What Does "Tou Count" Mean for Notoginseng? The Latest Explanation Is Here
Notoginseng is a perennial upright herbaceous plant of the genus Panax in the family Araliaceae. It is mainly distributed in Yunnan, Guangxi, Jiangxi, Sichuan and other places, and its root is used as medicine. It is warm in nature and pungent in taste, with notable effects of invigorating blood and dissolving stasis, reducing swelling and relieving pain, and it has the reputation of “Jinbuhuan” and “Southern Divine Grass”. Now let us take a look together at what "tou count" means for notoginseng!
What does "tou count" mean for notoginseng?
Notoginseng is graded by tou count. For example, 10-tou notoginseng means 10 roots weighing 1 jin; 13-tou notoginseng means 13 roots weighing 1 jin; 15-tou notoginseng means 15 roots weighing 1 jin; 18-tou notoginseng means 18 roots weighing 1 jin; 20-tou notoginseng means 20 to 29 roots weighing 1 jin; 30-tou notoginseng means 30 to 39 roots weighing 1 jin; 40-tou notoginseng means 40 to 49 roots weighing 1 jin; 60-tou notoginseng means 60 to 69 roots weighing 1 jin, and so on.
Is a higher or lower tou count for notoginseng better?
The lower the tou count of notoginseng, the better. The fewer the number of notoginseng roots, the larger each root is, and the larger the root, the higher the medicinal content and the better the effect when taken. This is because notoginseng has 3 layers: the innermost layer is the notoginseng heart, also called the tree heart; the second layer is the membrane wrapping the heart, usually yellow or reddish-white; and the outermost layer is the skin, which has relatively low medicinal value. The medicinal content of notoginseng is all in the notoginseng heart. The thicker the heart, the richer the medicinal content, so the larger the notoginseng root, the better the notoginseng.
Is the larger the notoginseng root, the better?
1. The larger the notoginseng, the higher the medicinal components: The grade of notoginseng is determined by the size of the root. Even with the same three years of cultivation and the same growing environment, some notoginseng roots are large and some are small, which is normal. The larger the notoginseng, the higher the medicinal content and the more active ingredients. The smaller the root, the lower the medicinal components of the notoginseng and the less its medicinal value.
2. The larger the notoginseng, the longer the cultivation years: The size of the notoginseng root is greatly related to the cultivation years. The longer the cultivation years, the larger the notoginseng root. The size of notoginseng is a main standard for measuring its grade. The larger the notoginseng root, the higher the grade and the higher the price.