[Identification of Traditional Chinese Medicine] Quality, color, fragrance, taste and shape of Chinese herbal pieces

The author has worked in hospital pharmacy for nearly 20 years, and found that most Chinese herbal pieces have problems in color, fragrance, taste and shape. In the processing of decoction pieces, boiling water, fire and various auxiliary materials are indispensable. Whether the water treatment is proper, how to control the temperature, whether the slicing is standardized and whether the drying is thorough all affect the quality of the decoction pieces. The following reflects the quality of Chinese herbal pieces from the aspects of color, fragrance, taste and shape.

1 color

The colors of various medicinal materials are different, and their inherent colors will change due to improper processing or storage. Whether the color of medicinal materials meets the requirements is an important factor to measure the quality of medicinal materials. If the appearance color changes, it often means that its chemical composition and clinical efficacy have changed, such as rhubarb and coptis root turning black, scutellaria root turning green, Schizonepeta herb and mint turning black, betel nut and white peony root turning red, which are all signs of qualitative change. Processing can change the color of the decoction pieces, the surface of the fried products is burnt yellow, the surface is burnt black after charcoal frying, and the inside is burnt yellow. If it is black inside and outside, it is unqualified. The discoloration of decoction pieces is mostly related to water injury, untimely fire drying, improper processing, long storage time, moth-eaten mildew, frequent sun exposure and so on.

2 Xiang

The inherent smell of various drugs is one of the basis for distinguishing authenticity, such as Houttuynia cordata has a fishy smell, Cortex Dictamni has a mutton smell, and Cortex Periplocae has a strong aroma, which can be distinguished from Cortex Lycii. When the seed medicinal materials are processed, they should be fried until the fragrance is overflowing. During the storage of some drugs, the active ingredients will gradually evaporate and lose their fragrance, which will also affect the curative effect in clinical use. This is the reason why the long-term effect of losing breath of mint, Schizonepeta tenuifolia and asarum will decrease when musk is stored in a cool and dry place. Therefore, it is necessary to speed up the circulation of medicinal materials, reduce the storage time and maintain the freshness of medicinal materials.

3 Wei

The taste of medicinal materials is related to its own composition, and it is also one of the standards to measure the quality. For example, the sour taste of ebony, papaya and hawthorn is better, the bitter taste of coptis root and phellodendron bark is better, and the sweetness and spicy taste of licorice root and codonopsis pilosula are better. Spicy taste helps to distinguish Haifeng Tun from Qingfeng Tun, raw Pinellia ternate and raw Rhizoma Arisaematis. Spicy, numb, sore throat and taboo.

4-shaped

The shape, size and thickness of fingers are also important factors affecting the curative effect. At present, most medicinal materials are self-employed. Due to the lack of corresponding professional quality, and in order to save time and effort and pursue economic benefits, many processed Chinese herbal pieces are unqualified, mainly because they are too big, too thick and too long, which is inconvenient to adjust and affects the frying of ingredients.

5 conclusion

In order to improve the quality and curative effect of Chinese herbal pieces, we should abide by scientific norms and standards and process all kinds of Chinese herbal pieces in strict accordance with the processing norms of Chinese herbal pieces. The urgent task is to register the trademark of Chinese herbal pieces and unify the standards, so as to better provide the basis of legitimacy and credibility for the quality assurance of Chinese herbal pieces and give Chinese herbal pieces a legal "identity card"-trademark, which is also a necessary condition for Chinese herbal pieces to enter the international market. Only in this way can we ensure the quality of Chinese herbal pieces, ensure the safety and effectiveness of clinical medication for TCM syndrome differentiation treatment, and better promote Chinese medicine in the motherland.