Costus Root – Mu Xiang

Costus root
[Medicinal use] The root of the herbaceous plant Costus root Aucklandialappa Decne. of the Asteraceae family.
[Nature and flavor and meridians] Pungent, bitter, warm. Enters the spleen, stomach, large intestine, and gallbladder meridians.
[Effects] Promotes qi and relieves pain.
[Clinical application] Used for chest and abdominal distension and pain, flank pain, diarrhea and abdominal pain.
Costus root is pungent, warm and dispersing, good at promoting qi and relieving pain. It is a commonly used medicine for promoting qi and relieving chest and abdominal qi stagnation. It can be used with Citrus aurantium, Chuanlianzi, and Corydalis; for chest and abdominal distension and pain, it can be used with Bupleurum, Curcuma and other products. It can also enter the large intestine to treat symptoms of qi stagnation in the large intestine, diarrhea and abdominal pain, and tenesmus. It can be used with Areca nut, Citrus aurantium, and Rhubarb; for damp-heat diarrhea and abdominal pain, it is often used in combination with Coptis chinensis.
In addition, Costus root is often used in tonics to relieve qi and make tonics replenish without stagnation.
[Prescription name] Muxiang, Guangmuxiang (raw to promote qi and relieve pain), stewed Muxiang, roasted Muxiang, stir-fried Muxiang (stir-fried with bran to stop diarrhea)
[Γενική δοσολογία και χρήση] Ένα έως τρία Qian, αφέψημα και λήψη.
[Comments] 1. Muxiang, bitter and pungent in nature, warm in nature, rich in fragrance, good in promoting qi, can promote qi stagnation in the three burners, relieve various pains caused by cold stagnation, but mainly in dredging qi stagnation in the stomach and intestines, and has the outstanding effect of relieving bloating and pain. It is only suitable for promoting qi. If it is stir-fried, although the dispersing nature is lost, it has the effect of strengthening the large intestine, and is often used for diarrhea and abdominal pain.
2. Muxiang, also known as Qingmuxiang in ancient documents, is different from the current practice of using Aristolochia root as Qingmuxiang. Different varieties have different functions and should be noted.
[Example of prescription] Muxiang Binglang Pill (Weisheng Baojian) Muxiang, Areca, Citrus aurantium, Citrus reticulata, Citrus aurantium, Phellodendron, Coptis chinensis, Evodia rutaecarpa, Trillium, Curcuma, Rhubarb, Cyperus rotundus, Pharbillus niger, and Glauber’s salt. Treats dysentery and lower abdominal pain.
【Literature Excerpt】《Da Ming Materia Medica》: “It treats all kinds of qi in the heart and abdomen, cold pain in the bladder, vomiting and regurgitation, cholera, diarrhea, dysentery, strengthens the spleen and digests food, and stabilizes the fetus.”
《Zhenzhu Nang》: “It disperses stagnant qi, regulates all qi, harmonizes stomach qi, and relieves lung qi.”
《Compendium of Materia Medica》: “It is a medicine for the qi of the three burners, which can raise and lower all qi. All qi that is stagnant belongs to the lungs, so it is used for qi stagnation in the upper burner, which is to relieve the metal stagnation; qi stagnation in the middle belongs to the spleen, so it is suitable for qi stagnation in the middle burner, because the spleen and stomach like fragrance; qi stagnation in the large intestine causes heaviness in the back, qi stagnation in the bladder causes stranguria, and liver qi stagnation causes pain, so it is suitable for qi stagnation in the lower burner, which is to clear the blockage.”
《Compendium of Materia Medica》: “《Compendium of Materia Medica》 says that it is a general medicine for treating qi, harmonizing stomach qi, clearing heart qi, lowering lung qi, soothing liver qi, quickening spleen qi, warming kidney qi, eliminating stagnant qi, warming cold qi, smoothing reverse qi, reaching the surface qi and clearing the internal qi, and managing unity All the internal and external qi of the body, up and down, are its unique function. ”
“Pharmaceutical Meaning”: “Incense can ventilate, harmonize the five internal organs, and is an important medicine for regulating all qi.”
“Compendium of Materia Medica Seeking Truth”: “It can relieve qi and relieve the middle, and is an important medicine for the three-burner qi. However, the three-burner is also the most important in the middle. If the middle is wide, the upper and lower parts are all connected, so it is called the key agent for the three-burner to relieve stagnation. As for the book, it can rise and fall, disperse and replenish, not to say that rising is like rising wood, and falling is like heavy, but because its qi is stagnant and cannot rise, it gets this qi to overcome it. Moreover, this is more bitter and less spicy, saying that it is too much to fall, but not enough to rise, saying that it can disperse, but not enough to replenish. If you don’t read it carefully, you will be confused by the book, which is not the case.”
“Compendium of Materia Medica Justice”: “The fragrance of the prescription is strong and the taste is thick. “Benjing” only says that it is spicy, and “Bielu” says it is warm. It is used to work with qi, clear up and down, can rise and fall, and is not warm and comfortable. How can this be achieved?”

This product is the dried root of Aucklandia lappa Decne, a plant of the Asteraceae family. Dig up in autumn and winter, remove the mud and fibrous roots, cut into sections, and cut the large ones into petals longitudinally. After drying, knock off the rough skin.
[Σκηνικά θέατρου]
This product is cylindrical or semi-cylindrical, 5~10cm long and 0.5~5cm in diameter. The surface is yellow-brown to gray-brown, with obvious wrinkles, longitudinal grooves and lateral root marks. It is hard and not easy to break. The cross section is grayish-brown to dark brown, with grayish-yellow or light brown-yellow surrounding. The cambium ring is brown with radial texture and scattered brown dot-shaped oil chambers. The aroma is unique and the taste is slightly bitter. [Identification]
(1) This product is yellow-green in powder form. Inulin is common, and radial texture appears on the surface. Wood fibers are mostly bundled, long fusiform, with a diameter of 16~24um, and the pit opening is transversely cracked, cross-shaped or herringbone-shaped. Reticular vessels are common, and there are also bordered pit vessels with a diameter of 30~90um. Oil chamber fragments are sometimes visible, containing yellow or black secretions.
(2) Take 0.5g of the powder of this product, add 10ml of methanol, ultrasonically treat for 30 minutes, filter, and take the filtrate as the test solution. Take dehydrocostus lactone reference substance and costus lactone reference substance, add methanol to make solutions containing 0.5mg per 1ml, respectively, as the reference solution. According to the thin layer chromatography method (General Rule 0502), take 54l of each of the above three solutions and spot them on the same silica gel G thin layer plate, use the upper layer solution of cyclohexane-ethyl formate-formic acid (15:5:1) as the developing agent, develop, take out, dry, spray with 1% vanillin sulfuric acid solution, and heat until the spots are clearly colored. In the chromatogram of the test sample, spots of the same color appear at the corresponding position of the chromatogram of the reference substance.
【Inspection】
The total ash content shall not exceed 4.0% (General Rule 2302).
【Προσδιορισμός περιεχομένου】
Determine according to the high performance liquid chromatography method (General Rule 0512). Chromatographic conditions and system suitability test Octadecylsilane bonded silica gel is used as filler; methanol-water (65:35) is used as mobile phase; detection wavelength is 225nm. The number of theoretical plates calculated based on the costunolide peak should not be less than 3000.
Preparation of reference solution Take appropriate amount of costunolide reference and dehydrocostuslactone reference, accurately weigh, add methanol to make a mixed solution containing 0.1mg of each per 1m|, and obtain.
Preparation of test solution Take about 0.3g of the powder of this product (passed through No. 4 sieve), accurately weigh, put in a stoppered conical flask, accurately add 50ml of methanol to seal, weigh, place overnight, ultrasonically treat (power 250W, frequency 50kHz) for 30 minutes, cool, weigh again, make up the lost weight with methanol, shake well, filter, and take the filtrate to obtain. Determination method: Accurately aspirate 10 ml of reference solution and test solution respectively, inject into liquid chromatograph, and determine.
The total amount of costusinol (C15H2002) and dehydrocostusinol (C15H1802) in this product shall not be less than 1.8% based on the dry product.
Medicinal pieces
[Processing]: Remove impurities from costusin, wash, steam thoroughly, cut into thick slices, and dry.
[Properties]: This product is in the form of quasi-circular or irregular thick slices. The outer skin is yellow-brown to gray-brown with longitudinal wrinkles. The cut surface is brown-yellow to brown-brown, with obvious chrysanthemum-shaped radial texture in the middle, the cambium ring is brown, and brown oil spots (oil chambers) are scattered. The aroma is unique and the taste is slightly bitter.
[Inspection]: The moisture content shall not exceed 14.0% (General Rule 0832 Method 4).
【Extract】
Take the particles of this product with a diameter of less than 3mm, and determine them according to the hot soaking method under the alcohol-soluble extract determination method (General Rule 2201), using ethanol as the solvent, which shall not be less than 12.0%.
【Προσδιορισμός περιεχομένου】
Same as the medicinal material, the total amount of costusinol (C15H2002) and dehydrocostusinol (C15H1802) shall not be less than 1.5%.
【Identification】【Inspection】
Το ίδιο με το φαρμακευτικό υλικό.

Braised costus root Take the undried costus root slices, put them in the wire, use a layer of straw paper, a layer of costus root slices, and lay them flat for several layers at intervals. Place them next to the fire or in a drying room, and bake until the volatile oil contained in the costus root seeps onto the paper.

Take it out.
【Σκηνικά θέατρου】
This product is shaped like costus root slices. It has a slight fragrance and a slightly bitter taste.
【Inspection】
The total ash content shall not exceed 4.5% (General Rule 2302).
【Αναγνώριση】
Same as the medicinal material. 【(Nature and flavor and meridians
Pungent, bitter, warm. Enters the spleen, stomach, large intestine, triple burner, and gallbladder meridians.
【Functions and indications】
Promotes qi and relieves pain, strengthens the spleen and digests food. Used for chest and flank, abdominal distension and pain, heaviness after diarrhea, indigestion, and loss of appetite. Stewed costus root can strengthen the intestines and stop diarrhea. Used for diarrhea and abdominal pain.
【Usage and dosage】
3~6g.
【Αποθήκευση】
Put in a dry place, moisture-proof.
Where are the main places of origin of costus root?
Originally produced in India, Myanmar, and Pakistan, imported from Guangzhou, called Guangwuxiang. The domestic Yunnan introducer is called “Yunwuxiang”
Where are the main medicinal parts of costus root?
Medicinal parts of costus root:
·Aucklandia lappa The dried root of Decne.,
· Dig in autumn and winter, remove the mud and fibrous roots, cut into sections, and cut the large ones into petals longitudinally. After drying, remove the rough skin.
The characteristics of the medicinal parts of costus root:
This product is cylindrical or semi-cylindrical, 5~10cm long and 0.5~5cm in diameter.
The surface is yellow-brown to gray-brown, with obvious wrinkles, longitudinal grooves and lateral root marks. .
It is hard and not easy to break. The cross section is gray-brown to dark brown, with gray-yellow or light brown-yellow surroundings. The cambium ring is brown, with radial textures and scattered brown dot-shaped oil chambers.
The aroma is unique and the taste is slightly bitter.
How is costus root recorded in historical books?
“Ben Jing” :”It can cure evil spirits and prevent poison and epidemics.
“Compendium of Materia Medica” says: “Muxiang is used to relieve cold air that is blocked in the chest and abdomen.
“Zhenzhu Nang” says: “It can disperse stagnant qi, regulate qi, harmonize stomach qi, and relieve lung qi.
Υπάρχοντα
Muxiang has the effects of promoting qi and relieving pain, strengthening the spleen and digesting food.
What are the main effects and clinical applications of Muxiang?
Muxiang is used for chest and flank, abdominal distension and pain, heaviness after diarrhea, indigestion, and loss of appetite.
Spleen and stomach qi stagnation syndrome
It is used to treat spleen and stomach qi stagnation, abdominal distension and pain, and is often used with Amomum villosum.
It is often used with Codonopsis pilosula, Atractylodes macrocephala, and Tangerine peel to treat spleen deficiency and qi stagnation, abdominal distension and pain, and vomiting due to poor appetite.
Spleen depression and qi stagnation syndrome
It is used to treat damp-heat stagnation and qi stagnation. It is often used with Artemisia capillaris, Curcuma aromatica, and Rhubarb for abdominal distension and pain, flank pain, and jaundice.
It is often used with Chuanlianzi and Atractylodes macrocephala for abdominal pain caused by cold hernia and testicular pain.
It is often used with Qi stagnation in the large intestine and heaviness after diarrhea
It can be used with Coptis chinensis for treating damp-heat diarrhea and tenesmus.
It is often used with Areca nut, Citrus aurantium, and Rhubarb for treating abdominal distension and pain caused by food stagnation, constipation, or diarrhea without discomfort.
What other effects does costus root have?
In my country’s traditional food culture, some Chinese medicinal materials are often widely consumed as food ingredients by the people, that is, substances that are both food and Chinese medicinal materials (i.e. edible and medicinal substances) according to tradition. According to the National Health Commission and the State Administration for Market Regulation According to the document issued by the General Administration of Market Regulation, costus root can be used as both medicine and food within the limited scope of use and dosage.

Common medicinal diet recipes for costus root are as follows:
Abdominal distension, abdominal pain, diarrhea after eating less
·20 jujubes, 6g costus root.
·Remove the core of the jujube, simmer for 1 hour, then add costus root and simmer for a while, remove the residue and take it warm. Twice a day.

Intestinal cancer, those with obvious tenesmus
·10g costus root, 5g coptis root, 30cm fat pig large intestine.
·Put costus root and coptis root into the cleaned large intestine, tie the two ends tightly, and stew the intestine until it is rotten. Remove the medicine, drink the soup and eat the intestine.

What are the compound preparations containing costus root?

Muxiang Fenqi Pills
Relieve chest distension, regulate qi and stop vomiting. It is used for chest and diaphragm fullness, fullness in both flanks, stomach pain, noisy fullness, nausea and vomiting, belching and acid swallowing caused by liver depression and qi stagnation, spleen and stomach disharmony.

Muxiang Binglang Pills
Promote qi and relieve stagnation, relieve heat and relieve constipation. Used for internal retention of damp-heat, red and white dysentery, tenesmus, gastrointestinal stagnation, abdominal distension and pain, and constipation.
Muxiang Shunqi Pills
Promote qi and eliminate dampness, strengthen the spleen and harmonize the stomach. Used for chest tightness, abdominal distension and pain, vomiting and nausea, belching and poor appetite caused by dampness and turbidity blocking the middle and spleen and stomach disharmony. Xianglian Pills
Clear heat and eliminate dampness, promote qi and relieve pain. Used for dysentery caused by damp-heat in the large intestine, with symptoms of pus and blood in the stool, tenesmus, fever and abdominal pain; enteritis and bacterial dysentery with the above symptoms.
Xianglian Huazhi Pills
Clear heat and eliminate dampness, promote blood circulation and eliminate stagnation. Used for dysentery caused by damp-heat in the large intestine, with symptoms of pus and blood in the stool, tenesmus, fever and abdominal pain.
Xiangsha Liujun Pills
Replenish qi and strengthen the spleen, and harmonize the stomach. Used for spleen deficiency and qi stagnation, indigestion, less qi and food, abdominal distension, and loose stools. Xiangsha Zhishu Pills
Strengthen the spleen and appetite, promote qi and eliminate lumps. Used for spleen deficiency and qi stagnation, abdominal distension, loss of appetite, and soft stools.
Modern research progress on costus root
This product has a variety of pharmacological effects such as adjusting gastrointestinal motility, promoting digestive juice secretion, resisting peptic ulcers, promoting gallbladder contraction, choleretic, relaxing tracheal smooth muscle, analgesia, antibacterial, lowering blood pressure, diuresis, and promoting fibrinolysis.
Usage method
Wuxiang has the effects of promoting qi and relieving pain, strengthening the spleen and digestion. Costus root is generally used as decoction pieces of costus root, decocted and taken. Please follow the doctor’s advice for specific medication.
How to use costus root correctly?
When decoction of costus root is taken orally, the usual dosage is 3~6g.
Through different processing methods, Chinese medicinal materials such as raw costus root, stewed costus root, and bran-fried costus root can be produced. Raw costus root is used to promote qi stagnation, and stewed costus root is used to strengthen the intestines and stop diarrhea. Different processing methods have different effects, but the method of use is the same. Please follow the doctor’s advice for specific medication.
Costus root is generally used in decoctions, decocted and taken, and can also be made into powder or pills for consumption. However, the use of Chinese herbal medicines must be treated according to the syndrome differentiation and should be used under the guidance of professional Chinese medicine practitioners. Do not use them at will, and do not listen to Chinese medicine prescriptions and advertisements at will.
Οι κοινοί συνδυασμοί της κινεζικής ιατρικής είναι οι εξής:
Muxiang with Yanhusuo: Muxiang can promote qi and relieve pain, strengthen the spleen and digestion; Yanhusuo can promote blood circulation, promote qi and relieve pain. The combination of the two medicines is good at promoting blood circulation, promoting qi, digestion and pain relief, and treating various pains caused by qi stagnation and blood stasis, especially for those with cold.
How to prepare Muxiang?
Muxiang
Take the original medicinal materials and remove impurities. Wash, steam until thoroughly moistened, cut into thick slices, and dry. Remove debris.
Simmer Muxiang
Take undried Muxiang slices and spread them on oil-absorbing paper, one layer of Muxiang slices and one layer of paper, so that several layers are spread flat at intervals, clamped with flat wooden boards above and below, tied with ropes to make Muxiang and oil-absorbing paper in close contact, put in a drying room or a place with a higher temperature, and simmer until the volatile oil contained in Muxiang penetrates into the paper, take out Muxiang, cool it, and set aside.
Fried costus root with bran
First, heat the pan, sprinkle a certain amount of longevity bran evenly, and heat it over medium heat. When the smoke rises, put the costus root slices into the pan and stir-fry until dark yellow. When there are burnt spots, take them out quickly, sieve out the burnt bran, and spread them to cool. For every 100kg costus root slices, use 25kg bran.
Which drugs should be used with costus root at the same time with special attention?
The combined use of Chinese medicine and the combined use of Chinese and Western medicine requires syndrome differentiation and clinical individualized treatment.
Εάν χρησιμοποιείτε άλλα φάρμακα, συμβουλευτείτε έναν γιατρό πριν πάρετε το φάρμακο και ενημερώστε τον γιατρό για όλες τις ασθένειες που έχετε διαγνώσει και το σχέδιο θεραπείας που λαμβάνετε.
Οδηγίες χρήσης
Wuxiang is pungent, warm, fragrant and dry, which can hurt yin and help fire, so people with yin deficiency and excessive fire should take it with caution.
What precautions should be taken when using costus root?
Those with yin deficiency and excessive fire should use it with caution.
·During the medication period, you should be careful not to eat cold, raw and cold foods, spicy and greasy foods.
Pregnant and lactating women: If you are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or are lactating, please inform your doctor in time and consult whether Chinese medicine can be used for treatment.
·Children: Children should take medicine under the guidance of doctors and adult supervision.
·Please keep the medicinal materials properly and do not give them to others.
How to identify and use costus root?
Costus root is a medicine for regulating qi. It is the dry root of costus root in the Asteraceae family.
Raw costus root is fragrant and pungent, dispersing and warming. It is good at regulating the middle and relieving stagnation, promoting qi and relieving pain. It is especially commonly used for symptoms of abdominal qi stagnation and distension.
Stewed costus root has a slow qi-promoting effect and enhances the ability to stop diarrhea in the intestines. It is often used for diarrhea caused by spleen deficiency, intestinal rumbling and abdominal pain.
Fried costus root with bran enhances the ability to stop diarrhea in the intestines. It is often used for diarrhea caused by spleen deficiency, intestinal rumbling and abdominal pain.
Οι πιο συχνές ερωτήσεις από ασθενείς
What are the effects and functions of costus root pills?
Decorus root pills are composed of costus root, Amomum villosum, Cyperus rotundus with vinegar, Areca nut, Licorice, Tangerine peel, Magnolia officinalis, Citrus aurantium (fried), Atractylodes macrocephala (fried), Citrus aurantium (fried), and ginger.
It has the effects of promoting qi and removing dampness, strengthening the spleen and stomach.
It is used for chest and diaphragm fullness, abdominal distension and pain, vomiting, nausea, belching and poor appetite caused by dampness and turbidity blocking the middle part of the body and disharmony between the spleen and stomach.
What are the effects and functions of Qingmuxiang Chinese medicine?
Qingmuxiang is the dried root of Aristolochia debilis Sieb.et Zucc and Aristolochia contorta Bunge., plants of the Aristolochiaceae family.
It has the effects of promoting qi and relieving pain, detoxifying and reducing swelling. It is mainly used to treat chest and flank, abdominal pain Pain, diarrhea, abdominal pain, furuncle, skin eczema, snake bites.

Effects and functions of Inula helenium?
This product is the dried root of Inula helenium L., a plant of the Asteraceae family. It is pungent and bitter in nature and warm in temperature: it enters the liver and spleen meridians. It can strengthen the spleen and stomach, promote qi circulation and relieve pain, and stabilize the fetus. It is suitable for chest and flank, abdominal distension and pain, vomiting and diarrhea, chest and flank contusion, pain caused by stitches, and restless fetuses. 3~9g, mostly taken in pills and powders.

Effects and functions of Compound Costus berberine tablets?
Compound Costus berberine tablets are antibacterial drugs. It is used to treat intestinal infections and diarrhea.