Duxingcai, also known as glandular stem duxing, spicy root, June snow, large leaf mustard, sand mustard, spicy artemisia, and Ningjin grass, is the seed of the cruciferous plant duxingcai. It is mainly distributed in the northeastern, northern, northwestern, and southwestern provinces of China. It is a perennial or biennial herbaceous plant, with edible tender leaves and medicinal uses. It has rich value in both culinary and medicinal fields.
【Morphological Characteristics】
Duxingcai has been cultivated in recent years in China. It generally grows along roadsides, wastelands, houses, and fields. The stem is upright, 10-13 cm tall, and branched at the base with glandular hairs. The basal leaves grow in clusters, have long petioles, and are needle-shaped with shallow or deep lobes. The stem leaves are alternate, without stalks or with short stalks, and have elongated or toothed leaflets. The inflorescence is terminal and the flowers have four petals, white or slightly greenish, and very small. The sepals fall off early, and the petals degenerate into filaments. There are two stamens. The short horned fruit is elliptical or nearly circular, flat, with a slightly missing tip and narrow wings on the upper part. The seeds are reddish-brown and inverted ovoid in shape. The flowering period is from April to May, and the fruiting period is from May to July.
【Culinary Value】
1. Harvesting Time
Harvest the tender leaves in spring and harvest the whole plant when the fruits turn yellow in summer and autumn. Dry them, remove the seeds, and remove impurities and dust.
2. Ways to Consume
The stems and leaves have a special fragrance and are often used as salad ingredients to stimulate appetite. The seeds are commonly used as spices. After washing the tender leaves of duxingcai, they can be eaten cold, stir-fried, steamed, or used as fillings. They have a refreshing taste with a slight spiciness. For example, duxingcai can be stir-fried with shredded meat or used as a filling for shrimp and duxingcai dumplings.
【Medicinal Value】
1. Pharmacological Components
The seeds contain fatty oils, sinigrin, proteins, sugars, alkaloids, flavonoids, volatile oils, and more.
(1) The alcohol extract of the seeds has cardiotonic effects when used on frog, rabbit, and cat hearts. It can enhance myocardial contractility, slow down heart rate, reduce conduction speed, increase output in weakened hearts, and lower venous pressure. In large doses, it can cause cardiotonic poisoning symptoms such as tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation.
(2) Diuretic Effect: The decoction or extract of duxingcai has a significant diuretic effect.
2. Medicinal Functions
The seeds, also known as "Beitonglizi," have functions of clearing the lungs, resolving phlegm, relieving cough, alleviating asthma, promoting diuresis, and reducing swelling. They are used for phlegm-asthma cough, facial edema, pulmonary abscess, and abdominal and chest edema. The recommended dosage is 5-10g. It is not suitable for those with lung deficiency and spleen deficiency swelling.
3. Clinical Applications
(1) Treatment of chronic primary heart disease complicated with heart failure: Take 3-6g of powdered duxingcai, divide it into three times, and take it after meals. Combine it with general symptomatic treatment and anti-infection measures. It has been used in multiple cases with good results. Increased urine output and reduction of edema can usually be seen after 4 days of medication. Significant improvement or disappearance of heart failure can be observed within 2-3 weeks.
(2) Treatment of chest congestion with symptoms of chest and rib hydrops and constipation: Combine it with rhubarb, mirabilite, and almond, such as the Daxianxiongwan formula.
