[Alias] Wujiapi, barbed Shui rods.
[Source] Araliaceae Acanthopanax Acanthopanax senticosus (Rupr.etMaxim.) Harms of roots and rhizomes.
[Plant morphology] deciduous shrub, l ~ 6m. Slender stems densely barb. Palmate alternate, leaflets 5, 4 or 3 lean, sharp edges with heavy serrated or toothed. Umbels top students, single or 2 to 4 aggregated spend more dense; calyx with 5 teeth; drug flap 5, ovate; stamens 5, ovary 5 rooms. Berry-like drupe nearly spherical or oval, after a five-sided, there are persistent style.
[Character] roots nodular irregular cylindrical, diameter 1.4 ~ 4.2cm; surface brown, wrinkled; top with fine technical development of adventitious buds. Root cylindrical, multi-branched, often twisted, long 3.5 ~ 12cm, diameter 0.3 ~ 1.5cm; surface taupe or dark brown, rough, thin, flaking at significant sallow. Hard, yellow-white section, fibrous. There are specific aroma, taste slightly acrid, slightly bitter, astringent.
Chemical composition containing Eleutherosides (eleutherosideA, B, c, D, E, F, G), and polysaccharides. [Taste] warm, spicy, bitter.
[Indications] Qi and spleen, kidney nerves. For spleen deficiency, weakness, fatigue, loss of appetite, waist and knee pain, insomnia.
Acanthopanax effect on the human body
1. qi areas: Acanthopanax can improve the body's oxygen uptake (antioxidant capacity is five times the vitamin E)
2. Blood areas: Acanthopanax dilation of blood vessels, improve brain blood volume, blood pressure with a two-way adjustment. Meanwhile Acanthopanax also anti-fatigue, anti-radiation, up weak, enhance bone marrow function, and with blood effect.
3. nerves: the body in the absorption of oxygen deficiency, easy drowsy, yawn, generating a sense of volume lazy, Acanthopanax aerobic substance can be adjusted as the central nervous system excitability and inhibition process, so that tends to balance the two, there are educational and soothing effect.
The physical aspects: Acanthopanax can improve maximal oxygen consumption, enhance the duration of the movement.