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chuanxiong
Chuanxiong (Ligusticum chuanxiong)
Chuanxiong, also known as Shan Ju Qiong, thrives in a temperate climate with abundant rainfall and sufficient sunlight, and is primarily produced in Sichuan, with cultivation also found in Yunnan, Guizhou, and Guangxi. Chuanxiong is a perennial herb, growing to a height of 40-60 cm. The rhizome is the main medicinal part, which develops into irregular, nodular, fist-shaped clumps with a strong aroma.
Chuanxiong has a pungent and slightly sweet flavor, with a warm nature; it enters the Liver (Gan) and Gallbladder (Dan) meridians; it is known for its ability to promote Qi circulation, relieve stagnation, dispel wind and dampness, invigorate blood, and alleviate pain.
Uses of Chuanxiong
The different processing methods of Chuanxiong lead to varying therapeutic effects: raw Chuanxiong has a strong aromatic and dispersive nature, excelling in invigorating blood circulation, promoting Qi, and alleviating pain, indicated for various pain syndromes caused by blood stasis and Qi stagnation.
Wine-processed Chuanxiong enhances the upward movement of the medicine and strengthens its blood-invigorating, Qi-activating, and pain-relieving effects, and is commonly used clinically for headaches due to Qi stagnation and blood stasis, chest and flank pain, dysmenorrhea, and injuries from falls or strains.
Raw Chuanxiong vs. Wine-Processed Chuanxiong
Chuanxiong is generally cultivated artificially, with wild varieties being rare. It is harvested in May, cleaned of soil, sun-dried, and then sliced for use as raw Chuanxiong.
Wine-processed Chuanxiong is made by mixing clean Chuanxiong slices with yellow wine, allowing it to marinate, and then stir-frying it over low heat until dry, followed by cooling.
Raw Chuanxiong typically appears as irregular thin slices or butterfly-shaped slices; while wine-processed Chuanxiong has a deeper color and a slight wine aroma.
Due to the rough and wrinkled surface of Chuanxiong, with many parallel raised nodes, many adulterated products on the market are mixed with soil and gelatinous substances to fill all surface pores, then sliced and dried to increase weight; careful observation is necessary for identification.
Main Components of Chuanxiong
Chuanxiong contains alkaloids (such as ligustrazine), volatile oils (mainly including ligustilide and β-caryophyllene), phenolic compounds (such as ferulic acid), lactones, as well as vitamins A, folic acid, sucrose, sterols, and fatty oils.
Pharmacological Effects of Chuanxiong
1.Effects on the Central Nervous System. Ligustrazine and ferulic acid inhibit the expression of neuroinflammatory factors, thereby improving neuroinflammation; ligustilide, ligustrazine, and ferulic acid can reduce oxidative stress in nerve cells; ligustrazine, linalool, and ferulic acid can improve mitochondrial dysfunction in cells, maintaining normal cellular activity; Chuanxiong can also improve neurotoxicity. Through these various pathways, Chuanxiong ameliorates neuronal damage, providing a calming and protective effect on the central nervous system.
2. Effects on the Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Systems. Ligustrazine can dilate coronary arteries, increasing coronary blood flow, improving myocardial oxygen supply, and reducing myocardial oxygen consumption; ligustrazine can also dilate cerebral blood vessels, reduce vascular resistance, significantly increasing blood flow to the brain and limbs, improving microcirculation; it can lower platelet surface activity, inhibit platelet aggregation, and prevent thrombus formation.
3. Effects on Smooth Muscle. A certain amount of Chuanxiong has an inhibitory effect on uterine smooth muscle contractions, providing antispasmodic and analgesic effects.
4. Antimicrobial Effects. It exhibits inhibitory effects against Escherichia coli, dysentery, degenerative bacteria, typhoid, and cholera vibrio.
5. Radioprotective Effects. Experimental studies have shown that Chuanxiong decoction has certain therapeutic effects on radiation sickness in animals.
6. Other Effects. The components in Chuanxiong, such as ligustrazine, can increase renal blood flow, exhibiting diuretic effects; other studies have found that Chuanxiong has certain effects against vitamin E deficiency, preventing nutritional encephalopathy caused by vitamin E deficiency. The component ferulic acid sodium has a complement-fixing effect.
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Editor | ISORA
Reviewer | ZHANG
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