【中藥材小知識】川芎介紹

 

【名稱】 川芎

【拼音】 Chuanxiong

【英文】 Szechwan Lovage Rhizome

【拉丁】 Chuanxiong Rhizoma

【類別】 根及根莖類

【來源】 傘形科植物川芎Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort.的乾燥根莖。

【產地】 主產四川、江西、湖南、湖北等地。

【性狀】 為不規則結節狀拳形團塊，

直徑2~7cm。表面黃褐色，粗糙皺縮，有多數平行隆起的輪節，頂端有凹陷的類圓形莖痕，下側及輪節上有多數小瘤狀根痕。質堅實，不易折斷，斷面黃白色或灰黃色，散有黃棕色的油室，形成層呈波狀環紋。氣濃香，味苦、辛。稍有麻舌感，微回甜。飲片邊緣不整齊，呈不規則的類蝴蝶形薄片。

【品質】 以個大飽滿、質堅實、油性大、香氣濃、斷面黃白者為佳。

【性味】 辛，溫。

【功效】 活血祛瘀；行氣開鬱；祛風止痛 。用於胸痹心痛，胸脅刺痛，跌撲腫痛，月經不調，經閉痛經，癮瘕腹痛，頭痛，風濕痹痛。

【炙品】 酒川芎：取川芎片用黃酒噴灑均勻，稍悶，置鍋內炒至微焦為度，取出放涼 (每川芎片100斤，用黃酒12斤8兩) 。

【注解】 “蝴蝶片”：川芎飲片的別稱。藥材川芎為不規則結節狀團塊，加工縱切成為飲片後，形狀類似蝴蝶，故飲片稱為“蝴蝶片”。

Chinese Name 川芎

Chinese Pinyin Chuanxiong

English Name Szechwan Lovage Rhizome

Latin Pharmaceutical Name Chuanxiong Rhizoma

Category Roots and rhizomes

Origin The dried rhizomes of Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort.(Apiaceae).

Production Regions Primarily produced in the Chinese provinces of Sichuan, Jiangxi, Hunan, Hubei.

Macroscopic Features Irregular knotty fist-shaped pieces, 2~7cm diameter. Externally yellowish-brown, rough and wrinkled, with numerous parallel raised ring nodes; depressed semi-circular stem scars at the apex, many remnants of roots on the ring nodes and bottom. Firm texture, difficult to break; fractured surface is yellowish-white or grayish-yellow, scattered yellowish-brown oil cavities, the cambium forms an undulating ring. Potent aromatic odor; bitter, acrid taste, mildly numbs the tongue, with a slightly sweet aftertaste. Decoction pieces have uneven edges, irregular butterfly-like thin slices.

Quality Requirements Superior medicinal material is large, full, firm, oily, potent aromatic with yellowish-white fractured surface.

Properties Acrid; warm.

Functions Invigorates the blood, eliminates stasis, moves qi, opens stagnation, dispels wind, relieves pain. Apply to chest impediment and heartache, chest pain, swollen pain of falls wound, irregular menses, amenorrhea, dysmenorrheal, abdominal mass and pain, headache, wind-damp impediment.

Processed Form Jiu chuang xiong: Spray the chuan xiong slices with yellow rice wine, cover a little while, fry till slightly burnt, take out and cools (every 100 jin of chuan xiong slices with 12 jin and 8 liang of yellow rice wine).

Technical Terms 'Butterfly slices’: Chuan xiong consists of irregular knotty fist-shaped pieces; after being sliced longitudinally into decoction pieces, the edges are irregular and the shape of the slices is similar to a butterfly.