The Dujiaogan is an annual herbaceous plant that grows in fields and wastelands, parasitizing on the roots of its host plant. What are the pharmacological effects and medicinal uses of Dujiaogan?
Characteristics of Dujiaogan
Appearance: The dried whole plant is yellow-brown or green-brown in color. The stem is thin and covered with gray-white rough hairs. The leaves are linear or lanceolate, with most of them falling off.
Above the middle part of the plant is a sparse spike-like inflorescence. Except for a few plants that have not produced flowers, most of them have shed their corollas, leaving only dried ones. The calyx is tubular.
The capsule is dark brown and hidden in the calyx tube, with remnants of the pistil. The seeds are small and yellowish-brown in color.
Pharmacological components of Dujiaogan
It contains amino acids, organic acids, and phenols.
How to select high-quality Dujiaogan
Choose plants that are intact, green, and free from sand and impurities.
Medicinal uses of Dujiaogan
(1) For treating infantile malnutrition and night blindness: Take three to five qian (approximately 9-15 grams) of Dujiaogan and cook them with pig liver. Take it once daily. (From "Folk Herbal Medicine in Southern Fujian")
(2) For treating infantile indigestion: Take three to five qian (approximately 9-15 grams) of dried whole Dujiaogan and three to five qian (approximately 9-15 grams) of cut leaves of the Iron Broom. Decoct them in water and take it orally. (From "Fujian Herbal Medicine")
(3) For treating night blindness: Take five qian to one or two liang (approximately 15-30 grams) of dried whole Dujiaogan. Cook it with the liver of poultry or livestock and take it orally. (From "Fujian Herbal Medicine")
