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Lian Qiao (Forsythia suspensa) is the dried fruit of the plant belonging to the Oleaceae family. The fruit is harvested in autumn when it is initially ripe and still green, impurities are removed, steamed, and dried, commonly referred to as “Qing Qiao”; when the fruit is fully ripe, it is harvested, dried, and impurities removed, commonly referred to as “Lao Qiao”.
Lian Qiao Plant
【Characteristics】 The product is elongated oval to oval in shape, slightly flattened, measuring 1.5 to 2.5 cm in length and 0.5 to 1.3 cm in diameter. The surface has irregular longitudinal wrinkles and numerous small raised spots, with a distinct longitudinal groove on each side. The apex is sharply pointed, and the base has a small fruit stalk or has fallen off. Qing Qiao is mostly uncracked, with a greenish-brown surface and fewer raised grayish-white spots; it is hard; the seeds are numerous, yellow-green, elongated, with wings on one side. Lao Qiao cracks from the apex or splits into two lobes, with a yellow-brown or reddish-brown surface, the inner surface mostly light yellow-brown, smooth, with a longitudinal septum; it is brittle; the seeds are brown, mostly fallen off. It has a faint fragrance and a bitter taste.
Qing Qiao
Lao Qiao
Lian Qiao Medicinal Material
Identification of Lian Qiao Characteristics
Adulteration of Lian Qiao
Adulterant: Fruit of Syringa vulgaris
Genuine Lian Qiao has dried fruit that is elongated oval, measuring 1.5 to 2 cm in length and 0.6 to 1 cm in diameter, with an irregular surface featuring longitudinal wrinkles and numerous raised spots, a distinct longitudinal groove on each side, a sharply pointed apex, and a small fruit stalk or has fallen off at the base. Qing Qiao is mostly uncracked, with a greenish-brown surface and fewer raised grayish-white spots, the seeds are mostly elongated, yellow-green, with wings on one side; Lao Qiao cracks from the apex or splits into two lobes, with a yellow-brown or reddish-brown surface, the inner surface mostly light yellow-brown, smooth, with a longitudinal septum, brittle, and the seeds are brown, mostly fallen off; it has a faint fragrance and a bitter taste.
Adulterants of Lian Qiao
(1) Qin Lian Qiao
The fruit of Qin Lian Qiao is elongated oval, measuring 0.5 to 1.8 cm in length and 0.3 to 1.0 cm in diameter, with a sharply pointed apex, mostly cracked, and a base that is often connected, with a light brown, relatively smooth surface, and less distinct raised spots. One lobe is slightly bent to the side, while the other is slightly bent outward, resembling a bird’s beak. It contains two seeds, light brown, elongated oval, with a wing-like structure, and 3 to 5 distinct longitudinal ridges on one side, with most seeds fallen off, having a faint fragrance and a bitter taste.
(2) Jin Zhong Hua (Narrow-leaved Forsythia)
The entire plant of Narrow-leaved Forsythia is toxic, with stems usually having a plate-like pith at the nodes, leaves slightly wider and not divided, the fruit is slightly shorter and oval, measuring 1.0 to 2.0 cm, with a slightly thin skin, and warty protrusions at the base, distributed on both sides of the longitudinal groove from the middle to the top, brittle texture, with golden yellow seeds that are three-angled, and the seed coat shrinks with irregular patterns, and when crushed, they are connected by threads.
(3) Oval Forsythia
The fruit of Oval Forsythia is oval-shaped, measuring 0.8 to 1.1 cm, with a skin that has small protrusions and irregular fine longitudinal wrinkles, hard texture, with light yellow seeds that are three-angled, and the seed coat easily falls off when crushed, with no threads connecting.
(4) Lijiang Forsythia
The fruit of Lijiang Forsythia is oval, about 1 cm long, with no protrusions on the skin, having irregular longitudinal wrinkles, hard texture, with brown or reddish-brown seeds that are three-angled, and no threads connecting when crushed.
(5) Qiyi Forsythia
The fruit of Qiyi Forsythia is flat oval, about 1.5 cm long, with a black-brown skin having irregular longitudinal wrinkles, brown seeds that are elongated, slightly curved, with a wing on one side, and semi-transparent.
【Chemical Components】
Contains Forsythol; Phillyrin, Phillygenin; Oleanolic acid, Betulinic acid, Ursolic acid, Pinoresinol, sterol compounds C49H70-80O6, and Matairesinoside. Also contains various hydrocarbons, aldehydes, ketones, and volatile components such as α-Pinene, Camphene, β-Pinene, p-Cymene, Limonene, γ-Terpinene, β-Phellandrene, Myrcene, β-Ocimene; Camphor, Geranial; Borneol, α-Terpineol, Safrole, Linalool, Terpinen-4-ol, Norlapa-chol, as well as coumarin, rutin, etc.
【Pharmacological Effects】
1. Antimicrobial Effects: Lian Qiao has inhibitory effects on various Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Its concentrated decoction can inhibit Salmonella, Shigella, Escherichia coli, Corynebacterium diphtheriae, Vibrio cholerae, Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, etc. The antibacterial effect of Lian Qiao in vitro is similar to that of Jin Yin Hua (Honeysuckle); it is the main antibacterial component in Yin Qiao San. Jin Yin Hua has a stronger inhibitory effect on Salmonella, especially typhoid bacteria, and hemolytic streptococcus, while Lian Qiao shows better inhibition on Shigella and Staphylococcus aureus. When used together, there is no synergistic effect in vitro, but when combined with Huang Lian and Huang Qin, the antibacterial effect is stronger than using Lian Qiao alone. Forsythol has been reported as the effective antibacterial component. In vitro, the inhibitory concentration of Forsythol against Staphylococcus aureus is 1:5,120; against Shigella is 1:1,280; against Corynebacterium diphtheriae and Paratyphoid (A) bacteria is 1:640. In vitro experiments show that the alcohol extract of Lian Qiao has an effect against Leptospira, which is not as strong as Huang Lian, Lychee grass, or Jin Yin Hua, Huang Qin, but similar to Huang Bai and Zao Jiao. In chicken embryo experiments, Lian Qiao has an inhibitory effect on Asian influenza virus and rhinovirus type 17. The volatile oil of Lian Qiao also shows significant antibacterial effects against Staphylococcus aureus and inhibits the coagulase activity of Staphylococcus aureus plasma. It can significantly reduce the infection of Staphylococcus aureus in rabbit blood. The water extract of Lian Qiao (1:5) shows some inhibitory effects on star-shaped Nocardia.
2. Anti-inflammatory Effects: A 50% alcohol extract of Lian Qiao, when injected intraperitoneally at 20 ml/kg, shows significant anti-exudative effects and reduces the fragility of microvascular walls in rat models of croton oil-induced granuloma. Lian Qiao promotes the formation of inflammatory barriers. A 300% Lian Qiao injection (30-40 g/kg) shows significant inhibitory effects on egg white-induced foot swelling in rats; it also promotes the phagocytosis of inflammatory cells in mice.
3. Antipyretic Effects: Lian Qiao decoction or compound Lian Qiao injection has a cooling effect on the body temperature of artificially fevered animals and normal animals.
4. Effects on the Cardiovascular System: The oleanolic acid contained in Lian Qiao fruit has a slight positive inotropic effect. Animal experiments show that Lian Qiao has a hypotensive effect, with blood pressure dropping to 40%-60% of the original level. The hypotensive effect is characterized by rapid and significant onset, with a short duration, and multiple injections do not lead to rapid tolerance. There are no significant changes in respiration during blood pressure reduction. In adult cats with hypotension caused by endotoxin shock from typhoid vaccine, intravenous injection of a 300% Lian Qiao injection (10 g/kg) initially causes a brief drop in blood pressure, followed by a significant increase. Its anti-endotoxin shock effect may be related to its vasodilatory properties, increased cardiac output, and improved microcirculation. The rutin contained can enhance the density of capillaries, thus having a hemostatic effect on capillary rupture and subcutaneous hemorrhage.
5. Hepatoprotective Effects: A 1:1 Lian Qiao decoction can significantly reduce liver degeneration and necrosis caused by carbon tetrachloride in rats, restoring most of the glycogen and RNA accumulated in liver cells to near normal levels, with serum alanine aminotransferase dropping from 337±63.5 units to 146.5±11.1 units. Oleanolic acid and ursolic acid are effective components of Lian Qiao against liver damage, both of which can reduce serum alanine aminotransferase in animals with experimental liver injury.
6. Other Effects: Lian Qiao can inhibit the emetic effect of digoxin injected into the veins of pigeons, reducing the frequency of vomiting without changing the latency period, with its antiemetic effect being similar to that of chlorpromazine two hours after injection. It can also inhibit vomiting induced by subcutaneous injection of morphine in dogs, suggesting that its antiemetic mechanism may involve inhibition of the chemoreceptor trigger zone in the medulla oblongata. Intravenous injection of Lian Qiao injection in anesthetized dogs shows significant and definite diuretic effects. Oleanolic acid has a slight diuretic effect. The water decoction of Lian Qiao shows significant inhibitory effects on phosphodiesterase.
【Flavor and Meridian Affinity】 Bitter, slightly cold. It enters the Lung, Heart, and Small Intestine meridians.
【Functions and Indications】 Clears heat and detoxifies, reduces swelling and disperses nodules, disperses wind-heat. Used for abscesses, scrofula, mastitis, erysipelas, wind-heat colds, initial stages of warm diseases, heat entering the nutrient level, high fever with thirst, delirium with rashes, heat dysuria with pain.
【Dosage and Administration】 6 to 15 g.
【Storage】 Store in a dry place.
Note: This article is for reference only; please follow medical advice for specific treatment and medication!This public account is only for academic exchange
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