Although the names of white aconite and black aconite are quite similar, they are two completely different Chinese herbs. Their sources and medicinal properties are different, and there are significant differences in their usage. Let's take a closer look at the differences between white aconite and black aconite!
Different Ingredients
The medicinal components of the two herbs are also different. The main components of white aconite are inositol, choline, sucrose, calcium oxalate, and mucilage, among others.
Black aconite is similar to aconitum carmichaelii and mainly contains various alkaloids, including aconitine, mesaconitine, hypaconitine, benzoylaconine, carmichaeline, aconine, fuziline, and benzoylhypaconine.
Different Effects
They also have different medicinal effects. White aconite is a warm herb with a certain level of toxicity. It enters the liver meridian and stomach meridian, and can achieve the effects of dispelling wind and phlegm, relieving pain, detoxifying and dispersing masses, and calming the nerves.
Black aconite is pungent, sweet, and very hot, and has toxicity. It belongs to the heart, kidney, and spleen meridians, and has the effects of restoring yang and rescuing collapse, tonifying fire and assisting yang, dispelling cold and relieving pain.
Different Toxicity
The toxicity of the two herbs is also different. White aconite is completely toxic, with the highest toxicity in the rhizome. It can cause significant irritation to the skin and mucous membranes, and can also inhibit the central nervous system.
Poisoning can manifest as numbness in the mouth and tongue, a feeling of tightness in the limbs and whole body, profuse sweating, thirst, dry mouth, palpitations, restlessness, and can later progress to dysarthria, vomiting, diarrhea, cyanosis of the forehead and face, and ultimately respiratory and circulatory failure leading to death.
The toxic reactions of black aconite are mainly caused by aconitine alkaloids. The lethal dose of aconitine is 3-4mg, and ingestion of 0.2mg of aconitine can cause poisoning in adults.
Incidents of black aconite poisoning are more common. Aconite poisoning mainly manifests as toxic reactions in the nervous system, digestive system, and cardiovascular system, and severe cases can be fatal.
