Chinese Herbal Medicine
Dan
Shen
Dan Shen (Salvia miltiorrhiza) is slightly cold and bitter, promotes blood circulation and alleviates fullness and restlessness,
dispels stasis and generates new blood, treats intestinal sounds easily.
【Warning】 Not suitable for use with Li Lu (Veratrum) and should be used cautiously in pregnant women.
【Summary】Dan Shen is a commonly used herb for activating blood circulation, dispelling stasis, regulating menstruation, alleviating pain, calming the heart, relieving restlessness, and cooling blood to reduce abscesses. It is frequently used in gynecology and is often referred to as “one herb of Dan Shen is equivalent to four substances”. It is commonly used to treat irregular menstruation, dysmenorrhea, and stabbing pain in the chest and abdomen.
【Source】 The dried root and rhizome of the plant Salvia miltiorrhiza Bge. from the Lamiaceae family.
【History】 First recorded in the “Shennong Bencao Jing”, classified as a superior herb.
【Geographical Distribution】 Mainly distributed in Anhui, Hebei, Jiangsu, and Sichuan provinces of China. Additionally found in Hubei, Gansu, Liaoning, Shaanxi, Shandong, Zhejiang, Henan, Jiangxi, and also in Japan.
【Harvesting and Processing】 Harvested in spring and autumn, cleaned of soil, and dried.
Form
Color
Odor
Taste
Form: The product is in the form of thick round slices or irregular segments. Color: The outer skin is reddish-brown or dark brown. The cut surface shows a brownish-red skin and a grayish-yellow or purple-brown wood part with scattered yellow-white vascular points. Odor: Slight odor. Taste: Slightly bitter and astringent.
Quality is determined by a surface that is purplish-red, thin skin, plump flesh, and a sweet, slightly bitter taste.
【Properties and Channels】 Bitter taste, slightly cold. Enters the Heart and Liver channels.
【Functions and Indications】 Activates blood circulation, dispels stasis, regulates menstruation, alleviates pain, calms the heart, relieves restlessness, cools blood, and reduces abscesses.
【Modern Applications】 Used for chest obstruction and heart pain, abdominal and flank pain, masses and accumulations, heat bi pain, irritability and insomnia, irregular menstruation, dysmenorrhea, and swelling and pain from sores.
【Dosage and Administration】 Decoction for oral use, dosage according to the 2020 Pharmacopoeia: 10-15g.
Modern Research
【Chemical Components】 Contains various crystalline pigments, including Danshenone I, II, crystalline phenols, and vitamin B.
【Pharmacological Effects】 Dan Shen protects vascular endothelial cells, has anti-arrhythmic and anti-atherosclerotic effects, improves microcirculation, inhibits and dissolves platelet aggregation, increases coronary blood flow, and enhances the body’s tolerance to hypoxia. It also exhibits antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. Total Danshenone is sensitive to penicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, gentamicin, and erythromycin, and inhibits dermatophytes. Modern medical experiments have proven that Dan Shen has anti-platelet aggregation, reduces blood viscosity, and regulates both internal and external coagulation systems, making it a safe and reliable natural medicine for treating cardiovascular diseases.
Processing Varieties
1. Raw Dan Shen: The raw product has the effects of activating blood circulation, dispelling stasis, regulating menstruation, alleviating pain, calming the heart, and relieving restlessness. It is often used for irregular menstruation, irritability, and insomnia, chest obstruction, and heart pain.
2. Wine-processed Dan Shen: Wine processing mitigates the cold nature of Dan Shen, enhancing its effects of activating blood circulation, dispelling stasis, and regulating menstruation, and facilitates blood flow. It is often used for postpartum stasis abdominal pain and dysmenorrhea.
Raw Dan Shen Wine-processed Dan Shen
Prescription Guidelines
|
Prescription Name |
Prescription Components |
|
Dan Shen, Zi Dan Shen |
Raw Dan Shen |
|
Wine-processed Dan Shen |
Wine-processed Dan Shen |
Usage
Medication
Guidelines
【Contraindications】 Caution in those with spleen and stomach deficiency and cold, allergic constitution, and pregnant women.
【Compatibility Contraindications】 This product should not be used with Li Lu (Veratrum).
【Combination with Western Medicine】 Dan Shen should not be taken with aspirin. Aspirin inhibits platelet aggregation and is a basic medication for treating coronary heart disease. Low doses of aspirin can be therapeutic, while high doses may prolong bleeding time and even cause bleeding. Dan Shen also inhibits platelet aggregation, has anticoagulant properties, and reduces blood viscosity. Taking Dan Shen with aspirin effectively increases the dosage of aspirin, which may lead to bleeding.
【Adverse Reactions】 Dan Shen is bitter and slightly cold. Those with spleen and stomach deficiency and cold may experience adverse reactions such as stomach pain, reduced appetite, dry mouth and throat, nausea, and vomiting.
【Women and Children】 Use cautiously in pregnant women.
【Storage】 Store in a ventilated and dry place to prevent moisture.
Legend of Dan Shen
Legend has it that a long time ago, there was a young man named “A Ming” whose mother suffered from a gynecological disease, often experiencing prolonged bleeding. At that time, someone said there was an unnamed island in the East China Sea, where a herb with purple-blue flowers and red roots grew. If the root of this herb was boiled and taken internally, it could cure his mother’s illness. A Ming, eager to save his mother, resolutely decided to go to sea to collect the herb. He overcame numerous dangers and successfully reached the island to collect the herb. After returning to the fishing village, A Ming diligently served his mother the medicine daily, and soon his mother recovered.
The villagers greatly admired A Ming for risking his life to collect the herb for his mother. They said this herb embodied A Ming’s sincere heart, and thus named this red-rooted herb “Dan Xin” (Heart of Sincerity). Later, through the process of transmission, it became known as “Dan Shen”.
END
Contributed by: Wang Xiaoqian
Reviewed and formatted by: Cai Yueping
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