麝香

English text reference: Chinese Pharmacopoeia (2020 Edition)

Overview

Musk is the dried secretion obtained from the mature male musk gland of Moschus berezovskii Flerov, Moschus sifanicus Przewalski or Moschus moschiferus Linnaeus (Fam. Cervidae). Wild musk is collected in winter to early spring, the musk gland is removed, dried in the shade, and called "mao ke shexiang"; the musk gland is opened, the shell is removed, and called "shexiang ren". Domestic musk is directly taken from the musk gland, dried in the shade or dried in a closed dryer.

Description

musk sac

Mao ke shexiang is a flattened round or oval-shaped sac, with a diameter of 3-7 cm and a thickness of 2-4 cm. The outer surface is leathery, brownish-brown, slightly flat, densely covered with white or gray-brown short hairs arranged around the center from both sides, with a small opening in the middle. The other side is a brownish-brown membrane with a slight purple color, slightly wrinkled and contracted, occasionally showing muscle fibers, slightly elastic. After being opened, the middle layer of the membrane is brownish-brown or grayish-brown, translucent, and the inner layer of the membrane is brown, containing granular or powdery musk and a small amount of fine hairs and shed inner layer of the membrane (called "yinpi").

musk kernel

Shexiang ren of wild musk is soft, oily, and loose; irregular spherical or granular ones are called "dangmenzi", with a surface mostly purplish-black, oily and shiny, with slight hemp patterns, and a dark brown or yellowish-brown section; powdery ones are mostly brownish-brown or yellowish-brown, with a small amount of shed inner layer of the membrane and fine hairs. The cultivated ones are granular, short and irregularly shaped clusters; the surface is uneven, purplish-black or dark brown, oily, slightly shiny, with a small amount of hairs and shed inner layer of the membrane. It has a strong and distinctive aroma, with a slightly spicy, slightly bitter and salty taste.

Identification

(1) take the hairy shell musk with a special groove needle inserted from the capsule hole, turn the groove needle, extract musk kernel, immediately inspect the groove, the musk kernel should be gradually expanding the phenomenon higher than the groove surface, known as "bubble groove". Musk kernel oily, loose particles, no sharp corners, strong aroma. There should not be fibres and other foreign matter or abnormal smell.

(2) Take a small amount of musk kernel powder, placed in the palm of the hand, add water to moisten, rubbed with the hand can become a ball, and then rubbed gently with the fingers that is dispersed, should not stick to the hand, dyeing hand, top finger or lumps.

(3) take a small amount of musk kernel, sprinkled in a hot crucible burning, the first burst, then melted and swollen blisters like a bead, the aroma is strong and overflowing, should be hairless, meat burning odour, no flames or sparks appeared. After ashing, the residue is white or off-white.

(4) Musk kernel powder brown or yellowish brown. For numerous amorphous granular material integrated translucent or transparent mass, light yellow or light brown; mass embedded or scattered with square, columnar, octahedral or irregularly shaped crystals; and see round oil droplets, occasionally see hairs and endothelial layer membrane tissue.

(5) Take this product, according to the method under [Content Determination], the chromatogram of the test product should present a chromatographic peak with the same retention time as the peak of the control product.

Examination

This product shall not contain animal tissues, plant tissues, minerals, or other adulterants. Shall be free from mold.

Loss on drying

Weigh accurately about 1g of the sample, place it in a desiccator containing phosphorus pentoxide, dry under reduced pressure until a constant weight is obtained, and the loss on drying shall not exceed 35.0 per cent <0831>.

Total ash

Weigh accurately about 0.2g of the sample, determine the total ash according to the method for determination of ash <2302>, and calculate on the dried basis. The total ash shall not exceed 6.5 per cent.

Assay

Determine by gas chromatography <0521>.

Chromatographic conditions and system suitability test

Use phenyl (50%) methyl silicone (OV-17) as the stationary phase with a coating concentration of 2%; column temperature at 200℃±10℃. The theoretical number of plates calculated from the peak of muscone should not be less than 1500.

Preparation of reference solution

Weigh accurately an appropriate amount of muscone reference substance, dissolve in anhydrous ethanol to obtain a solution containing 1.5mg per 1ml.

Preparation of test solution

Weigh accurately about 0.2g of the dried sample obtained under the "Loss on drying" item, add precisely 2ml of anhydrous ethanol, seal tightly, shake, let stand for 1 hour, filter, and collect the filtrate.

Assay method

Accurately aspirate 2μl of the reference solution and the test solution, inject into the gas chromatograph, and determine.

Calculate on the dried basis. The content of muscone (C16H30O) shall not be less than 2.0 per cent.

Prepared slices

Musk

Processing

Take musk from the musk sac, remove the sac, take out the musk kernel, remove impurities, and grind when used.

Appearance

Musk kernel

Wild musk consists of musk pods and musk grains. Musk pods are irregularly round or granular, with a mostly purple-black surface that is oily and shiny, with slight hemp-like markings, and a deep brown or yellow-brown section. Musk grains are powdery, mostly brown or yellow-brown. The texture is soft, oily, and loose, with a strong and distinctive aroma, a slightly spicy taste, and a slightly bitter and salty flavor. Cultivated musk is in the form of granules, short strips, or irregular lumps; the surface is uneven, purple-black or dark brown, oily, and slightly glossy.

Examination

Same as the crude drug.

Property

Warm.

Flavor

Pungent.

Meridian tropism

Belongs to the heart and spleen meridians.

Actions

To open the orifices and revive the spirit, activate blood circulation and regulate menstruation, reduce swelling and relieve pain.

Indications

Used for coma due to febrile diseases, stroke with phlegm and convulsions, qi stagnation and sudden turmoil, coma due to fright, amenorrhea, lumps and accumulations, difficult labor with stillbirth, chest pain and heartache, sudden abdominal pain, injuries from falls and blows, numbness and pain, carbuncles and swollen lymph nodes, and sore throat.

Dosage

0.03-0.1g.

Administration

Often used in pill or powder form. For external use, use an appropriate amount.

Precautions

Not suitable for pregnant women.

Storage

Store in a tightly sealed, cool and dry place, protected from light, moisture, and insects.

麝香

Text reference: Chinese Pharmacopoeia (2015 Edition)

Overview

Musk is the dried secretion of the musk sac of adult male Moschus berezouskii Flerov, Moschus sifanicus Przewalski or Moschus moschiferus Linnaeus (Fam.Cervidae). Usually the wild musk deer is hunted from winter to next spring. The musk sac is cut off, dried in air, which is known as "Maokeshexiang" (musk with hairy sac). The musk sac is opened, removed from the sac wall, the drug thus obtained is known as "Shexiangren (musk)". For the domestic musk deer, the "Shexiangren" is taken from the musk sac directly, dried in air or in desiccator.

Description

Maokeshexiang is an oblate or subellipsoidal sac, 3-7 cm in diameter, 2-4 cm thick. The skin of the opening side is leathery, brown, slightly even, with dense white or greyish-brown short hairs arranged around the center from both sides. There is a small sac opening in the center. The skin of the other side is brown and slightly purple dermal membrane, slightly wrinkled and shrunken, occasional muscle fibers can be seen, slightly elastic. After opening the sac, the middle dermal membrane is brown or greyish-brown, translucent; the inner dermal membrane is brown, containing granular or powdery "Shexiangren" and a small amount of thin hairs and dropped inner membrane [commonly known as "Yinpi" (silver membrane)].

Shexiangren from wild musk deer has a soft, oily, and lax texture. The irregularly spheroidal or granular ones are commonly known as "Dangmenzi" (dangmen granule), the surface is usually purplish-black, oily and bright, with slight pocked stripes, and the fracture is dark brown or yellowish-brown. The powder is usually brown or yellowish-brown, with a small amount of dropped inner membrane and thin hairs. Shexiangren from domestic musk deer is granular, in short strips or irregular masses; the surface is uneven, purplish-black or dark brown, oily and slightly lustrous, with a small amount of hairs and dropped inner membrane. The odor is characteristic and strongly aromatic; the taste is slightly pungent, bitter, and salty.

Identification

(1) Insert a specially made grooved needle into "Maokeshexiang" from the sac opening, turn the needle to get "Shexiangren", and observe immediately. The "Shexiangren" in the groove swells gradually and gets beyond the surface of the groove. This phenomenon is commonly known as "over the groove". "Shexiangren" is oily, granules lax, without acute angles. It should not contain foreign matter such as fibers or unusual odors.

(2) Put a small amount of "Shexiangren" powder in the palm, moisten the powder with water, and rub it with hands to form a ball. Then gently knead it with fingers to disintegrate. It should not stick, stain, clump, or form lumps.

(3) Ignite a small amount of "Shexiangren" in a red-hot crucible. It cracks at first, then melts and swells to form pearl-like foam with a strong and characteristic aromatic odor. There should be no burnt smell of hairs or flesh, no flame or spark. After ashing, the residue should be white or grayish-white.

(4) "Shexiangren" powder is brown or yellowish-brown. It is a translucent or transparent mass composed of numerous amorphous granules, pale yellow or pale brown; embedded or scattered in the mass are crystals of square, cylindrical, octahedral, or irregular shapes; rounded oil droplets are visible, and occasionally hairs and inner membrane tissues are seen.

(5) Carry out the test under Assay, the retention time of a peak in the chromatogram obtained with the test solution corresponds with that in the chromatogram obtained with the reference solution.

Examination

本品不得检出动、植物组织、矿物和其他掺伪物。不得有霉变。

Foreign matter No animal or plant tissues, minerals, or other false substances; no mildewing allowable.

Loss on drying

Weigh accurately 1 g of the drug, dry to constant weight in vacuum over phosphorus pentoxide in a desiccator, loses not more than 35.0 per cent of its weight<0831>.

Total ash

Carry out the method for determination of ash<2302>, using 0.2 g of the drug, weighed accurately, not more than 6.5 per cent, calculated with reference to the dried drug.

Assay

Carry out the method for gas chromatography<0521>.

Storage

Preserve in tightly closed containers, store in a pregranly cool and dry place, and protect from light, moisture, and moth.