灵芝

中文文本参考：《中国药典（2020年版）》
English text reference: Chinese Pharmacopoeia (2020 Edition)

概述 Overview

本品为多孔菌科真菌赤芝Ganoderma lucidum（Leyss.exFr.）Karst.或紫芝Ganoderma sinense Zhao，Xu et Zhang的干燥子实体。全年采收，除去杂质，剪除附有朽木、泥沙或培养基质的下端菌柄，阴干或在40～50℃烘干。
Ganoderma is the dried fruiting body of Ganoderma lucidum (Leyss.ex Fr.) Karst. or Ganoderma sinense Zhao, Xu et Zhang (Fam. Polyporaceae). The drug is collected all year round, removed from impurities, and the lower stipe attached to rotten wood, sand or culture medium is trimmed off, then dried in the shade or dried at 40-50°C.

性状 Description

赤芝 Ganoderma lucidum

外形呈伞状，菌盖肾形、半圆形或近圆形，直径10～18cm，厚1～2cm。皮壳坚硬，黄褐色至红褐色，有光泽，具环状棱纹和辐射状皱纹，边缘薄而平截，常稍内卷。菌肉白色至淡棕色。菌柄圆柱形，侧生，少偏生，长7～15cm，直径1～3.5cm，红褐色至紫褐色，光亮。孢子细小，黄褐色。气微香，味苦涩。
Pileus kidney-shaped, semicircular or nearly circular, 10-18 cm in diameter, 1-2 cm thick. Surface yellowish-brown to reddish-brown, shiny, with annular ridges and radial wrinkles, margin thin and flat, often slightly incurved. Context white to pale brown. Stipe cylindrical, lateral, rarely eccentric, 7-15 cm long, 1-3.5 cm in diameter, reddish-brown to purplish-brown, shiny. Spores minute, yellowish-brown. Odour, slightly fragrant; taste, bitter and astringent.

紫芝 Ganoderma sinense

皮壳紫黑色，有漆样光泽。菌肉锈褐色。菌柄长17～23cm。
Pileus purplish-black, with a lacquer-like gloss. Context rusty-brown. Stipe 17-23 cm long.

栽培品 Cultivated Ganoderma

子实体较粗壮、肥厚，直径12～22cm，厚1.5～4cm。皮壳外常被有大量粉尘样的黄褐色孢子。
Fruiting body relatively stout and thick, 12-22 cm in diameter, 1.5-4 cm thick. Surface often covered with a large amount of yellowish-brown spore dust.

鉴别 Identification

（1）本品粉末浅棕色、棕褐色至紫褐色。菌丝散在或粘结成团，无色或淡棕色，细长，稍弯曲，有分枝，直径2.5～6.5μm。孢子褐色，卵形，顶端平截，外壁无色，内壁有疣状突起，长8～12μm，宽5～8μm。
(1) Powder: Light brown, brownish-brown to purplish-brown. Hyphae scattered or agglomerated, colourless or pale brown, slender, slightly curved, branched, 2.5-6.5 μm in diameter. Spores brown, ovoid, apex truncate, outer wall colourless, inner wall with wart-like projections, 8-12 μm long, 5-8 μm wide.

（2）取本品粉末2g，加乙醇30ml，加热回流30分钟，滤过，滤液蒸干，残渣加甲醇2ml使溶解，作为供试品溶液。另取灵芝对照药材2g，同法制成对照药材溶液。照薄层色谱法（通则0502）试验，吸取上述两种溶液各4μl，分别点于同一硅胶G薄层板上，以石油醚（60～90℃）-甲酸乙酯-甲酸（15:5:1）的上层溶液为展开剂，展开，取出，晾干，置紫外光灯（365nm）下检视。供试品色谱中，在与对照药材色谱相应的位置上，显相同颜色的荧光斑点。
(2) To 2 g of the powder add 30 ml of ethanol, heat under reflux for 30 minutes, filter, evaporate the filtrate to dryness, dissolve the residue in 2 ml of methanol as the test solution. Prepare a solution of the reference drug Ganoderma in the same manner as the test solution. Carry out the method for thin layer chromatography<0502>, using silica gel G as the coating substance and the upper layer of a mixture of petroleum ether (60-90°C), ethyl acetate and formic acid (15:5:1) as the mobile phase. Apply separately to the plate 4 μl of each of the above two solutions. After developing and removal of the plate, dry in air. Examine under ultraviolet light at 365 nm. The fluorescent spot in the chromatogram obtained with the test solution corresponds in position and colour to the spot in the chromatogram obtained with the reference drug.

（3）取本品粉末1g，加水50ml，加热回流1小时，趁热滤过，滤液置蒸发皿中，用少量水分次洗涤容器，合并洗液并入蒸发皿中，置水浴上蒸干，残渣用水5ml溶解，置50ml离心管中，缓缓加入乙醇25ml，不断搅拌，静置1小时，离心（转速为每分钟4000转），取沉淀物，用乙醇10ml洗涤，离心，取沉淀物，烘干，放冷，加4mol/L三氟乙酸溶液2ml，置10ml安瓿瓶或顶空瓶中，封口，混匀，在120℃水解3小时，放冷，水解液转移至50ml烧瓶中，用2ml水洗涤容器，洗涤液并入烧瓶中，60℃减压蒸干，用70%乙醇2ml溶解，置离心管中，离心，取上清液作为供试品溶液。另取半乳糖对照品、葡萄糖对照品、甘露糖对照品和木糖对照品适量，精密称定，加70%乙醇制成每1ml各含0.1mg的混合溶液，作为对照品溶液。照薄层色谱法（通则0502）试验，吸取上述两种溶液各3μl，分别点于同一高效硅胶G薄层板上，以正丁醇-丙酮-水（5:1:1）为展开剂，展开，取出，晾干，喷以对氨基苯甲酸溶液（取4-氨基苯甲酸0.5g，溶于冰醋酸9ml中，加水10ml和85%磷酸溶液0.5ml，混匀），在105℃加热约10分钟，置紫外光灯（365nm）下检视。供试品色谱中，在与对照品色谱相应的位置上，显相同颜色的荧光斑点。其中最强荧光斑点为葡萄糖，甘露糖和半乳糖荧光斑点强度相近，位于葡萄糖斑点上、下两侧，木糖斑点在甘露糖上，荧光斑点强度最弱。
(3) To 1 g of the powder add 50 ml of water, heat under reflux for 1 hour, filter while hot, transfer the filtrate to an evaporating dish, wash the container with a small amount of water in portions, combine the washings with the filtrate in the evaporating dish, evaporate to dryness on a water bath, dissolve the residue in 5 ml of water, transfer to a 50 ml centrifuge tube, add 25 ml of ethanol slowly with constant stirring, allow to stand for 1 hour, centrifuge (at a speed of 4000 r/min), collect the precipitate, wash with 10 ml of ethanol, centrifuge, collect the precipitate, dry, cool, add 2 ml of 4 mol/L trifluoroacetic acid to a 10 ml ampoule or a headspace bottle, seal, mix well, hydrolyse at 120°C for 3 hours, cool, transfer the hydrolysate to a 50 ml flask, wash the container with 2 ml of water, combine the washings with the flask, evaporate under reduced pressure at 60°C, dissolve the residue in 2 ml of 70% ethanol, transfer to a centrifuge tube, centrifuge, and collect the supernatant as the test solution. Prepare a mixed solution of arabinose CRS, glucose CRS, mannose CRS and xylose CRS, each containing 0.1 mg per ml, in 70% ethanol as the reference solution. Carry out the method for thin layer chromatography<0502>, using high-performance silica gel G as the coating substance and a mixture of n-butanol, acetone and water (5:1:1) as the mobile phase. Apply separately to the plate 3 μl of each of the above two solutions. After developing and removal of the plate, dry in air. Spray with a solution of p-aminobenzoic acid (take 0.5 g of p-aminobenzoic acid, dissolve in 9 ml of glacial acetic acid, add 10 ml of water and 0.5 ml of 85% phosphoric acid, mix well), heat at about 105°C for 10 minutes, examine under ultraviolet light at 365 nm. The fluorescent spot in the chromatogram obtained with the test solution corresponds in position and colour to the spot in the chromatogram obtained with the reference solution. The strongest fluorescent spot is glucose, the intensities of the fluorescent spots of mannose and arabinose are similar, located on both sides of the glucose spot, and the xylose spot is weaker in intensity.

检查 Examination

水分 Water

不得过17.0%（通则0832第二法）。
Not more than 17.0 per cent <0832,method 2>.

总灰分 Total ash

不得过3.2%（通则2302）。
Not more than 3.2 per cent <2302>.

浸出物 Extractives

照水溶性浸出物测定法（通则2201）项下的热浸法测定，不得少于3.0%。
Carry out the method for determination of water-soluble Extractives <2201>, the hot maceration method, not less than 3.0 per cent.

含量测定 Content determination

多糖 Polysaccharides

对照品溶液的制备 Preparation of reference solution

取无水葡萄糖对照品适量，精密称定，加水制成每1ml含0.12mg的溶液，即得。
Take an appropriate amount of anhydrous glucose reference substance, accurately weigh, add water to make a solution containing 0.12 mg per 1 ml.

标准曲线的制备 Preparation of standard curve

精密量取对照品溶液0.2ml、0.4ml、0.6ml、0.8ml、1.0ml、1.2ml，分别置10ml具塞试管中，各加水至2.0ml，迅速精密加入硫酸蒽酮溶液（精密称取蒽酮0.1g，加硫酸100ml使溶解，摇匀）6ml，立即摇匀，放置15分钟后，立即置冰浴中冷却15分钟，取出，以相应的试剂为空白，照紫外-可见分光光度法（通则0401），在625nm波长处测定吸光度，以吸光度为纵坐标，浓度为横坐标，绘制标准曲线。
Accurately measure 0.2 ml, 0.4 ml, 0.6 ml, 0.8 ml, 1.0 ml, and 1.2 ml of the reference solution, respectively, place them in 10 ml stoppered test tubes, add water to each tube to 2.0 ml, quickly and accurately add 6 ml of anthrone-sulfuric acid solution (accurately weigh 0.1 g of anthrone, dissolve it in 100 ml of sulfuric acid, and shake well), shake immediately, place for 15 minutes, immediately cool in an ice bath for 15 minutes, take out, use the corresponding reagent as a blank, determine the absorbance at a wavelength of 625 nm by ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry <0401>, plot the standard curve with absorbance as the ordinate and concentration as the abscissa.

供试品溶液的制备 Preparation of test solution

取本品粉末约2g，精密称定，置圆底烧瓶中，加水60ml，静置1小时，加热回流4小时，趁热滤过，用少量热水洗涤滤器和滤渣，将滤渣及滤纸置烧瓶中，加水60ml，加热回流3小时，趁热滤过，合并滤液，置水浴上蒸干，残渣用水5ml溶解，边搅拌边缓慢滴加乙醇75ml，摇匀，在4℃放置12小时，离心，弃去上清液，沉淀物用热水溶解并转移至50ml量瓶中，放冷，加水至刻度，摇匀，取溶液适量，离心，精密量取上清液3ml，置25ml量瓶中，加水至刻度，摇匀，即得。
Take about 2 g of the powder of the test substance, accurately weigh, place it in a round-bottom flask, add 60 ml of water, let it stand for 1 hour, heat under reflux for 4 hours, filter while hot, wash the filter and residue with a small amount of hot water, place the filter residue and filter paper in the flask, add 60 ml of water, heat under reflux for 3 hours, filter while hot, combine the filtrate, evaporate to dryness on a water bath, dissolve the residue with 5 ml of water, slowly add 75 ml of ethanol while stirring, shake well, place at 4°C for 12 hours, centrifuge, discard the supernatant, dissolve the precipitate with hot water and transfer it to a 50 ml volumetric flask, cool, add water to the mark, shake well, take an appropriate amount of the solution, centrifuge, accurately measure 3 ml of the supernatant, place it in a 25 ml volumetric flask, add water to the mark, shake well, and obtain the solution.

测定法 Determination method

精密量取供试品溶液2ml，置10ml具塞试管中，照标准曲线制备项下的方法，自“迅速精密加入硫酸蒽酮溶液6ml”起，同法操作，测定吸光度，从标准曲线上读出供试品溶液中无水葡萄糖的含量，计算，即得。
Accurately measure 2 ml of the test solution, place it in a 10 ml stoppered test tube, carry out the method under the preparation of the standard curve, starting from "quickly and accurately add 6 ml of anthrone-sulfuric acid solution", determine the absorbance, read the content of anhydrous glucose in the test solution from the standard curve, and calculate.

本品按干燥品计算，含灵芝多糖以无水葡萄糖（C6H12O6）计，不得少于0.90%。
Calculated on the dried product, the content of Ganoderma polysaccharides is calculated as anhydrous glucose (C6H12O6), not less than 0.90 per cent.

三萜及甾醇 Triterpenes and sterols

对照品溶液的制备 Preparation of reference solution

取齐墩果酸对照品适量，精密称定，加甲醇制成每1ml含0.2mg的溶液，即得。
Take an appropriate amount of ursolic acid reference substance, accurately weigh, and make a solution containing 0.2 mg per 1 ml with methanol.

标准曲线的制备 Preparation of standard curve

精密量取对照品溶液0.lml、0.2ml、0.3ml、0.4ml、0.5ml，分别置15ml具塞试管中，挥干，放冷，精密加入新配制的香草醛冰醋酸溶液（精密称取香草醛0.5g，加冰醋酸使溶解成10ml，即得）0.2ml、高氯酸0.8ml，摇匀，在70℃水浴中加热15分钟，立即置冰浴中冷却5分钟，取出，精密加入乙酸乙酯4ml，摇匀，以相应试剂为空白，照紫外-可见分光光度法（通则0401），在546nm波长处测定吸光度，以吸光度为纵坐标、浓度为横坐标绘制标准曲线。
Accurately measure 0.1 ml, 0.2 ml, 0.3 ml, 0.4 ml, and 0.5 ml of the reference solution, respectively, place them in 15 ml stoppered test tubes, evaporate to dryness, cool, accurately add 0.2 ml of the newly prepared vanillin acetic acid solution (accurately weigh 0.5 g of vanillin, dissolve it in 10 ml of acetic acid, and shake well), and add 0.8 ml of perchloric acid, shake well, heat in a 70°C water bath for 15 minutes, immediately cool in an ice bath for 5 minutes, take out, accurately add 4 ml of ethyl acetate, shake well, use the corresponding reagent as a blank, determine the absorbance at a wavelength of 546 nm by ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry <0401>, and plot the standard curve with absorbance as the ordinate and concentration as the abscissa.

供试品溶液的制备 Preparation of test solution

取本品粉末约2g，精密称定，置具塞锥形瓶中，加乙醇50ml，超声处理（功率140W，频率42kHz）45分钟，滤过，滤液置100ml量瓶中，用适量乙醇，分次洗涤滤器和滤渣，洗液并入同一量瓶中，加乙醇至刻度，摇匀，即得。
Take about 2 g of the powder of the test substance, accurately weigh, place it in a stoppered conical flask, add 50 ml of ethanol, treat with ultrasound (power 140 W, frequency 42 kHz) for 45 minutes, filter, place the filtrate in a 100 ml volumetric flask, wash the filter and residue with an appropriate amount of ethanol, combine the washings in the same volumetric flask, add ethanol to the mark, shake well, and obtain the solution.

测定法 Determination method

精密量取供试品溶液0.2ml，置15ml具塞试管中，照标准曲线制备项下的方法，自“挥干”起，同法操作，测定吸光度，从标准曲线上读出供试品溶液中齐墩果酸的含量，计算，即得。
Accurately measure 0.2 ml of the test solution, place it in a 15 ml stoppered test tube, carry out the method under the preparation of the standard curve, starting from "evaporate to dryness", determine the absorbance, read the content of ursolic acid in the test solution from the standard curve, and calculate.

本品按干燥品计算，含三萜及甾醇以齐墩果酸（C30H48O3）计，不得少于0.50%。
Calculated on the dried product, the content of triterpenes and sterols is calculated as ursolic acid (C30H48O3), not less than 0.50 per cent.

性 Property

平。
Neutral.

味 Flavor

甘。
Sweet.

归经 Meridian tropism

心、肺、肝、肾经。
Heart, lung, liver, and kidney meridians.

功能 Actions

补气安神，止咳平喘。
Tonify qi and calm the mind, stop coughing and relieve asthma.

主治 Indications

用于心神不宁，失眠心悸，肺虚咳喘，虚劳短气，不思饮食。
Used for restlessness of the mind, insomnia and palpitations, lung deficiency cough and asthma, deficiency fatigue and shortness of breath, loss of appetite.

用量 Dosage

6～12g。
6-12 g.

用法 Administration

无。
None.

贮藏 Storage

置干燥处，防霉，防蛀。
Store in a dry place, protect from mold and insects.

Ganoderma

Text reference: Chinese Pharmacopoeia (2015 Edition)

Overview

Ganoderma is the dried sporophore of Ganoderma lucidum (Leyss. Ex Fr.) Karst. or Ganoderma sinensis Zhao, Xu et Zhang. (Fam. Polyporaceae). The drug is collected all the year, removed from foreign matter, attached rotten wood, sand or the lower stipe of the culture matrix, dried in the shade or stove at 40-50℃.

Description

Ganoderma lucidum: Outline firmbriate, pileus reniform, semi-rounded or subrounded, 10-18 cm in diameter, 1-2 cm thick. Shell hard, yellowish-brown to redish-brown, lustrous, with circular arris-ed stripe and radiate wrinkle, edge thin and even, frequently incurved slightly. The inner part white to brownish. Stip cylinder, laterally grown, few leaning grown, 7-15 cm long, 1-3. 5 cm in diameter, reddish-brown to purplish brown, luminous. Spore small and fine, yellowish brown Odour, slightly aromatic, taste, bitter and puckery.

Ganoderma sinensis: Shell purplish-black, with lacquer-like lustre. Sporophore rusty-brown. Stip 17-23 cm long.

Cultivated Ganoderma: Sporophore relatively sturdy, plump, 1-22 cm in diameter, 1.5-4 cm thick. Shell frequently coated with a large of yellowish-brown powder-like spores.

Identification

(1) Powder: Pale brown, dark brown, yellowish-brown. Hyphae scattered or grouped, colourless or pale brown, slim, slightly curved, branched, 2.5-6.5 μm in diameter. Spores brown, ovate, apex even, external walls colourless, inner walls with protuberance, 8-12 μm long, 5-8 μm wide.

(2)To 2 g of the coarse powder add 30 ml of methanol, heat and reflux for 30 minutes, filter, evaporate the filtrate to dryness, add 2 ml of methanol to dissolve the residue, and use it as the test solution. Prepare a solution of Ganoderma reference drug in the same manner, and use it as the reference drug solution. Carry out the method for thin layer chromatography <0502>, using silica gel G as the coating substance and a mixture of petroleum ether (60-90℃) ethyl formate and formic acid (15 : 5 : 1, upper layer) as the mobile phase. Apply separately to the plate 4 μl each of the two solutions. After developing and removal of the plate, dry in air, examine under ultraviolet light at 365 nm. The fluorescent spot in the chromatogram obtained with the test solution corresponds in position and colour to the spot in the chromatogram obtained with the reference drug solution.

(3)To 1 g of the powder, add 50 ml of water, heat and reflux for 1 hour, filter immediately to an evaporating dish, wash the filtering container using a small quantity of water for several times, combine the filtrate and washing solution to the evaporating dish and evaporate on a water bath. Transfer the residue into a 50 ml centrifuge tube, dissolve with 5 ml of water, add 25 ml of ethanol gradually and stir constantly. Allow to stand for 1 hour, centrifuge (4000 rpm), wash the precipitate with 10 ml of ethanol and centrifuge again. Dry the precipitate by heat and allow to cool, add 2 ml of 4 mol/L solution of trifluoroacetic acid, transfer to a 10 ml ampoule or heat space bottle, seal and mix well. Hydrolyze at 120℃ for 3 hours, allow to cool, transfer the hydrolysate to a 50 ml flask, wash the hydrolyzing container with 2 ml of water and combine the washing solution to the flask, evaporate at 60℃, dissolve with 2 ml of 70% ethanol and centrifuge, use the supernatant as the test solution. Weigh accurately a quantity of galactose CRS, glucose CRS. mannose CRS and xylose CRS, respectively, and dissolve in 70% ethanol to produce a mixture containing 0.1 mg of each per ml as the reference solution. Carry out the method for thin layer chromatography <0502>, using silica gel G as the coating substance and a mixture of n-butyl alcohol, acetone and water (5 : 1 : 1) as the mobile phase. Apply separately 3 μl of the above two solutions to the plate. After developing and removal of the plate, dry in air. Spray with para aminobenzoic acid solution (dissolve 0.5 g of 4-aminobenzoie acid in 9 ml of acetic acid, add 10 ml of water and 0.5 ml of 85% phosphoric acid solution, mix well), heat at 105℃ for about 10 minutes, and examine under ultraviolet light at 365 nm. The fluorescent spots in the chromatogram obtained with the test solution correspond in position and colour to the spots in the chromatogram obtained with the reference solution. The glucose spots show the strongest fluorescence. Galactose and mannose show similar fluorescence, located above and below the glucose spots, respectively. The xylose spots show the weakest fluorescence, located above the mannose spots.

Examination

Water

Not more than 17.0 per cent <0832, method 2>.

Total ash

Not more than 3.2 per cent <2302>.

Extractives

Carry out the for determination of water-soluble <2201, the hot extraction method>, not less than 3.0 per cent.

Assay

Polysaccharides

Reference solution: Weigh accurately a quantity of anhydrous glucose CRS, to produce a solution containing 0.1 mg per ml as the reference solution.

Calibration standard: Measure accurately 0. 2, 0. 4, 0. 6, 0. 8, 1. 0, and 1.2 ml of the reference solution respectively into a 10 ml stopper test tube and add to a total of 2.0 ml with water, Measure accurately 6 ml of the solution of anthrone sulphate (dissolve 0.1 g of anthrone, accurately weighed, to 100 ml of 80% sulfuric acid, and mix well), mix well, heat on a water bath for 15 minutes, cool on an ice water bath for 15 minutes. Carry out the method for ultraviolet spectrophotometry and colourimetry <0401>, taking the mixture of the corresponding reagents as a blank, measure the absorbance at 625 nm and plot the standard curve, using the absorbance as ordinate and the concentration as abscissa.

Test solution: Weigh accurately 2 g of the powder into a Soxhlet's extractor, extract with 90 ml of water under reflux on an electric heated thermostat until the extract colourless, transfer the extract to a 100 ml volumetric flask, dilute with water to volume, and mix well. Measure accurately 10 ml, add 150 ml of ethanol and mix well, cool at 4 for 12 hours, removal of the flask, centrifuge, and discard the upper layer of the clarified liquid. Dissolve the residue with water and transfer it to 50 ml volumetric flask, dilute with water to volume, and mix well.

Procedure: Measure accurately 2 ml of the test solution, into a 10 ml stopper test tube, carry out the procedure as described under calibration standard, beginning at the words "measure accurately 6 ml of...", measure the absorbance at 625 nm and read out the weight of anhydrous dextrose (mg) in the test solution from the standard curve, and calculate the content of polysaccharides of Ganoderma.

It contains not less than 0.90 per cent of polysaccharides of Ganoderma, calculated as anhydrous glucose (C6H12O6) with reference to the dried drug.

Triterpenes and sterols

Reference solution: Weigh accurately a quantity of oleanolic acid CRS, dissolve in methanol to produce a solution containing 0.2 mg per ml as the reference solution.

Calibration standard: Measure accurately 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4 and 0.5 ml of the reference solution respectively into a 15 ml stopper test tube, evaporate to dry, and allow to cool. Add accurately 0.2 ml of newly prepared vanillin-acetic acid solution (Dissolve 0.5 g of vanillin, accurately weighed, to 10 ml of acetic acid) and 0.8 ml of perchloric acid, mix well, heat on a 70℃ water bath for 15 minutes, cool immediately on an ice water bath for 5 minutes, take out, add 4 ml of ethyl acetate, and mix well. Carry out the method for ultraviolet specrophotometry and colourimery <0401>, taking the mixture of the corresponding reagents as a blank, measure the absorbance at 546 nm and plot the standard curve, using the absorbance as ordinate and the concentration as abscissa.

Test solution: Weigh accurately 2 g of the powder into a stoppered conical flask, add 50 ml of ethanol and ultrasonicate power 140 W, frequency 42 kHz) for 45 minutes and filter. Wash the residue and filtering container with ethanol for several times, combine the filtrate and washing solution to a 100 ml volumetric flask, dilute with ethanol to volume and mix well.

Procedure: Measure accurately 0.2 ml of the test solution into a 15 ml stopper test tube, carry out the procedure as described under calibration standard, beginning at the words "evaporate to dry...", measure the absorbance at 546 nm and read out the weight of oleanolic acid in the test solution from the standard curve, and calculate the contents of triterpenes and sterols.

It contains not less than 0.50 per cent of triterpenes and sterols, calculated as oleanolic acid (C30H48O3) with reference to the dried drug.

Property and Flavor

Neutral; sweet.

Meridian tropism

Heart, lung, liver and kidney meridians.

Actions

To tonify qi, tranquilize the mind, suppress cough, and relieve wheezing.

Indications

Disquietuded heart spirit, insomnia and palpitations, cough and wheezing caused by lung deficiency, consumptive disease with shortness of breath, no appetite.

Administration and dosage

6-12 g.

Storage

Preserve in a dry place, and protect from mould and moth.