Learn About Chinese Herbs -Chai Hu (Radix Bupleuri)-
Chai Hu （Radix Bupleuri）
This product is commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine. The Shennong Materia Medica, listed as the top grade. Commodities are divided into two categories: Bei Chai Hu and Nan Chai Hu.
Alias: Bei Chai Hu... Hard Chai Hu, Jin Chai Hu.
Nan Chai Hu... Ruan Chai Hu, Xiang Chai Hu, Hong Chai Hu.
Source: Northern Chai Hu is a perennial herbaceous plant in the family Apiaceae Bupleurum chinense DC, Bupleurum scorzoneraefolium Willd. or dried roots of several species of plants of the same genus. According to different traits, they are called "Bei Chai Hu (Bei meaning North)" and "Nan Chai Hu (Nan meaning South)" dry roots. Both of the above are wild.
Origin: Bei Chai Hu is mainly produced in North China and Henan. Hubei, Liaoning, Shandong, Anhui, some other provinces also produces some.
Nan Chai Hu is mainly produced in Hubei, Sichuan, Anhui and other provinces. Jiangsu and Shandong also produces some.
Trait identification
· Bei Chai Hu: cylindrical, divergent, slightly curved. The length is about 5~15cm, the diameter of the upper end is about 0.2~1cm, the tail end is tapering, the shape is like a rat's tail, and the tip is slightly reed. The outer skin is yellowish brown or light tan, with fine longitudinal lines and transverse punctate skin holes and branch marks, which are tougher and not easy to break. The cross-section is yellow-white, woody. The smell is slightly fragrant and the taste is light. It is best to have a thick taproot, few roots, and yellow-brown color (Henan Luoning producers are used to call Wang Fan Chai Hu and is known for being the best quality).
· Ruan Chai Hu: taproot cylindrical or conical, more curved, less divergent, about 5~10cm long, 0.2~0.6cm diameter. The tip often remains with black-brown fibrous hairs, the outer skin is tan or yellow-brown, there are longitudinal wrinkles, there are wart-like skin holes, crunchy, easy to break. The section is light yellow or light brown, with many cracks, slightly fragrant, oily, and light taste. It is best to have thick roots, reddish brown and crunchy texture.
Main ingredients: mainly contains saikosaponin, phytosterols, and a small amount of volatile oil stems and leaves containing rutin.
Pharmacological action: depressing, depressing, scattering fire, the principle is:
（1） Antipyretic: Animal experiments have confirmed antipyretic effect. Clinically, its antipyretic effect is stable and reliable, but the efficacy is still not as good as that of Huang Qin.
（2） Sedation and analgesia: It has the effect of relieving chest tightness and hypochondriac, opening depression and regulating menstruation.
（3） Antibacterial: In vitro tests have an inhibitory effect on the growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
（4） Antiviral: has a strong inhibitory effect on influenza viruses. In addition, it has the effect of inhibiting cytopathies caused by poliomyelitis type I virus.
Preparation: sliced vinegar stir-fried, turtle blood stir-fried.
Taste: bitter flat.
Attribution: into the liver, gallbladder meridian.
Function: release antipyretic, liver thinning, depressant, and Yang promotion.
Indications: Cold and fever, cold and heat, malaria, chest and flank pain, menstrual irregularities.
Clinical Application:
（1） For depyretic. It is especially suitable for relieving relaxation tension fever (when heat and cold come separately, morning and evening fluctuations above 1 °C), cold and heat (no fever when cold, no cold when fever, the two appear alternately), all febrile, infectious diseases, those with the above fever types can be used to reduce fever. Clinically, it is mostly used for colds, flu, upper respiratory tract inflammation, acute bronchitis, lymphadenitis, cellulitis, paired with Ge Gen when fever is light, Huang Qin when fever is heavy, such as in the formula “Xiao Chai Hu Tang”.
（2） Treat hypochondriac pain and menstrual pain caused by liver qi stagnation. Use Chai Hu to treat hypochondriac pain (such as chronic hepatitis), and it has analgesic effect. However, if the liver pain is more severe, and there is gastrointestinal dysfunction, that is, fullness after eating, indigestion, nausea, chest septum stuffiness, abdominal pain and other symptoms of the so-called "liver qi reversal", the strength of Chai Hu alone is not enough, and it is necessary to match Xiang Fu, Yu Jin, Qing Pi, etc.
The treatment of menstrual irregularities caused by liver qi stagnation, abdominal pain (menstrual pain related to mental and physical factors) is also taken from its analgesic and sedative effects, often paired with Dang Gui and Bai Shao to strengthen its effect.
（3） Malaria treatment, paired with Chang Shan.
Caution for use: Where cough and heat caused by yin deficiency should not use Chai Hu; due to the "liver fire reversal" (such as high blood pressure) caused by swelling, tinnitus, dizziness, hypochondria pain, the amount of Chai Hu should not be too large, otherwise it will cause symptoms to aggravate, and even bleeding.
As for tuberculosis, it should generally be used with caution, but when there is both external sensory manifestation and need to be solved in the table, it can be used; and when there is liver depression, when it needs to relieve depression, it can also be used, and the dosage at this time is generally 3~4.5g.
[Attached] Chai Hu and Bai Shao are often used together, on the one hand, it can strengthen the liver thinning and analgesic effect, on the other hand, Bai Shao can alleviate the stimulating effect of Chai Hu on the body.
Dosage: 6~18g. Anti-liver depression, sedation, analgesia, with 6~9g, in order to strengthen antipyretic sweating, if necessary, it can be used to 10~18g, and it is necessary to fry thickly for a long time.
Examples of prescriptions
（1） Formula Xiao Yao San (from "Bureau Formulas"): Chai Hu 9g, Dang Gui 9g, Bai Shao 9g, Bai Zhu 9g, Fu Ling 9g, Bo He 3g (entered last), Sheng Jiang 4.5g, Zhi Gan Cao 3g, water decoction.
（2） Xiao Chai Hu Tang ("Typhoid Fever"): Chai Hu 12g, Huang Qin 9g, Zhi Ban Xia 9g, Dang Shen 6g, Sheng Jiang 6g, Gan Cao 3g, 4 pieces of Da Zao water decoction.
annotations
Beijing still sell what is called Zhu Ye Chai Hu, which is a dry whole grass with stems and leaves of Bei Chai Hu or Nan Chai Hu.
The roots of the genus Chai Hu can be used medicinally. In addition to the narrow-leaved Chai Hu of the southern Chai Hu system, all kinds of Chai Hu, as long as they are hard, are called Bei Chai Hu.
In Anhui, Shandong and Jiangsu regions, the young seedlings of Zhu Ye Chai Hu harvested in spring are called "Chun Chai Hu (Chun meaning spring)", because the aboveground part is tender, so it is also called "Ya Hu (Ya meaning Bud)" or "wheat seedling Chai Hu", which is mainly sold in East China and exported. In the Beijing-Tianjin region, the root of this tender Chai Hu is called Nan Chai Hu or soft Chai Hu for medicinal purposes. (The origin place refers it as Chai Hu Tou).
Case study: chronic joint pain
Patient: Ms. Liu, female
Chief complaints: Lower extremity joint swelling and pain for two years, fatigue easily.
TCM diagnosis: spleen pulse weak, tongue pale, coating greasy
TCM prescription: Gui Zhi 10g, Cang Zhu 10g, Huai Niu Qi 10g, Mu Gua 10g, Wei Ling Xian 10g, Ji Xue Teng 20g, Niu Da Li 20g, Qian Jin Ba 10g, Ci Diao Gen 10g, Wu Duo Nian 10g, Dang Gui 10g, Dang Shen 10g, Fu Ling 10g, Bai Zhu 10g, Gan Cao 5g, Wu Zhua Long 20g. To make decoction. One dose a day for 5 consecutive days.
Patient feedback: patient’s symptoms have lessened. Patient’s tongue diagnosis results are much better.
Disclaimer: All above articles are for reference only. If patients are interested, please consult a professional practitioner Traditional Chinese Medicine for a consultation.