Herbal Textual Research on Stemonae Radix in Famous Classical Formulas
10.13422/j.cnki.syfjx.20250466
- VernacularTitle:经典名方中百部的本草考证
- Author:
Gang XU
1
;
Li AN
2
;
Xiaomei WANG
1
;
Erhuan WANG
1
;
Yichen YANG
1
;
Cunde MA
1
;
Yang YANG
3
;
Zhilai ZHAN
3
Author Information
1. Shaanxi Institute of International Trade&Commerce，Xianyang 712046，China
2. Shaanxi Buchang Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.，Xi'an 710075，China
3. State Key Laboratory for Quality Ensurance and Sustainable Use of Dao-di Herbs，National Resource Center for Chinese Materia Medica， China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences，Beijing 100700，China
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
famous classical formulas;
herbal textual research;
Stemonae Radix;
origin;
scientific name;
producing area;
quality
- From:
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae
2025;31(21):241-251
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
This article systematically reviews and verifies the historical evolution of Stemonae Radix from the aspects of name， origin， harvesting and processing， quality and others by consulting ancient and modern literature， in order to provide reference for the development and utilization of famous classical formulas containing this medicinal herb. Stemonae Radix has a long history of application， and it derives its name from its distinctive growth pattern， featuring clusters of ten to several dozen underground tuberous roots. This morphology resembles that of certain plants in the genus Asparagus， leading to historical instances where tuberous roots from genus Asparagus were mistakenly used as Stemonae Radix. After the research， it can be concluded that Stemonae Radix was first recorded in Mingyi Bielu， and throughout history， Baidu has been recognized as its official name， though it also bears alternative names such as Baibing， Pofucao and Ye Tianmendong. The mainstream sources used throughout history have been the dried tuberous roots of Stemona sessilifolia， S. japonica or S. tuberosa from the family Stemonaceae. This aligns with the 2025 edition of Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China（hereinafter referred to as Chinese Pharmacopoeia）. Additionally， Asparagus filicinus and A. officinalis from the genus Asparagus are common sources of confusion with Stemonae Radix. The three primitive plants are mainly distributed in the Yangtze River basin and southern China， exhibiting a wide distribution. Historically， wild harvesting was predominant， but cultivation is now established. In ancient times， the harvesting time was mostly in the second， third， and eighth lunar months， when roots were harvested and dried. Nowadays， it is more common to pick and excavate in the spring and autumn seasons. After excavation， the roots are washed， fibrous roots removed， briefly blanched in boiling water or steamed until no white core remains， and then sun-dried or oven-dried. In ancient times， the processing of Stemonae Radix primarily involved roasting（stir-frying）， wine roasting， or raw materials. Modern mainstream processing specifications include two types of raw and honey-roasted products. In terms of quality evaluation of the medicinal materials， ancient criteria of "preferring plump and moist roots" align with modern requirement favoring "thick， robust stems with firm texture". Evaluating quality with authenticity， since the Song dynasty， it has been highly praised to produce in Chuzhou and Hengyang as the best. It was an ancient method of fixing the production area to stabilize the medicinal origin， reflecting the ancient recognition of the therapeutic efficacy of plants belonging to the genus Stemona. The main functions of Stemonae Radix remain consistent throughout history， including relieving coughs， eliminating phlegm and parasites. Based on the research results， it is recommended that when developing famous classical formulas containing the medicinal material Stemonae Radix， the botanical source specified in the 2025 edition of Chinese Pharmacopoeia should be selected. The specific species can be determined according to the distribution of resources and the main production areas， and the origin and corresponding botanical source should be fixed. Processing methods should be chosen based on the prescription requirements. It is recommended to use raw products without specified requirements.
