Experiments on the identification of whole herbs, mushrooms, resins and other types of Chinese medicines
The purpose of this experiment is to master ephedra, money grass, fine Xin, mint, andrographis paniculata, Poria, poria, frankincense, myrrh, amber, Tianzhuhuang, Hai Jinsha and other herbs of the traits of the identification characteristics; to master the grass ephedra, Andrographis paniculata, Poria, Poria powder microscopic, physicochemical characteristics, and understanding of commonly used medicinal herbs, so as to do to see the drug well-known.
Operation method
microscopic observation
Materials and Instruments
Herbs Move 1. Points to note for the identification of herbs For more product details, please visit Aladdin Scientific website.
Chloral hydrate, glycerol acetic acid, alpha-naphthol, concentrated sulfuric acid, potassium hydroxide.
Commonly used laboratory equipment for microscopic identification Biological microscope Alcohol lamp Alcohol lamp Mastic bowl
(1) Ephedra
Herb Ephedra: Herbaceous stems are elongated cylindrical, little branched, some with a few brown woody stems. Surface light green to yellow-green, with fine longitudinal ridges, nodes obvious, nodes membranous scale leaf lobes 2, sharp triangular, the first end of the reflexed, the base united into a tube, reddish brown. Dusty when broken, slightly fibrous in cross section, pith reddish brown. Chewing with banana flavor.
Ephedra papaya: more branched, not rough. Membranous scalelike lobes 2, lobes short triangular, apex mostly not reflexed, base brownish red to brownish black.
Ephedra: much branched, rough. Membranous scalelike lobes 3, apex acute, pith triangularly rounded in cross section.
(2) Ginkgo biloba
The whole herb is crumpled. Stem brown or dark brownish red; surface rugose, twisted. Leaves opposite, ovate or heart-shaped, entire. Leaf blade water-soaked, black or brown streaked by light, petiole as long as leaf. Some leaf axils with long-stalked flowers or fruits.
(3) Hosane
N. Hosane: often curled up into a ball. Rootstock short, densely packed with slender cylindrical roots. Basal leaves 1-3, long-stalked, cordate to reniform-cordate, entire, apex mucronate or obtuse, base cordate. Flowers and fruits visible, mostly crinkled, campanulate, dark purple, perianth lobes revolute with perianth tube almost entirely adherent. Fruit hemispherical. Taste pungent and numbing.
Seoul: basal leaves mostly 2, petiole hairy, leaf blade thicker. Perianth lobes spreading. Fruit hemispherical.
Hwaseong Sinensis: leaf blade thinner, cordate, apex acuminate. Perianth lobes spreading. Fruit subglobose. Odor weak.
(4) Mentha piperita
Stem is square cylindrical, with opposite branches, surface purple-brown or light green, hairy at the corners, white on the cross section, hollow in the pith. Leaves opposite, short-stalked, intact unfolded broadly pin-shaped, long elliptic or ovate, upper surface dark green, lower surface gray-green, sparsely covered with hairs, with concave punctate glandular scales. It has a special cool aroma when rubbed.
(5) Andrographis paniculata
The stem is square cylindrical, much branched, nodes slightly expanded. The complete leaf blade is lanceolate, decurrent at the base, dark green. Extremely bitter flavor.
(6) Poria
Commodities include Poria cocos, Poria cocos skin, Poria cocos blocks (slices) and Poria cocos.
Poria cocos: spherical, oval or irregular lumps, thin and rough outer skin, brown to dark brown, heavy, firm, granular in section, some with fissures or with loose roots in the middle. Sections of outer layer light brown, inner white. Chewing sticky teeth.
Poria skin: the outer skin of Poria cocos cut off, mostly long strips, with different shapes and sizes. Outer surface brown to black brown, inner surface white or light brown, soft and loose, slightly elastic.
Poria lumps: Poria cocos cut after peeling, in the form of square or rectangular pieces, white, light red or light brown.
Poria cocos: in the shape of a square block, with a cut piece of Poria wood, solid, white color.
(7) Poria
Irregular lumps, strips, rounded or flat lumps, black or brownish black surface, wrinkled or with tumor-like protrusions. Dense and light, can float on the water surface, delicate section, press the softer, white or yellowish white, slightly granular.
(8) Frankincense
Small papillae, teardrops or irregular small pieces, sometimes adhering to the mass. Pale yellow, sometimes slightly greenish or brownish red. Semi-transparent, some of the surface is lusterless and often with a layer of white or yellowish dust, and water to form a white emulsion.
(9) Myrrh
Irregular granules or agglomerates, different sizes, reddish brown or yellowish brown surface, rugged, dusty. Yellowish brown emulsion when mixed with water.
(10) Amber
Irregular lumps, granules or polygonal. Surface yellowish brown, blood red and black brown, some with luster, transparent or slightly transparent, hard and brittle, fragile, bright section.
(11) TIANZHU YELLOW
Irregular pieces or particles, varying in size, gray-blue, gray-yellow or gray-white appearance, occasionally white translucent or ivory and slightly glossy. Strong hygroscopicity, licking the sticky tongue. Put in water to produce bubbles, the original ivory color gradually become light green or sky blue.
(12) Sea gold sand
Spores are granular powder, yellowish brown or light brown, light in texture, smooth when twisted, easy to slip off from fingers. Sprinkled in the water is floating on the surface of the water, heating gradually sinking. There is a popping sound and flash on fire, no slag.
2. Microscopic, physical and chemical identification
(1) Powdered ephedra
Brown or green color. Chloral hydrate test solution mounted microscopic examination.
The epidermal tissue is fragmented, the cells are rectangular, containing granular crystals, the stomata are specific and invaginated, and the side view of the guard cells is in the form of dumbbell or telephone handset; the cuticle is often broken, and in the form of irregular strips and lumps.
Fibers (2) numerous and thick-walled, lignified or non-lignified, long and narrow, lumen narrow, often inconspicuous, with numerous fine sand and square crystals.
(iii) Thin-walled cells of pith lignified or non-lignified, often containing reddish-purple or brown material, mostly scattered.
(2) Andrographis paniculata powder
Bright green. Chloral hydrate test solution mounted microscopic examination.
The upper and lower epidermis have enlarged crystal cells, containing large spirochetal stalactites, with umbilical punctures at the larger end, and the laminae are wavy.
Lower epidermal stomata are densely covered with straight axial stomata, and the size of the parietal guard cells varies, and there are also indefinite stomata.
(iii) Head of glandular scale oblate, 4-, 6-, or 8-celled, stipe very short.
(iv) Non-glandular hairs 1-3 cells, some with keratin lines on surface.
(3) Poria powder
Grayish white.
Colorless irregular granular masses or branched masses with bluntly rounded ends can be seen.
② mounted with 5% potassium hydroxide solution, clumps dissolved to reveal mycelium. Mycelium is slender, slightly curved, branched, colorless or brownish (outer layer of mycelium), transverse to the surface of the mycelium.
The transverse wall was occasionally visible.
③ Powder with α-naphthol and concentrated sulfuric acid, the mass is dissolved, and showed orange-red or deep red.
④This product does not contain starch particles and calcium oxalate crystals.
(4) Poria powder
Grayish yellowish white. Mirror examination with glycerol acetic acid test solution mount.
Most of the mycelial clusters are colorless (inner mycelium), a few are brown (outer mycelium). The scattered mycelium is slender, curved, with branches and nodular expansion.
Calcium oxalate crystals were biconical or octahedral, or irregularly polyhedral, sometimes several crystals could be seen aggregated together.