb effects a tissue or organ system. Hard to predict. Can be synergistic or antagonistic How the herb will affect that individual
70
Synergistic
Good, increase each others effects
71
Antagonistic
Damaging Kidneys
72
Plant -- Not one pure ingredient Levels of Chemical Reaction
Dry and prepare herbs -- 1st chemical reaction Mix with other herbs in the water -- 2nd Chemical reaction Drink and mix with enzymes of saliva and GI tract -- 3rd Chemical Reaction
73
Guidelines
Keep a record of all drugs patients are taking Take drugs & Herbs at different times or via different methods of administration Reduce dosage of herbs that may have same therapeutic effects as drugs, e.g. diuretics Adjust when Intestinal Motility drugs used, i.e. laxatives will move through faster, decreasing absorption so increase herb dosage
74
Extreme Caution
With patients scheduled for surgery With patients with liver of kidney disease With multiple-drug users, esp. elderly
75
Endangered Species
``` Bear Gall Bladder Pangolin Scales Tiger Bones Turtle Shell Rhino Horn ```

Herbology (7 decks)

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