Ge Gen (Radix Puerariae with Puerariae flower)

This product is commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine. The Shennong Materia Medica-jing is listed as a Chinese grade. There are two types of products: pueraria and Ge Gen.

Aliases: Gan Ge, Ge Gen Fen.

Source: Pueraria lobata (Willd Ohwi). Wild or cultivated.

Origin: Fen Ge Gen is mainly produced in Guangxi and Guangdong. Mostly cultivated products. Bei Ge Gen is mainly produced in Hunan, Hubei, Zhejiang, Henan and other places. All wild.

Trait identification

· Fen Ge Gen: the root is cylindrical or cut into petals, sometimes the residual brown skin is visible, the cut surface has several obvious tendon veins, and the section shows tendon veins and rings. All white or yellowish white, rich in powder. The breath is slight, and the taste is slightly sour. It is best to have a large white powder and fine fiber.

· Bei Ge Gen: earthy yellow, small powder, strong fibrous. Is of lesser quality.

Main ingredients: containing flavonoids (including pueraria flavonoids, puerariin, soy flavonoids, etc.), starch, etc.

Pharmacological effects: relieve muscle fever, rejuvenate thirst, moisturize tendons and veins, the principle is:

(1) Antipyretic: Animal experiments have confirmed a strong antipyretic effect.

(2) Dilation of the coronary arteries: the injection of pueraria total flavonoids into the coronary arteries of anesthetized dogs has a more obvious effect of dilating the coronary arteries, and intravenous injection also has a certain effect. It has also been experimentally proved that Ge Gen has an antagonistic effect on acute myocardial ischemia caused by posterior pituitary hormone.

(3) Increase cerebral blood flow: Pueraria flavonoids injected in the carotid arteries of experimental animals can cause cerebral vasodilation and increase cerebral blood flow. Ge Gen flavonoids can improve cerebral blood flow in hypertensive patients.

In addition, clinical observations suggest that it may also have astringent anti-inflammatory and relieve muscle spasms.

Preparation: slices or blocks, raw use.

Taste: sweet, spicy, even.

Attribution: into the spleen, stomach meridian.

Function: Publish antipyretic, nourish and quench thirst. "Healing the Muscle spasms Ge Gen is First and Chai Hu Next", see the text "Yao Xing Fu".

Indications: fever without sweating, strong head pain, fever thirst, diabetic, macules that do not release, spleen deficiency and diarrhea.

Clinical application

（1） Used to release the external. It is most suitable for people with evidence and neck and back contracture tension (the so-called "neck back urgency" or "neck back lock"), such as influenza. Because Ge Gen can relieve the tension of the neck and back muscles, and has antipyretic effect, it is often accompanied by Huang Qin, Huang Lian, etc., such as the formula Ge Gen Qin Lian Tang.

（2） It is used for increase fluid. Through the antipyretic effect, the water consumption in the body is reduced, so as to achieve the purpose of nourishing and quenching thirst, and it is most suitable for use when wind and heat are caused by no sweat and thirst.

（3）For antidiarrheal. Suitable for the treatment of hot diarrhea (about equivalent to acute enteritis, bacterial dysentery), take it has astringent anti-inflammatory effect, often with Huang Qin, Huang Lian and other antipyretic drugs, such as Ge Gen Qin Lian Tang.

If it is spleen deficiency and diarrhea, you can add a simmering Ge Gen root to the formula that nourishes the spleen and stomach, which has a certain effect on enhancing the antidiarrheal effect.

（4）For diarrhoeasis. Must be used with Sheng Ma.

（5）Used to treat hypertension. It has a good effect on improving symptoms such as headache, dizziness, Xiang Qiang, tinnitus, and limb numbness, but the antihypertensive effect is not obvious, and it must be used in combination with antihypertensive herbs.

（6）For the treatment of coronary heart disease. It has the effect of dilating the coronary arteries of the heart, and the use of Ge Gen tablets has a certain effect on relieving angina and improving electrocardiogram.

（7）It is used to treat early onset of deafness. Neurosensory deafness caused by vasospasm of the inner ear, with Ge Gen tablets, has a certain effect.

Dosage: 6~24g. The daily amount of Ge Gen total flavonoids is about 100~300mg, divided into 2~3 times.

Examples of prescriptions

（1） Ge Gen Tang (from "Shang Han Lun"): Ge Gen 6g, Ma Huang 4.5g, Bai Shao 9g, Gui Zhi 4.5g, Sheng Jiang 9g, Gan Cao 3g, 4 piece of Da Zao, water decoction.

（2） Ge Gen Qing Lian Tang (from "Shang Han Lun"): Ge Gen 9g, Huang Qin 9g, Huang Lian 6g, Gan Cao 3g, water decoction.

（3） Ge Gen Huang Tong Pian (from “Beijing Coronary Heart Disease Collaborative Group”): Each tablet contains 100mg of Pueraria Flavonoids, oral 3 times a day, 1~2 tablets each time, the course of treatment is 4~12 weeks, to treat angina.

Ge Hua (Puerariae flower)

Source: Flowers that will open for Ge Gen. It is about 1 cm long and the sepals are grey-green and densely hairy. The petals are 5 equal in length, protruding from or covered by sepals, blue-purple. The air is slightly flavorful.

Function: Detoxification, remove stomach heat.