Real or fake Panax notoginseng? Here are a few practical ways to tell them apart

Panax notoginseng is a precious medicinal herb native to Guangxi, Yunnan and other provinces and regions, with a history of use spanning at least 500 years.

Panax notoginseng is a remarkable Chinese herbal medicine that combines both strengthening and pathogen-clearing effects; it belongs to the same family and genus as ginseng, to which it is botanically related. Besides the qi-tonifying and blood-nourishing effects similar to those of ginseng, it also has actions that ginseng cannot match. For traumatic injuries, fractures with swelling and bruising, various internal and external bleedings, and uterine bleeding in women, it has marked effects. In recent years it has been used to treat coronary heart disease, neurasthenia, peptic ulcer, rheumatoid arthritis, infertility and sterility, as well as tumors and sores, all with good results.

Taking Panax notoginseng appropriately and reasonably has very good effects and immeasurable value for preventing and treating disease, strengthening the body and prolonging life.

Because Panax notoginseng is in short supply on the pharmaceutical market and commands a high price, some lawbreakers often use all kinds of despicable methods to pass off inferior goods as fine ones and fakes as genuine, so counterfeit Panax notoginseng that passes itself off as the real thing often appears on the market. For example, dried roots of the Zingiberaceae plant curcuma (Curcuma zedoaria) have been found on the market, carved and then sold as fake Panax notoginseng. Therefore, only by carefully and thoroughly comparing and identifying the medicinal material in terms of its characteristics, tissue structure and other aspects can one distinguish the genuine from the fake, ensure that what is bought is truly Panax notoginseng, and guarantee the drug's efficacy. Here is a brief introduction to some methods for identifying genuine and fake Panax notoginseng:

1. Genuine Panax notoginseng. It is the dried root of the Araliaceae plant Panax notoginseng, shaped like a rounded oval or cylinder, 2-5 cm long and 1-4 cm in diameter, with a stem scar at the upper end and tumor-like protrusions around it; the surface is smooth, grayish brown or yellow, with intermittent longitudinal wrinkles and traces of branch roots. It is heavy. The texture is solid, and after being crushed the bark and wood often separate. The cross-section is grayish green, yellowish green or grayish white, and the bark has small brown resin canal spots. The odor is slight, the taste bitter and afterward slightly sweet.

2. Fake Panax notoginseng. It is the dried rhizome of the Zingiberaceae plant curcuma (Curcuma zedoaria). After artificial carving it resembles Panax notoginseng, being rounded oval or conical. The surface is grayish yellow, with obvious ring-shaped nodes and carved knife marks, and the non-smooth surface is covered with white powder. It is heavy, solid in texture, hard to break, and the cut surface is yellowish green or grayish brown. It has a horn-like waxy luster or is powdery, the inner surface layer is ring-shaped and yellowish white, and the vascular bundles are dot-like. After being crushed, the bark and wood do not separate; it has a strong pungent smell, a slight odor and a pungent taste, and the powder is pale yellow. Panax notoginseng and curcuma have different effects, so they must not be used interchangeably as medicine and should be carefully distinguished.