Sweet Flag Root
|
TMPW No.：8630 |
| Synonym | Acorus Root |
| Latin name | Acori Rhizoma |
| Botanical source: Family name | Araceae |
| Botanical source: Plant name | Acorus calamus Linné (IPNI:84009-1) |
| Part used | Rhizome |
| Empirical criteria for quality selection | Unknown |
| Constituents | Fatty acids: A. calamus: n-Heptylic acid Sesquiterpenoids: A. calamus: Calameone, Isocalamendiol, Acorone, Acoronene Phenylpropanoids: A. calamus: Methyleugenol, Eugenol, β-Asarone, γ-Asarone, Other aromatic derivatives: A. calamus: Asarylaldehyde |
| Pharmacological effects | Antibacterial (cutaneous fungus), sedation (Asarone). |
| Indications | An aromatic stomachic (not commonly used because it induces nausea and vomiting). The rhizome and leaves are used as the bath salt in folk. |
| Diseases | Anorexia, Full stomach, Abdominal pain, Diarrhea |
| Formulas | |
| Meridian tropism | Heart, Stomach |
| Property | Warm |
| Flavor | Acrid/pungent |
| Classification in "Shen-non Ben-cao Jing" | Superior |
| TCM: Classification | Stimulants |
| TCM: Medicinal effects | To warm the stomach, remove inflammation and relieve pain, invigorate the gastrointestinal.: For apepsia, indigestion due to retention of food, diphtheria and anthrax. |
| Remarks | In Japan, it has been used since Heian Period. On the day of the Boys' Festival, it (Jap. name: Shobu) is hung under the eaves with Tansy, or put it in a bathtub for medicinal bath. It is widely distributed among Eurasian Continent (including Japan, China and India), Malaysian tropical zone and North America, and used as medicine. In Ayurveda (India), it is called Vacha and applied to treat abdominal pain, vomiting, memory decline, intelligence impairment, bronchitis, rhinogenous headache and mental disorder. In this species, the composition of essential oil differs largely depending on the production area (possibly, because of differentiations in the chromosome number). The main composition of Indian one is asarone. However, it is said to cause liver disease and malignant tumor, some countries control or prohibit its import. |
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