How to dry Chinese herbal medicines?

A method of spreading Chinese herbal medicines on a thin reed mat or washed cement floor and letting the sun shine until they are completely dry. The method uses solar radiation to dry Chinese medicinal materials.

Sun drying is a low-cost and simple drying method. However, due to the uncontrollable external environment during the drying process, Chinese herbal medicines will be affected to some extent, and the drying time is long, so it is impossible to scientifically and effectively judge the water content of Chinese herbal medicines, so it is impossible to ensure that the water content of Chinese herbal medicines meets the requirements of Pharmacopoeia.

Step 2 dry in the shade

Drying in the shade is a method of drying medicinal materials in a cool and ventilated place. The principle is to use the natural flow of air and wind to blow away free water, so as to achieve the purpose of drying. This drying method is often used for medicinal materials containing volatile oil and medicinal materials that are easy to be deoiled and discolored. The advantages of drying in the shade and drying in the sun are simple operation and low cost, but drying in the shade for a long time will also pollute Chinese herbal medicines.

3. Dry ...

Chinese medicinal materials are dried by artificial heating in a drying chamber, and the dried air is used as the carrier of water. Its advantages are not limited by weather, simple equipment, and can be used for mass production.

Drying conditions of traditional Chinese medicine

Pay special attention to the temperature during the drying process of traditional Chinese medicine. Only a suitable drying temperature can make the effective components unaffected and achieve the purpose of drying. Generally, drying at 50℃~60℃ can inhibit the action of enzymes in the body and avoid the decomposition of glycosides and alkaloids.

Unless otherwise specified, in general, in order to prevent flowers and whole grass from fermenting, rotting and discoloring due to moisture, or the components of medicinal materials from changing greatly due to heat, it is better to dry at a low temperature below 40℃, and 20℃~30℃ is the best. The optimum temperature of roots and underground stems is 50℃~60℃, and the optimum temperature of berries is 70℃~90℃.