Is the medicinal value of the Chinese herb Guanmutong high, but at the same time its toxicity is also strong. The editor will explain in detail the difference between Guanmutong and Mutong for you!
Picture of Guanmutong
Although Guanmutong and Mutong are only one character different, their medicinal properties are quite different. Guanmutong is rich in aristolochic acid, which can harm the human kidneys and has a strong toxicity, while Mutong does not contain aristolochic acid. The Jiujun Baidu Pill used in medicine is made from Mutong.
Originally, a single Mutong has three different identities. Mutong from the Aristolochiaceae family (also known as San Ye Mutong), Mutong from the Ranunculaceae family, and Guanmutong from the Aristolochiaceae family are all collectively referred to as Mutong. It is precisely because of these three Mutongs that they prosper and decline. They tell the "story" of Mutong's transformation from "non-toxic" to "toxic".
Currently in China, except for the people in the Yunnan-Guizhou-Sichuan region, the Mutong commonly used as a Chinese medicine mainly refers to Guanmutong. However, according to research, "this Mutong is not the same as that Mutong." The Guanmutong commonly seen in the market and commonly used in clinical practice today, although it is called "Mutong" as recorded in ancient books such as the "Shennong's Materia Medica", is not the same thing.
Guanmutong belongs to the Aristolochiaceae family, and the aristolochic acid it contains has been shown to potentially cause damage to the human kidneys. It is classified as a "toxic" Chinese medicine (according to the Chinese Pharmacopoeia, toxic Chinese medicines are classified into three categories: minor toxicity, toxicity, and major toxicity).
The Mutong recorded in the "Shennong's Materia Medica" is from the Aristolochiaceae family, and it is non-toxic. According to the notice from the Ministry of Health of China, the Chinese patent medicines that contain Guanmutong in other national standard prescriptions were replaced before June 30, 2003.
