Background
Methods of processing
Processing method | Excipient | Representative processed CHM |
---|---|---|
Stir-frying (清炒) | – | Stir-fried Ziziphi Spinosae Semen (炒酸棗仁) |
Charred Crataegi Fructus (焦山楂) | ||
Carbonized Rhei Radix Et Rhizoma (大黃炭) | ||
Stir-frying with liquid excipients (炙) | Yellow rice wine (酒) | Wine-fried Rhei Radix Et Rhizoma (酒大黃) |
Vinegar (醋) | Vinegar-fried Curcumae Rhizoma (醋莪術) | |
Salt water (鹽) | Salt-fried Alpiniae Oxyphyllae Fructus (鹽益智仁) | |
Fresh ginger juice (薑) | Ginger-fried Magnoliae Officinalis Cortex (薑厚樸) | |
Refined honey (蜜) | Honey-fried Astragali Radix (炙黃芪) | |
Stir-frying with solid excipients (炒) | Wheat bran (麥麩) | Bran-fried Dioscoreae Rhizoma (麩炒山藥) |
Rice (米) | Rice-fried Mylabris (米斑蝥) | |
River sand (砂) | Zingiberis Rhizoma Praeparatum (sand-fried Zingiberis Rhizoma 炮薑) | |
Steaming (蒸) | – | Ginseng Radix Et Rhizoma Rubra (Steamed Ginseng 紅參) |
Yellow rice wine (酒) | Wine-steamed Corni Fructus (酒萸肉) | |
Vinegar (醋) | Vinegar-steamed Schisandrae Chinensis Fructus (醋五味子) | |
Boiling (煮) | Zingiberis Rhizoma Recens and alume | Arisaematis Rhizoma Preparatum (制天南星) |
Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma and lime | Pinelliae Rhizoma Praeparatum (法半夏) | |
Stewing (煨) | Straw paper (草紙) | Straw paper-stewed Aucklandiae Radix (煨木香) |
Wheat bran (麥麩) | Wheat bran-stewed Myristicae Semen (麩煨肉豆蔻) | |
Water trituration (水飛) | – | Water-triturated Cinnabaris (朱砂粉) |
Calcining (煅) | – | Calcined Haematitum (煅赭石) |
Stir-frying
Stir-frying without excipients
Stir-frying with liquid excipients
Stir-frying with solid excipients
Steaming
Boiling
Stewing
Other processing methods
Advances in understanding the mechanism of processing
Decoction pieces | Purpose and major mechanisms of processing | References | |
---|---|---|---|
Crude CHM | Processed CHM (processing method) | ||
Aconiti Radix, Chuanwu 川烏 | Aconiti Radix Cocta, Zhichuanwu 制川烏 (soaking, boiling or steaming) | Purpose Reducing toxicity Mechanisms Structural transformation of toxic constituents: (1) highly toxic diester diterpene alkaloids hydrolyze or decompose into monoester diterpene alkaloids of low toxicity or non-toxic non-esterified diterpene alkaloids. (2) Diester diterpene alkaloids react with components in Glycyrrhizae Radix to generate lipo-alkaloids of low-toxicity. On the other hand, the resultant alkaloids have considerable anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects | |
Aconiti Lateralis Radix, Nifuzi 泥附子 | Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata, Yanfuzi 鹽附子 (soaking) | ||
Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata, Danfupian 淡附片 (soaking in salt water, boiling with Glycyrrhizae Radix and black bean) | |||
Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata, Heishunpian 黑順片 (soaking in salt water, staining and steaming) | |||
Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata, Baifupian 白附片 (soaking in salt water, peeling and steaming) | |||
Paofupian炮附片 (sand-scorch of Heishunpian or Baifupian) | |||
Aconiti Kusnezoffii Radix, Caowu 草烏 | Aconiti Kusnezoffii Radix Cocta, Zhicaowu 制草烏 (soaking in water and boiling) | ||
Pinelliae Rhizoma, Banxia 半夏 | Pinelliae Rhizoma Praeparatum, Fabanxia 法半夏 (soaking with water and then with Glycyrrhizae Radix juice) | Purpose Reducing toxicity Mechanisms (1) Physically changed crystal structure: alum solution changes the structure of needle-like calcium oxalate crystals and dissolves the lectin in the crystals, which decreases the side effect. (2) Detoxifying components from excipients: a compound gingerol from ginger juice can effectively inhibit Banxia-induced inflammation | |
Pinelliae Rhizoma Praeparatum Cum Zingibere et Alumine, Jiangbanxia 姜半夏 (soaking with water, boiling with ginger and alum) | |||
Pinelliae Rhizoma Praeparatum Cum Alumine, Qingbanxia 清半夏 (soaking with alum solution) | |||
Typhonii Rhizoma, Baifuzi 白附子 | Zhibaifuzi 制白附子 (soaking with alum solution) | ||
Rhei Radix et Rhizoma, Dahuang 大黃 | Jiudahuang 酒大黃 (stir-frying with alcohol) | Purpose Changing functions and reducing toxicity Mechanisms (1) Decomposing of conjugated anthraquinones into the corresponding free anthraquinones; (2) reduced contents of tannins; (3) after processing, Dahuangtan has no effect on blood circulation | |
Shudahuang 熟大黃 (steaming or steaming with alcohol) | |||
Dahuangtan 大黃炭 (charring) | |||
Angelicae Sinensis Radix, Danggui 當歸 | Jiudanggui 酒當歸 (stir-frying with alcohol) | Purpose Enhancing efficacy Mechanisms (1) Increasing the solubility of ferulic acid; (2) decreasing the content of Z-ligustilide. Both ferulic acid and Z-ligustilide are biological constituents, but high concentration of Z-ligustilide is irritant | |
Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma, Renshen 人參 | Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma Rubra, Hongshen 紅參 (steaming) | Purpose Enhancing efficacy and reduced side effect Mechanisms (1) Structural transformation of ginsenosides via hydrolysis of sugar moieties and/or epimerization of 20(S)-type into 20(R)-type; (2) Maillard reaction on reducing sugars and amino acids to form phenol compounds; (3) degradation of dencichine which has neurotoxicity. These changes contribute to enhanced anti-oxidant, anti-cancer and immue-modulating effects, and reduced side effect | |
Strychni Semen, Maqianzi 馬錢子 | Zhimaqianzi 制馬錢子 (stir-frying with sand) | Purpose Reducing toxicity Mechanisms Decomposition and oxidation of highly-toxic strychnine and brucine to generate isostrychnine, isobrucine, brucine N-oxide and strychnine N-oxide | |
Mylabris, Banmao 斑蝥 | Mibanmao 米斑蝥 (stir-frying with rice) | Purpose Reducing toxicity Mechanisms Reducing contents of toxic constituents: stir-frying of Banmao facilitates sublimation of cantharidin when the processing temperature reaches 120 °C, and the content of cantharidin is significantly reduced | [42] |
Crotonis Fructus, Badou 巴豆 | Crotonis Semen Pulveratum, Badoushuang 巴豆霜 (partially removal of croton oil) | Purpose Reducing toxicity Mechanisms Reduced contents of toxic constituents: processing via removal of Crotonis oil which contains toxic constituents reduces toxicity of Badou | [43] |
Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma, Baizhu 白術 | Fuchaobaizhu 麩炒白術 (stir-frying with bran) | Purpose Enhancing efficacy Mechanisms Structural transformation via decomposing atractylone into Atractylenolide I and II during processing | |
Genkwa Flos, Yuanhua 芫花 | Cuyuanhua 醋芫花 (stir-frying with vinegar) | Purpose Reducing toxicity and enhancing efficacy Mechanisms (1) The contents of Yuanhuacine and genkwadaphnin which are highly toxic are decreased; (2) the contents of bioactive flavonoids, including genkwanin, 3′-hydroxy-genkwanin and apigenin, are increased, likely due to the transformation of flavonoid glycosides into the respective glycones | [46] |
Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma, Gancao 甘草 | Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma Praeparata Cum Melle, Zhigancao 炙甘草 (stir-frying with honey) | Purpose Enhancing efficacy Mechanisms Hydrolysis of glycosides such as glycyrrhizin, liquiritin apioside and isoliquiritin apioside into glycyrrhetinic acid, liquiritigenin and isoliquiritigenin, respectively, with enhanced anti-inflammatory effect | [47] |
Calamina, Luganshi 爐甘石 | Duanluganshi 煆爐甘石 (calcining) | Purpose Enhancing efficacy Mechanisms Decomposing ZnCO3 into ZnO which has better antimicrobial activity | |
Leaves of Baphicacanthus cusia (Nees) Bremek., Polygonum tinctorium Ait. or Isatis indigotica Fort. | Indigo Naturalis, Qingdai 青黛 | Purpose Enhancing efficacy Mechanisms Decomposing isatan B or indole glycoside and further condensed to form indigos and indirubin, the active constituents | [50] |
Kansui Radix, Gansui 甘遂 | Cugansui 醋甘遂 (stir-frying with vinegar) | Purpose Reducing toxicity Mechanisms (1) Conversion of the highy-toxic 3-Acyl ester components into the non-toxic 20-acyl ester components; (2) reaction of diterpenes with acetic acid to form acetylated diterpenes with poor solubility which decreases toxicity | |
Sinapis Semen, Jiezi 芥子 | Chaojiezi 炒芥子 (Stir-frying) | Purpose Reducing side effect Mechanisms Inactivation of myrosase via heating to retain the glucosinolates, including sinalbrin | [53] |
Xanthii Fructus, Cang’erzi 蒼耳子 | Chaocang’erzi 炒蒼耳子 (stir-frying) | Purpose Reducing toxicity Mechanisms Decomposing β-d-Fructofuranosyl-α-d-glucopyranoside and other glycosides | [54] |
Epimedii Folium, Yinyanghuo 淫羊藿 | Zhiyinyanghuo 炙淫羊藿 (stir-frying with mutton fat) | Purpose Enhancing efficacy Mechanisms Decomposing flavonoid glycosides to form secondary glycosides or aglycones, which results in enhanced gonadal function | |
Coptidis Rhizoma, Huanglian 黃連 | Jiuhuanglian 酒黃連 (stir-frying with alcohol) | Purpose Enhancing efficacy Mechanisms (1) Increased solubility of the contents of berberine, palmatine, coptisine and jatrorrhizine; (2) decomposing of berberine to form a novel compound berberubine which has anticancer activity |