After the decoction is prepared, the medicinal juice should be filtered immediately and should not be left in the pot for too long. This is to prevent the excessive colloid in the medicinal liquid from forming gel when it gets cold, which can make filtration more difficult and also prone to spoilage. When filtering the medicinal liquid, pressure filtration can be used to minimize the residual amount of medicinal residues and maintain the therapeutic effect.
After the Chinese medicine is decocted, how long can the decoction be stored under normal conditions? Some people have observed the degree of deterioration of the decoction of four prescriptions under different temperature conditions, and recorded the measurement items such as odor, turbidity, mildew, and acidity. The results show that the higher the temperature, the faster the deterioration. In seasons with higher temperatures, such as when the room temperature is above 25°C, the decoction should not be stored for more than 2 days. If refrigerated, the decoction can generally be stored for 2-4 days without deterioration. Different prescriptions may have different degrees of deterioration even under the same conditions. If the medicinal liquid contains a large amount of starch, protein, sugar, and other components, it will deteriorate more quickly.
Therefore, it is recommended to consume the decoction within a day after it is prepared.
