Huopu flower is a very effective traditional Chinese medicinal herb. It has excellent health benefits when consumed, such as treating bloating, chest tightness, and stomach weakness causing diarrhea. Today, I will analyze the effectiveness and functions of Huopu flower from the perspective of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).
Huopu flower image
Huopu flower
【Alias】 Tiaogeng flower.
【Excerpt】 Excerpt from "Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China"
【Meridian】 Stomach meridian, Spleen meridian.
【Nature】 Warm.
【Taste】 Bitter.
【Name verification】 Tiaogeng flower
Source: This product is the dried flower bud of Magnolia officinalis or Magnolia officinalis var. biloba, plants of the Magnoliaceae family. It is harvested before the flowers bloom in spring, steamed slightly, and then dried by sunlight or low-temperature drying. Appearance: The product is cone-shaped, measuring 4-7cm in length and 1.5-2.5cm in diameter at the base. It ranges in color from reddish-brown to brown. The perianth is mostly composed of 12 fleshy outer segments and spoon-shaped inner segments. There are numerous stamens with elongated anthers, pale yellow-brown in color, and broad and short filaments.
There are many carpels, spirally arranged on the conical receptacle. The peduncle is 0.5-2cm long, densely covered with gray-yellow hairs. The texture is brittle and easy to break. It has a fragrant aroma and a mild taste.
Identification of Huopu flower
1. The powder of this product is reddish-brown in color.
Huopu flower
The epidermal cells of the perianth are polygonal or elliptical, with dense wart-like protrusions on the surface, some of which have fine linear textures.
There are numerous stone cells, irregularly branched, with a thick wall of 7-13μm, obvious reticulate pits, and large lumens.
The oil cells are circular or elliptical, with a diameter of 37-85μm, a slightly thick wall, and contain yellow-brown substances.
The pollen grains are elliptical, measuring 48-68μm in length and 37-48μm in diameter, with a distal polar groove and a fine reticulate pattern on the surface.
The non-glandular hairs consist of 1-3 cells, measuring 820-2300μm in length, with a thick wall. Some have a spiral keratinized texture on the surface, and the tips of the single cells are long and pointed, while the bases are slightly swollen. For the multicellular hairs, the basal cells are shorter or significantly swollen, with a thin wall.
2. Take 1g of the powder, add 8ml of methanol, seal tightly, shake for 30 minutes, filter, and use the filtrate as the test solution.
Prepare a mixed solution of Huopu phenol and the reference substance, with each containing 1mg in 1ml of methanol, as the reference solution.
Conduct thin-layer chromatography (Appendix Ⅵ B) test, take 5μl of each of the above solutions and spot them on the same silica gel G thin-layer plate. Use benzene-methanol (27:1) as the developing agent, develop, take out, air dry, and spray with a 1% vanillin sulfuric acid solution at about 100°C for about 10 minutes.
In the test solution, there are spots with the same color as the reference solution in the corresponding positions.
Effectiveness of Huopu flower
In TCM, Huopu flower is considered warm in nature and bitter in taste. It has good health benefits for the Large Intestine Meridian, Stomach Meridian, Lung Meridian, and Spleen Meridian. In daily life, this medicinal herb is often used to make herbal decoctions, pills, or powders, all of which are effective.
Huopu flower infused in water also has unexpected benefits!
1. Treats fullness, bloating, and constipation.
2. Treats stomach weakness causing diarrhea.
3. Treats bloating and chest tightness.
4. Treats improper thinking.
5. Treats emotional stagnation and phlegm obstruction.
Functions and indications of Huopu flower
Regulates Qi and eliminates dampness. Used for chest and hypochondriac distention and fullness, and loss of appetite.
Dosage and storage of Huopu flower
3-9g.
Store in a dry place to prevent mold and moth damage.
