The Chinese medicine name for Zhé gū cài. It is mentioned in the "Compendium of Materia Medica Supplement" and also known as Wū cài or black vegetable. It is the algae body of the red leaf algae plant. It is distributed in Guangdong and other places in China. It is harvested from April to September, washed, and dried. It is mainly used to treat roundworm disease.
I. Morphological Characteristics of Zhé gū cài
The algae body is clustered, 1-4 cm long, purple (turns black when dried). Leaf-like, flat and narrow, irregularly forked, often produces pseudo-roots from the branching points on the ventral surface, which is used to attach to rocks. It matures in spring and summer, and grows in rocks near the middle and high tide zones near river mouths in warm areas. It also grows on slopes, embankments, and the shaded surface of mangrove bark.
II. Usage of Zhé gū cài
"Compendium of Materia Medica Supplement": "Used to treat intestinal worm accumulation in children, when consumed it will be expelled." In modern clinical practice, it is used for deworming.
1. Take 500g of dried Zhé gū cài, decoct it three times in water, and mix the decoction with concentrated liquid to make 500ml. For children aged 2-5, take 5ml each time. For children aged 6-10, take 10ml each time. For children aged 11-15, take 15ml each time. For individuals aged 16 and above, take 20ml each time. Take it before bedtime and breakfast the next day, or take it at 9 am and 4 pm each day.
2. Take fresh Zhé gū cài, wash it, add salt, and season it with oil to make a delicious dish. It can also be stir-fried with eggs. It can be dried and ground into powder, mixed with flour to make biscuits for consumption.
Dosage: For adults, take 120g each time. For individuals aged 8-16, take 90g. For individuals aged 4-8, take 60g. For individuals aged 1-4, take 30g (all amounts are for fresh product).
Side effects: Some individuals may experience abdominal discomfort, abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting, loss of appetite, and dizziness. These side effects are generally mild.
III. Clinical Application
The whole algae contains sea holly acid, a glycoside called "sea hollyoside", and sterols, mainly cholesterol. The decoction of red leaf algae can kill earthworms in a glass container and can stimulate and then inhibit roundworms (pig or human). Using the activity recording method of roundworms, a 5% physiological saline solution of red leaf algae can suppress and even paralyze pig roundworms. When adults or children take the decoction of red leaf algae, they often expel roundworms the next morning, with an expulsion rate of up to 80%. However, the rate of conversion to negative for roundworm eggs is low (about 20%). The effective component for deworming is water-soluble. Prolonged high heat can partially destroy it, even render it ineffective. Long-term storage of dried products can also reduce their efficacy.
Sea holly acid has a low conversion rate for deworming. When used alone (taken orally at 10-50 mg), the conversion rate is about 50%. When used in combination with shān dào nián (proportion of 100 mg shān dào nián to 5-10 mg sea holly acid), the effect is better. Although the concentrated liquid of red leaf algae can inhibit isolated frog hearts, it has no significant effect on isolated rabbit hearts, in situ dog hearts, or blood flow in rat limbs. When intravenously injected into anesthetized dogs, it also causes a slight decrease in blood pressure. However, it is rapidly tolerated. Sea holly acid can stimulate isolated rabbit intestines, causing rhythmic or even tonic contractions. This may be related to the occasional occurrence of abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting in some patients after taking the medication.
The effect of moldy Guān shé zǎo is stronger, which may be due to the products of spoilage or toxic fungi. When the decoction of red leaf algae is administered orally to mice, it has very low toxicity. It is almost non-toxic to other laboratory animals. The use in the eyes of humans is also rarely associated with side effects, with occasional mild abdominal pain, nausea, and transient dizziness.
