The Significances of Water Volume to Decoct Formulas Described in Classical Chinese Medicine

Tsukasa Fueki; Koichiro Tanaka; Kazuhiko Nara; Koki Chiba; Tadanori Kato; Takamichi Kawahara; Hiroko Morohashi; Chikano Shibayama; Takao Namiki; Masashi Beppu; Toshiaki Makino

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The Significances of Water Volume to Decoct Formulas Described in Classical Chinese Medicine

VernacularTitle:古典で指定されている方剤を煎じる水量の意味 —通脈四逆加猪胆汁湯と茯苓四逆湯のアコニチン型アルカロイド濃度に着目して—
Author: Tsukasa FUEKI ¹ ; Koichiro TANAKA ² ; Kazuhiko NARA ³ ; Koki CHIBA ² ; Tadanori KATO ² ; Takamichi KAWAHARA ² ; Hiroko MOROHASHI ² ; Chikano SHIBAYAMA ⁴ ; Takao NAMIKI ² ; Masashi BEPPU ⁵ ; Toshiaki MAKINO ⁶
Author Information

1. Matsuya Pharmacy
2. Department of Traditional Medicine, Toho University school of Medicine
3. Department of Pharmacognosy, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nagoya City University
4. Health Care Center, Fuji Electric
5. Tokyo Nishi Tokusyukai Hospital
6. Lhasa Internal Medicine and Dermatology Clinic
Keywords: Shanghanlun; decoction; shigyakuto; aconitine-type diester alkaloids; hard water
From:Kampo Medicine 2021;72(2):107-118
CountryJapan
Language:Japanese
Abstract: Although the descriptions of shigyakukachotanto in “Waitaimiyaofang” and tsumyakushigyakukachotanjuto in “Songban Shanghanlun” are quite similar to each other, the specifications of the dosages of crude drugs and the water volume in the books were considerably different. Focused on the specified water volume to decoct these formulas, each reasonable decocting period was estimated, then the decoctions were prepared using hard water that was common in mainland China. The dosages of aconite root were 2-fold different between these two formulas, but the contents of aconitine-type diester alkaloids (ADA) in both decoctions were found in the range of 1.2—1.4-fold. It was suggested that in order to control the efficacy and the safety of aconite, the decocting period was well regulated by the specification of water volume for decocting at this ancient era. Moreover, the dosages of aconite root and glycyrrhiza in bukuryoshigyakuto (BSGT) formula of “Songban Shanghanlun” are equal to those of shigyakuto (SGT) but the specified water volume to begin decocting is as about twice as that of SGT. When prepared using hard water, BSGT resulted to make the contents of ADA lower and those of non-ester alkaloids higher compared with those of SGT decoction. It was suggested the specific water volume for each formula prescribed in classical Chinese medicine had considerable significance to determine the dosages of chemical ingredients in the decoctions especially in the circumstances using hard water to prepare them.