Chinese medicinal herb Di Shao Gua, also known as Di Shao Hua and Yang Bu Nai Ke, is quite common in northeastern, northern, northwestern, and Jiangsu provinces of China. Its young fruit is edible, but do you know what Di Shao Gua looks like? Its main values are as follows:
Image of Di Shao Gua
Main Values and Uses of Di Shao Gua
Edible Value
The young fruit can be eaten; the seeds can be used as filling material.
Medicinal Value
Di Shao Gua, both the whole plant and the fruit, can be used as medicine. It is harvested in summer and autumn, cut into sections, and dried for use. The young fruit can be consumed.
[Properties and Channels] Sweet, neutral.
[Functions and Indications] Tonifies Qi, promotes lactation. Used for deficiency of the body with insufficient milk secretion; externally used to treat warts.
[Dosage and Administration] 0.5-1 liang (approx. 15-30 grams), use fresh grass externally as needed, break and extract juice to apply on warts.
[Harvesting and Processing] Harvest the whole plant and fruit in summer and autumn, wash and dry.
[Functions] Tonifies lung Qi, clears heat, generates body fluids, relieves thirst, reduces inflammation, and alleviates pain.
Value of Use
The whole plant contains 1.5% rubber and 3.6% resin, making it suitable for industrial raw materials;
Di Shao Gua has thin stems that are not very woody, with a soft texture, making it a good food source for livestock.
Di Shao Gua is favored by camels, goats, and sheep when it is fresh. These animals especially enjoy its tender pods. However, after it dries and loses its leaves, its palatability decreases.
From a chemical composition perspective, Di Shao Gua has a relatively high nutritional value. Its protein content is similar to that of purple clover and is comparable to wheat bran.
It is also rich in crude fat and ash, especially its calcium content, which is close to that of general leguminous forage grass. It contains very little indigestible nutrient crude fiber (Table 153-1).
Not only does Di Shao Gua have a rich protein content, but its protein quality is also good.
In terms of the quantity of the nine essential amino acids it contains (Table 153-2), it is comparable to alfalfa hay and contains nearly half as much as wheat bran;
According to analysis, of the nine elements contained in Di Shao Gua (Table 153-3), except for aluminum, all are required for animal nutrition, and their content is relatively high in terms of ash, nitrogen, calcium, sulfur, aluminum, medium phosphorus, iron, silicon, low potassium, and sodium.
Di Shao Gua should be considered as a medium or good feed plant. Its fruit and seeds can also be used as medicine, and the young fruit can be eaten.
The medicinal name for Di Shao Gua is Sha Nai Cao, and it is known as Dou Ge Nu in Mongolian medicine. It has a sweet taste and warm nature, with functions such as promoting lactation, promoting blood circulation, relieving inflammation and pain, and stopping diarrhea. The whole plant contains 1.5% rubber and 3.6% resin, making it suitable for industrial raw materials.
Image of Di Shao Gua
Image of Di Shao Gua
