How to store Chinese herbal medicines?

After all the medicines are collected, they should be put into storage. If it is a plant medicine, the dirt, impurities and non-medicinal parts should be removed first after collection, washed and cut off. In addition to fresh use, according to the nature of the drug, it should be dried in the sun in time, or in the shade, or dried in the sun and stored separately.

Some drugs containing more water, such as purslane, can be cut off after washing and dried for a few more days. Fruits or seeds of plants, such as Schisandra chinensis, Ligustrum lucidum, radish, lepidium seeds, white mustard seeds, etc. , must be placed in a sealed urn; Plants with non-aromatic stems, leaves or roots, such as Leonurus japonicus, Equisetum equisetum, Prunella vulgaris, Isatis indigotica, Radix Isatidis, Polygonum multiflorum, etc., can be stored in a dry and cool place or in wooden boxes.

Extended data;

The preservation time of Chinese herbal medicines has a great relationship with the preservation conditions. If stored improperly, Chinese herbal medicines are easy to change color, deform, taste, moth and mold.

The appearance color of traditional Chinese medicine is closely related to its components. If the color is changed, the effective components of Chinese herbal medicines may be reduced or even changed. If the color changes slightly, the smell changes little, there is no mildew and no moth, then it can still be used. But if the color changes greatly, it is not recommended to use it.

If the smell of the same Chinese herbal medicine changes, it means that the volatile components (such as volatile oil) contained in it have been lost, so the efficacy will be reduced or even lost. Therefore, it is best to use up the volatile oil as soon as possible. In addition, if the Chinese herbal medicine has changed shape, moth-eaten, mildew, etc., it is best not to use it.

After the traditional Chinese medicine is moldy, its composition and efficacy will change, which will not only have no therapeutic effect, but also cause harm to people's health, and may lead to poisoning in severe cases.

Reference source; Baidu encyclopedia-Chinese herbal medicine