Herbology 1 Lecture 3 Flashcards
Two General Categories of Products for Herb Processing
Raw Herbs
Herbs Prepared for Ingestion
Raw Herbs
生藥
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
Herbs Prepared for Ingestion
飲片
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
Good quality herbs must meet the standard set forth in the official Chinese Pharmacopoeia with respect to:
Ash content Loss on drying Extract content Content of volatile oil Content of a particular constituent
Herb Processing Cautions
Unless one uses quality herbs, it is hard to get quality results
Herbs must be free of mold, microbes, pesticides and heavy metals
Pao Zhi
炮製
General term for any type of herb processing
Reasons why herbs are prepared
Increase potency
Direct its actions to a certain place
Can minimize side effects
Can increase or alter the properties of an herb
The most basic way an herb is prepared
Slice or Pulverize the herb, thus increasing its surface area
Mechanical Methods
Sorting, Sifting, Scraping, Peeling and Winnowing
Pulverizing
Slicing
These also increase the surface area and makes it easier for extraction and digestion
Defatting
Methods Utilizing Water
Washing
Bleaching
Soaking in Cool Water or Boiling Water
Aqeous Trituration
Sorting, Sifting, Scraping, Peeling and Winnowing
To remove the non-medicinal portions of a substance
Pulverizing
Grinding, Pounding, Filing – especially with minerals and shells
Slicing
Shapes herb into standard size and weight
Defatting
remove oils from grains and seeds to reduce the side effects and toxicity of some herbs
Washing
Removes Dirt
Bleaching
Removes Salt and other substances used in storage
Soaking in cool water or boiling water
Softens the herbs for cutting (or covering with a damp cloth for a couple of days after soaking)
Aqeous Trituration
Shui Fei
Minerals are ground with water until reduced to an extremely fine powder (often used for opthalmological preparations)
Methods Utilizing Heat
Dry Frying Frying with Liquids Calcining Quick Frying Dry Curing or Baking Roasting in Ashes
Dry Frying
Chao
Browning is used to dry herbs for storage and increase the Spleen-awakening, Stomach-strengthening action of the herbs
Stir Frying with Salt directs actions to
Downward to the Kidneys
Stir Frying until charred (tan) increases the herbs _______ ability
Hemostatic
Charred human hair is great ______ ability
Hemostatic
Hemostatic
Stops Bleeding
Frying with Liquids:
Frying with Honey
Zhi
Increases an Herb’s Tonifying and moistening actions
Frying with Liquids:
Frying with Vinegar
Enhances its astringent, analgesic, blood-invigorating and detoxifying actions
Frying with Liquids:
Frying with Wine
Enhances its ability to clear blockages from the channels, expel wind and alleviate pain
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
Fresh Ginger
For Vomitting due to cold in middle jiao
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
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
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
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
Methods Utilizing Both Heat & Water
Steaming
Boiling
Quenching
Simmering
Steaming
Zheng
Steaming and then drying the herbs in the sun
used to transform sheng di huang into shu di huang
Sheng Di Huang Vs. Shu Di Huang
Sheng Di Huang cool blood
Shu Di Huang tonify yin & blood
Boiling
Zhu
In water or some other medium, such as vinegar, to alter its characteristics or toxicity
Quenching
Cui
Substances (usually minerals) are heated and then immediately immersed in cold water of vinegar. Facilities pulverization and moderates their properties
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
Methods of Delivery
Decoctions Drafts Pills Powders Syrups Plasters Wines
Decoction
Tang
Literally “soups”
Solutions and Suspensions that are readily absorbed, thus expediting their effect
Often used for acute conditions
Cautions for Decoctions
Do not use aluminum pots or cooking utensils
Corning ware or porcelain pots are preferred
Use a tight fitting lid
Solvents
Water is the most common
Wine (Invigorates the Blood)
Vinegar (Astringing)
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”
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
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
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
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
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
What should be Decoct First?
Xian Jian
Toxic Herbs
Minerals and Shells
Lightweight substances in a large dosage
What should be added near end?
Hou Xia
Aromatic Herbs
Da Huang to have a strong purgative effect
What should be decocted in gauze?
Bao Jian
Herbs with cilia (fine, hair-like structures)
Small seeds
Some minerals
Powdered substances
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
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)
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
Other Methods of Delivery
Boiled Powders or Drafts Pills Powders Special or Vermillon Pills Syrups Plasters Medicinal Wines
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
Boiled Powders or Drafts
Zhu San
Powders decocted for 10 minutes
Dosage is much smaller than decoctions
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
Powders
San
Easily absorbed and easy to store
Medicinal action is between decoction and pill
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
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
Plasters
Gao
External application – for dermatological issues, painful joints and muscles, fractures & sprains and fixed masses.
Gao Yao and Yao Gao
Gao Yao
Medicinal Herbs are simmered in Oil (Sesame Oil), then beeswax is added
Yao Gao
A powder of medicinal substances are added to a heated mixture of oil and beeswax
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
Two Types of Interactions
Pharmacokinetic Interaction
Pharmacodynamic Reaction
Pharmacokinetic Interaction
Can change absorption, distribution, metabolism or elimination
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
Synergistic
Good, increase each others effects
Antagonistic
Damaging Kidneys
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
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
Extreme Caution
With patients scheduled for surgery
With patients with liver of kidney disease
With multiple-drug users, esp. elderly
Endangered Species
Bear Gall Bladder Pangolin Scales Tiger Bones Turtle Shell Rhino Horn
