Alihong is the dried sclerotium of the polyporaceae plant Bitter Poria cocos, also known as Magnolia, Mushroom, Larch Mushroom, Bitter Poria. The original plant is medicinal polypore, and Alihong is mainly produced in Xinjiang. It is a modern medicine mainly used for respiratory inflammation. It is effective when used alone and is used in compound formulations for other diseases.
【Habitat Distribution】
It grows on the trunks of pine and larch trees. It is distributed in Heilongjiang, Jilin, Inner Mongolia, Hebei, Shanxi, Xinjiang, Sichuan, Yunnan and other places.
【Morphological Characteristics】
The cap of the fungus is horseshoe-shaped, 5-12cm thick, white to pale yellow, with a few grayish-white ones, smooth on the surface, and later cracks and rough. Sometimes it has concentric rings and a blunt edge. The flesh is white or pale yellow, loose, light in texture, fragile after aging, and 1-2cm thick. It tastes very bitter. The tubes are multi-layered, each layer is about 3mm thick, the same color as the cap, and the pore is white and round. There are 4 pores per 1mm. The spores are oval, with a smooth surface and transparent color.
【Main Components】
It contains a variety of triterpenoids and steroidal compounds, among which the main ones are polypore acid, dehydrogenated polypore acid, polypore alcohol, polypore diol, polypore aldehyde, sulfur polypore acid, ergosterol 4,6,8(14),22-one-3, ergosterol, squalene, polypore alcohol acetate, dehydrogenated polypore keto acid, etc.
【Efficacy and Indications】
Alihong has the effects of warming the lungs and resolving phlegm, reducing qi and relieving asthma, dispelling wind and eliminating dampness, promoting blood circulation and reducing swelling, diuresis, and detoxifying snake venom. It is used to treat cough, asthma, stomach pain, urinary calculi, nephritis, rheumatoid arthritis, pharyngitis, periodontitis, and snake bites.
【Historical Records】
The "Broad Spectrum of Fungi" states: "Magnolia, Mushroom, also known as wood ear, grows on decaying wood, without branches or leaves, and is born from residual dampness and heat..." Considering the term "wood ear" refers to various wood-grown fungi, it is not specifically referring to the wood ear genus.
【Medicinal Collection】
It is harvested in summer and autumn, and the rough skin is removed and dried.
【Physicochemical Identification】
Take 1g of the sample powder, add 10ml of ethanol, soak for 30 minutes, filter, spot the filtrate on a silica gel G plate, and use petroleum benzaldehyde-ethanol-methanol (15:9:3) as the developing agent. The migration distance is 11.5cm, and it is observed under UV light, showing 2 spots. Spray with bromophenol blue reagent, showing 2 spots near the origin.
【Dosage and Administration】
Oral administration: decoction, 3-6g; or decoction for gargling. External use: grind into powder and apply with vinegar to the affected area.
【Clinical Research】
Treating chronic bronchitis: take Alihong decoction, 5-10g each time, twice a day, for 10 days as one course of treatment. Observe 105 cases, after 5 courses of treatment, the results are significant in 13 cases (12.4%), effective in 49 cases (46.7%), improved in 36 cases (34.8%), with an effective rate of 93.9%. Preliminary observation shows good cough relief and asthma control. The effect is better for simple type compared to wheezing type.
