Where is the main producing area of Corydalis yanhusuo, and what are its effects and functions?

Corydalis yanhusuo, also known as Yuanhu and Xuanhu, together with Atractylodes macrocephala, peony, Fritillaria and others, is known as one of the “Eight Flavors of Zhejiang”. So, where is the main producing area of Corydalis yanhusuo? What effects and functions does Corydalis yanhusuo have? Does Corydalis yanhusuo have side effects?

1. Where is the main producing area of Corydalis yanhusuo?

The producing areas of Corydalis yanhusuo are mainly located in Anhui, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Hubei and Henan (Tanghe, Xinyang), and in some areas it has been introduced and cultivated (Shaanxi, Gansu, Sichuan, Yunnan and Beijing). Corydalis yanhusuo prefers a warm and humid climate and mainly grows in hilly grasslands.

2. What effects and functions does Corydalis yanhusuo have?

Corydalis yanhusuo is often used for chest and hypochondriac pain, epigastric and abdominal pain, activating blood and dispersing blood stasis, traumatic injuries, irregular menstruation, postpartum dizziness due to blood loss, and incomplete discharge of lochia, and it has analgesic, sedative and hypnotic effects.

1. Analgesic effect: The A element, B element, Chou element and Gui element in Corydalis yanhusuo powder all have analgesic effects, with the B element having the strongest analgesic effect. It has a prominent effect on suppressing pain.

2. Sedative, stabilizing and hypnotic effects: Tetrahydropalmatine from Corydalis yanhusuo has a certain sedative and stabilizing effect. Its levorotatory form is a new type of central inhibitor, and at larger doses it has an obvious hypnotic effect on rabbits, dogs and monkeys.

3. Pain relief: According to records, Corydalis yanhusuo can effectively treat soft tissue injuries, contusions and various types of pain, and also has a good effect of relaxing muscles and activating blood circulation.

3. Effects on the digestive system: Dehydrocorydaline has a significant effect against experimental gastric ulcers in rats.

4. Effects on the cardiovascular system: Tetrahydropalmatine and Chou element have slight blood pressure-lowering and heart rate-slowing effects; dehydrocorydaline has the effect of lowering blood pressure and increasing coronary sinus blood flow. The alcohol extract also has the effect of dilating the coronary arteries and counteracting rat myocardial necrosis caused by isoproterenol.

3. Does Corydalis yanhusuo have side effects?

Traditional literature, Compendium of Materia Medica: non-toxic.

Toxicological test toxic reactions: Monkeys given tetrahydropalmatine by gavage at 85 mg/kg and 110 mg/kg, and by subcutaneous injection at 80 mg/kg, showed no obvious toxicity. When given by gavage at 85 mg/kg daily for 2 weeks, there were sedative and hypnotic effects; on days 4 to 7, muscle tension, tremors of the limbs, and urinary casts appeared, with no obvious changes on internal organ dissection. Pathological examination: pathological sections showed slight swelling and cloudiness in the heart and kidneys. This indicates that its toxicity is very low.

Clinical observation shows it is non-toxic. When decocted in water within the regular dosage, there are no adverse reactions. Long-term use or decoction in water at large doses (below 30 g) also has no obvious side effects.