Pharmaceutical name:

英文藥名﹕

Radix Gentianae longdancao

Latin botanical name:

學名﹕

Gentiana scabra Bge,

Gentiana   triflora Pall., 三 花 龍 膽

Gentiana manshurica Kitag., 

Gentiana regescens Fransh.

Gentiana arisanensis Hayata  阿里山龍膽

Other Names:

別名﹕

Pron. in Japanese:

日語發音﹕

ryutanzo, rindouzo

Pron. in Korean:

韓語發音﹕

yongdanch'o

Pron. in Cantonese:

long tam cho

Common Name:

常用英文名﹕

gentiana

Distribution:

分佈﹕

throughout China: Northeastern provinces (Manchuria),

Anhui, Jingjiang of Jiangsu,Shandong. Those produced

in Huzhou of Zhejiang is deemed best. 

全中國﹐ 尤其在東北﹐ 安徽﹐ 江蘇﹐ 山東。 浙江產的一般認為品質較佳。

Properties (characteristics)

bitter, cold, non toxic

苦寒無毒

Channels (meridians) entered:

歸經﹕

gallbladder, liver, stomach

肝﹐膽﹐膀胱

Actions & Indications:

用途﹕

expels damp heat from liver and gallbladder channels with symptoms of high fever and seizures, red swollen sore throat and eyes, swollen and painful ears or sudden loss of hearing,  boils in mouth and tongue, hepatitis with jaundice, vaginal discharge, damp and itchy groan area, cystitis, inflammation of the urethra, boils on skin, feverish malaria, chronic gastritis, eczema, conjunctivitis, hypertension with dizziness and tinnitus, malaria, and herpes zoster.

高熱驚厥，目赤咽痛，口舌生瘡，濕熱黃疸，帶下，陰部濕癢，膀胱炎，尿道炎，疥瘡，瘧疾發熱，慢性胃黏膜炎，皮膚濕疹﹐血壓高兼頭暈耳鳴﹐帶狀庖疹。

Medical Function:

藥理﹕

Medical Function:

1. Decoction of long dan cao inhibits Pseudomonas aeruginosa﹐ Proteus species, Salmonella typhi and Staphylococcus aureaus, certian skin fungi and Leptospirosis.

2. Anti-inflammation.

3. sedative effect

4. muscle relaxing effect

5. Small amount taken half hour before meals can stimulate the digestive system and promotes bile, hydrochloride acid and other digestive enzymes secretion; thus promotes appetite. If taken after meals causes the secretion of digestive juices to go down. If large amount  is taken, it interferes with digestion, sometimes creates headache and dizziness.

6. lowers ALT, choleretic effect; and protects liver from damage

7. anti-oxidant effect [1]

8. anti-tuberculosis [2]

9. inhibits production of melanin

 藥理﹕

1. 龍膽煎劑對綠膿桿菌 (Pseudomonas aeruginosa) ﹐變形桿菌（Proteus species） ﹐傷寒桿菌 (Salmonella typhi)﹐金黃色葡萄球菌（Staphylococcus aureaus） ﹐某些皮膚真菌及端螺絲體 (Leptospirosis) 等，均有一定的抑制作用；

2. 抗炎作用﹔

3. 鎮靜作用﹔

4. 使肌肉鬆弛作用﹔

5. 龍膽草少量飯前口服，可反射性增強胃液分泌，並能增加游離酸，有助消化，增進食慾。如飯後服食則會使消化液體分泌下降。大劑量影響消化有時可致頭暈﹐頭痛。

6. 保肝降低谷丙轉氨脢﹐ 與保護肝臟﹐利膽作用。

7.  抗氧化作用

8. 抗肺結核病作用

9. 阻擋角質細胞傳遞產生黑色素訊息到黑色素母細胞，阻斷黑色素的生成。
    

Chemical ingredients:化學成份﹕

 

Chemical ingredients:	化學成份﹕
gentiopicrin C16H25O 1/2 H20,	龙胆苦甙
gentianose C18H32O16	龍膽三醣
swertiamarin	獐牙菜苦甙
gentisin	龙胆酮
gentiobiose	龍膽二糖
gentisic acid	龙胆酸

Dosage:

用量﹕

03 to 3 g per day as decoction or powder form

一日量﹕0.3 ~ 3 克﹐水煎或作粉劑。

Samples of formulae:

to strengthen digestive system: (1).long dan cao 2 g, da huang 1 g, huang bai  1 g, water 400 c.c. Simmer till 150 c.c. Make into 3 serving per day. (source: He Han Yao Ying Yong Fang)

(2). long dan cao powder 0.5 g, huang bai  powder 0.5 g, sheng jiang powder 0.3 g, hui xiang powder 0.3 g, ji nei jin powder 0.5 g, burnt shan zha powder 1 g, gui zhi powder 0.3 g, mix together.  Make into 3 servings per day.

治胃弱

龍膽草2克， 大黃 1克，黃 柏 1 克﹐ 水400公撮，煎至150公撮，一日三回分服。

龍膽草末0.5克，黃 柏末0.5克，生薑末0.3克， 桂 枝 末0.3克，茴香末0.3克，雞內金末0.5克，山查炭末1克，以上混和，一日三回分服。（和漢藥應用方）

Also see: long dan xie gan tang, long dan xie gan wan,

Modern Research:

to be loaded soon

Cautions:

禁忌﹕

not to use in case of diarrhea due to spleen and stomach deficiency. Be careful not to use gui jiu by mistake. Gui jiu is a poisonous herb for cancer treatment.

脾胃虛﹐便溏及非實火症忌用.

注意﹕龍膽草與鬼臼的形狀相似。

鬼臼是用來治癌症。有毒。