Huang Lian
Product Knowledge Learning Episode 32
How much do you know about Huang Lian?
Huang Lian Encyclopedia:This product is the dried rhizome of the Ranunculaceae plant Huang Lian (Coptis chinensis), Sanjiao Ye Huang Lian (Coptis teeta), or Yun Lian (Coptis deltoidea).Huang Lian prefers cool, moist, and shaded environments, avoiding high temperatures and drought. It generally grows in high mountainous areas at altitudes of 1200-1800m, requiring low temperatures and high humidity. It cannot withstand strong sunlight and prefers weak light, thus requiring shading. Harvesting occurs in autumn, where the fibrous roots and soil are removed, dried, and residual fibrous roots are knocked off.
Identification Characteristics:Often clustered, frequently curved, resembling chicken feet, with single rhizomes measuring 3-6cm in length and 0.3-0.8cm in diameter. The surface is grayish-yellow or yellow-brown, rough, with irregular nodular protrusions, fibrous roots, and remnants of fibrous roots. Some segments have a smooth surface like a stem, commonly referred to as “crossing the bridge.” The upper part often retains brown scale leaves, and the tip usually has remnants of the stem or petiole. It is hard, with an uneven cross-section; the bark is orange-red or dark brown, while the wood is bright yellow or orange-yellow, arranged radially, and the pith may be hollow.
Huang Lian Identification: Huang Lian is the dried rhizome of the Ranunculaceae plants Huang Lian, Sanjiao Ye Huang Lian, or Yun Lian, commonly referred to as “Wei Lian,” “Ya Lian,” and “Yun Lian.” The three are primarily distinguished by these medicinal appearance characteristics.
Common Questions about Huang Lian:
1. Dyeing and extraction of berberine. Content is substandard.
2. Weight gain and adulteration. Excessive soil leads to non-compliance with total ash content.
Taste and Meridian Affinity:Bitter, cold. Enters the Heart, Spleen, Stomach, Liver, Gallbladder, and Large Intestine meridians.
Functions and Indications:Clears heat, dries dampness, purges fire, and detoxifies. Used for damp-heat fullness, vomiting with sour regurgitation, damp-heat diarrhea, high fever with delirium, irritability and insomnia, blood-heat vomiting and nosebleeds, carbuncles and boils, red eyes and toothache, diabetes, and external treatment of eczema, wet sores, and purulent ear discharge.
Common Combinations and Indications:
Bai Ji + Huang Lian + Bei Mu + Wu Bei Zi powdered for external application (Sheng Ji Gan Nong San): for ulcers that have not healed.
Jin Yin Hua + Huang Lian + Huang Qin + Bai Tou Weng: for heat-toxicity diarrhea, dysentery with pus and blood.
Huang Lian + Ren Shen + Bai Zhu + Gan Jiang (Lian Li Tang): for Spleen and Stomach deficiency-cold, with sour vomiting.
Huang Lian + Ge Gen + Huang Qin (Ge Gen Huang Qin Huang Lian Tang): for damp-heat diarrhea with exterior symptoms and fever.
Contraindications:As a very bitter and cold herb, excessive or prolonged use can harm the Spleen and Stomach, especially in those with Spleen and Stomach deficiency-cold; also, due to its bitter and drying nature, it should be used cautiously in those with Yin deficiency and fluid depletion.
How much do you know about Huang Lian preparations?
Preparations:
Huang Lian pieces: Remove impurities, or soak and then slice thinly, and dry.
Jiu Huang Lian: Soak in 12.5% yellow rice wine, stir-fry until dry; the wine-fried Huang Lian has a strong wine aroma; the wine-fried Huang Lian directs the medicine upward, moderating its cold nature, and is effective in clearing heat from the upper jiao and eyes.
Ginger Huang Lian: Soak in 12.5% fresh ginger juice, stir-fry until dry; the ginger-fried Huang Lian has a spicy ginger flavor; since ginger has the effect of warming the middle and stopping vomiting, the ginger juice preparation moderates the bitter cold nature and enhances the warming and anti-nausea effects.
Yu Huang Lian: Soak in 10% Wu Zhu Yu decoction, stir-fry until dry; the Wu Zhu Yu fried Huang Lian has a spicy aroma; after processing with Wu Zhu Yu, it can suppress Huang Lian’s bitter cold nature, allowing Huang Lian to clear damp-heat without stagnation, primarily dispersing liver and gallbladder fire.
The above preparations can be distinguished by aroma; in addition to these commonly used processed slices, there are also Henan processing standards: stir-fried Huang Lian, soil-fried Huang Lian, and Huang Lian charcoal; Shanghai processing standards: pig bile stir-fried Huang Lian.
Currently, the most commonly used in the market and medical institutions are Huang Lian pieces, slices, Jiu Huang Lian, and Ginger Huang Lian, with Huang Lian slices and Jiu Huang Lian being the most prevalent; these two preparations are particularly applied in hospitals, with their functions of clearing heat, purging fire, and drying dampness being widely utilized and their efficacy being prominent.
How much do you know about Jin Gui Huang Lian?
Product Name: Huang Lian
Specification: Whole pieces
Origin: Hubei
Net Weight: 0.5kg
Product Name: Huang Lian
Specification: Whole slices
Origin: Hubei
Net Weight: 1kg
Characteristics of Jin Gui Huang Lian:
1. Selected from Enshi Lichuan “Wei Lian.”
2. Few impurities such as fibrous root fragments, complete slice shape, with a uniform fresh yellow or reddish-yellow cross-section, high content, and extremely bitter taste.
3. Ensures that the finished product is not dyed and meets content standards.
4. No weight gain or adulteration.
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