Acid vine wood is the branches and leaves or roots of the acid vine, which is a highly valuable traditional Chinese medicine. Its fruits are called acid vine fruits and have good heat-clearing and blood-stopping effects. Let's learn about the efficacy and role of acid vine wood together!
【Identification of Acid Vine Wood】
Acid vine wood grows in grass, shrubs or under the forest at an altitude of 100-1800 meters. It is distributed in Jiangxi, Fujian, Taiwan, Guangdong, Hainan, Guangxi, Yunnan and other places.
The leaves are often curled, and they are inverted egg-shaped to elliptical in shape when flattened, with a length of 3-5.5 cm and a width of 1-2.5 cm. The apex is blunt or slightly concave, and the base is wedge-shaped. The leaves have entire margins and inconspicuous lateral veins. The leaf stalk is short, about 5-3 mm long. Sometimes, small cylindrical branches can be seen, varying in length and purple-brown in color. It has a slight aroma and a sour taste.
Acid vine wood leaf transverse section: The upper epidermal cells are larger in size and vary in shape, with thickened and keratinized outer walls. The lower epidermal cells are smaller, mostly round to flattened square in shape, with thickened and keratinized outer walls.
The palisade tissue consists of 1-2 rows of cells, varying in length, and passes through the midrib. The vascular bundle is exarch, surrounded by fiber bundles. The inner side of the lower epidermis of the midrib has 2-4 rows of thick-walled cells. The leaf parenchyma and thin-walled tissue contain secretory ducts and yellow-brown inclusions.
【Efficacy and Role of Acid Vine Wood】
1. Heat-clearing and detoxifying
Acid vine wood not only inhibits the absorption of heat-toxins in the body but also accelerates the decomposition and metabolism of various toxins in the body. It has a good relieving effect on symptoms such as sore throat and gingival swelling.
2. Activating blood circulation and resolving stasis
After being used as medicine, acid vine wood can activate blood circulation and resolve stasis, accelerate blood circulation in the body, and promote the dissipation of blood stasis. When people experience bruising and swelling due to sprains and injuries, they can directly crush acid vine wood and apply it to the affected area to quickly reduce swelling and relieve pain.
3. Reducing swelling and relieving pain
Acid vine wood not only has the ability to clear heat and detoxify but also cools the blood and relieves pain. It has a particularly good therapeutic effect on hemorrhoids and swelling caused by blood heat.
【Medicinal Value of Acid Vine Wood】
Acid vine wood generally blooms from December to March in winter and bears fruit from April to June. The mature fruits of acid vine wood are red and taste sour, making them a delicious wild fruit. The immature acid vine fruits are green.
The acid vine fruit is spherical, red or dark purple when ripe, dark brown when dried, with a diameter of 5-6 mm, smooth, with longitudinal wrinkled veins and a few glandular spots. It has a slight aroma and a sour and sweet taste.
The roots and leaves of acid vine fruit can disperse stasis and relieve pain, astringe and stop diarrhea, treat sprains and swelling, enteritis and diarrhea, pharyngitis, gastric acid deficiency, dysmenorrhea, etc. The roots and leaves are used by veterinarians to treat bloating and heat-induced thirst in cows.
Acid vine fruits can be eaten and can strengthen and nourish the blood. However, people with thick and sticky blood should avoid eating them; otherwise, blood clots may occur.
The most useful part of acid vine wood is its roots and leaves, which have insecticidal, anti-inflammatory, and digestive effects. It is externally used to treat bruises, ulcers, and sores. Internally, it is used to treat internal and external hemorrhoids, sore throat, and foot pain.
