As an important part of traditional Chinese medicine, the quality and safety of traditional Chinese medicine are directly related to the effect and the health of patients. However, in recent years, there has been a lot of adulteration in the Chinese medicine market, which not only violates the law, but also poses a potential threat to public health.
This article will introduce some common Chinese herbal medicines to distinguish the true and false and the methods for the reference of medical workers and the general public.
The key to distinguishing the authenticity of traditional Chinese medicinal materials lies in careful observation and accurate understanding of the properties of medicinal materials. For example, Cordyceps sinensis, as a precious medicinal material, has a variety of adulteration methods.
After Cordyceps sinensis is broken, there will be no foreign matter inside; Counterfeit products processed from dyed flour can be identified by discoloration and deformation of insect bodies after soaking in water. If the real cordyceps is soaked in alum water, the taste will become astringent and the insect body will be hard.
The adulteration method of Poria cocos is usually inserted into the genuine product with flour briquettes, which can be identified by observing three aspects: appearance, taste and soaking.
The appearance of Poria cocos is flat and regular, white or slightly pink, lumpy solid, sticky in taste, mixed with small stones or sand grains, and can still remain in its original shape after decoction. The adulterated counterfeit product has an uneven appearance and inconsistent color, does not stick to the teeth and has no other sundries. The adulteration of gastrodia is achieved by stuffing the filling into the hollow part of gastrodia.
To identify a real gastrodia, pay attention to its shape, color, and texture. The appearance of genuine gastrodia gastrodia has horizontal lines or wrinkles, yellowish-white or pale yellow, hard and yellowish-white or pale brown cross-section. Counterfeit products are mostly difficult to identify from the appearance, and the filling can be seen after being planed.
Pangolin adulteration is usually made out of plastic to mimic its appearance. The way to distinguish between the scales is to observe the shape and texture of the scales, the genuine product has regular longitudinal lines, and the fake product has an unreal texture.
Haptics and weight are also important factors for identification. The appearance of the porch is black, gray-black or brownish-black, the inner cut surface is yellow or milky white, and the texture is soft and slightly bitter.
The common adulterant is peony, which has a clear difference in color and texture from Zhu Ling, which is hard and has a sour and astringent aroma.
Honeysuckle is another Chinese herbal medicine that is often adulterated. When identifying, if the herbs are pinched in your hands and there is a powder or wet feeling, it may be mixed with cornmeal or sprayed with sugar water.
The money white flower snake, wild resources are scarce, and it is often impersonated by the yellow chain snake.
The identification of authenticity mainly depends on the size of the disc diameter, the diameter of the snake body and the shape and color of the snake's head. The diameter of the genuine disc and the diameter of the snake body are larger, the snake head is oblong, the back is black, the ventral surface is white or yellowish-white, and the scales are shiny.
Haijinsha is a commonly used herb to stop bleeding, and adulterators generally mix the genuine product with ordinary yellow sand or talcum powder. Real sea sands can float in the water and make a popping sound when ignited; The counterfeit sinks to the bottom of the water and ignites with sparks.
Musk is also often infested by counterfeiters in the market. Often, counterfeiters mold perfumes and other materials into genuine shapes, or fill sacs to add weight.
The identification of real and fake musk can be comprehensively judged from many aspects such as aroma, appearance, and taste. The genuine product has a strong aroma and a flat appearance; The counterfeit product has a light aroma, and the appearance and texture are obviously different from the real thing.
The scientific method of identifying the authenticity of Chinese herbal medicines also includes the application of modern scientific and technological means. Such as microscopic examination, chemical composition analysis, DNA barcoding identification and pharmacodynamic testing, these techniques play a vital role in the identification of Chinese herbal medicines.
Microscopic examination is the observation of the cellular structure of Chinese herbal medicines through microscopy to distinguish the real from the fake. Chemical composition analysis relies on advanced analytical instruments, such as high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), gas chromatography (GC) and mass spectrometry (MS), to assist in the identification of chemical components of Chinese herbal medicines. The advantage of this method is that it can accurately determine the content of active ingredients in medicinal materials, as well as the possible presence of adulterated ingredients.
Pharmacodynamic testing is to identify medicinal materials by evaluating their biological activity. For some traditional Chinese medicines with clear pharmacological effects, such as medicinal materials with hypoglycemic effects, their efficacy can be verified through animal experiments or cell experiments to determine their authenticity.
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Important reminder: This article is for reference only for the purpose of popular science, and is not used as a basis for diagnosis and treatment
*: Xiamen Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Wang Qiuling].
Edit: sanx Statement: **Network, invasion and deletion].
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