11-1-2012 龍膽草RADIX GENTIANAE

**Recommended  to buy Clean & Fresh ones like these.

RADIX GENTIANAE

龍膽、苦膽草、膽草

來源

本品為龍膽科植物條葉龍膽 Gentiana manshurica Kitag.、

龍膽 Gentiana scabra Bunge 、 

三花龍膽 Gentiana triflora pall 或

堅龍膽Gentiana rigescens Franch. 

的干燥根及根莖。前三種習稱“龍膽”，后一種習稱“堅龍膽”。

春、秋二季采挖，洗凈，干燥。

性狀

龍膽：根莖呈不規則的塊狀，長1～3cm，直徑0．3～1cm；表面暗灰棕色或深棕色，上端有莖痕或殘留莖基，周圍和下端著生多數細長的根。根圓柱形，略扭曲，長10～20cm，直徑0．2～0．5cm；表面淡黃色或黃棕色，上部多有顯著的橫皺紋，下部較細，有縱皺紋及支根痕。質脆，易折斷，斷面略平坦，皮部黃白色或淡黃棕色，木部色較淺，呈點狀環列。氣微，味甚苦。

堅龍膽：表面無橫皺紋，外皮膜質，易脫落，木部黃白色，易與皮部分離。

鑒別

（1） 本品橫切面：龍膽 表皮細胞有時殘存，外壁較厚。皮層窄；外皮層細胞類方形，壁稍厚，木栓化；內皮層細胞切向延長，每一細胞由縱向壁分隔成數個類方形小細胞。韌皮部寬廣，有裂隙。形成層不甚明顯。木質部導管3～10 個群束。髓部明顯。薄壁細胞含細小草酸鈣針晶。

堅龍膽 內皮層以外組織多已脫落。木質部導管發達，均勻密布。無髓部。

粉末淡黃棕色。龍膽 外皮層細胞表面觀類紡錘形，每一細胞由橫壁分隔成數個扁方形的小細胞。內皮層細胞表面觀類長方形，甚大，平周壁觀纖細的橫向紋理，每一細胞由縱隔壁分隔成數個柵狀小細胞，縱隔壁大多連珠狀增厚。薄壁細胞含細小草酸鈣針晶。網紋及梯紋導管直徑約至45μm。

堅龍膽 無外皮層細胞。內皮層細胞類方形或類長方形，平周壁的橫向紋理較粗而密，有的粗達3μm，每一細胞分隔成多數柵狀小細胞，隔壁稍增厚或呈連珠狀。

（2） 取本品粉末0。5g，加甲醇5ml，浸漬4～5小時，濾過，濾液濃縮至約2ml，作為供試品溶液。另取龍膽苦苷對照品，加甲醇制成每1ml含2mg的溶液，作為對照品溶液。照薄層色譜法（附錄Ⅵ B）試驗，吸取上述兩種溶液各5μl，分別點于同一以羧甲基纖維素鈉為黏合劑的硅膠ＧＦ254 薄層板上，以醋酸乙酯－甲醇－水（20:2:1）為展開劑，二次展開，取出，晾干，置紫外光燈（254nm）下檢視 。供試品色譜中，在與對照品色譜相應的位置上，顯相同顏色的斑點。

炮制

除去雜質，洗凈，潤透，切段，干燥。

性味

苦，寒。

歸經

歸肝、膽經。

功能主治

清熱燥濕，瀉肝膽火。用于濕熱黃疸，陰腫陰癢，帶下，強中，濕疹瘙癢，目赤，耳聾，脅痛，口苦，驚風抽搐。

用法用量

3～6g。

貯藏

置干燥處。

備注

（1）配以柴胡、山梔、黃芩，則清肝瀉火；配木通、車前子、澤瀉，則清利濕熱；配黃連、牛黃、鉤藤，則瀉火定驚；配茵陳、郁金、黃柏，則利濕退黃。

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Please consult Physician to be safe.

These are only my personal experiences. 

I use these roots for clearing heat. It is good for those who is "heaty" from lack of 

sleep and prone to mouth ulcers and acne. Some cases of skin problems cleared withcomsumption of these roots with combination of other herbs.

Please choose those like in the above picture **. When they are too dark and even 

have a stale smell, don't buy them. They have been kept too long.

About 10 strands of the thin roots of 10cm. in length, boil with 1 litre of water.

Do not overdose as these are extremely "cooling".

For older people, I recommend the addition of chrysanthemum flowers.

Please do not add sugar or salt too.

This drink is extremely bitter and most don't like it at first. Hahaha!

I shared with many fellow lamas in Seattle and they slowly took to the taste.

I am sharing simple remedies as this is flu season and also with the "heatiness of 

Chinese New Year goodies, Licorice roots and RADIX GENTIANAE are good to 

have at hand.

Cheers all.

Amituofo / Lotuschef / Pure Karma / True Buddha School