Gromwell Root origins,application and research.

Contents

• Gromwell Root Botanical Info.
• Plant Description and Resource Condtions.
• Gromwell Root Identification.
• Constituents and Phytochemicals of Gromwell Root.
• Gromwell Root Preparation Method and Character Note.
• Archeology of Origin and Ancient Books Note:Gromwell Root.
• Gromwell Root Application and Administrations.
• Gromwell root Pharmacological Effects.
• Clinical Data and Report of Gromwell root applications.
• Research Update:Gromwell root.

Gromwell Root Identification.:

Gromwell roots sturdy,purple red appearance. Shikonin (shikonin or gromwell root red pigment) obtained from stem root extracts, a type of 2,4 naphthoquinone organic compounds, research shows that it has anti-tumor, anti-viral, anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory properties and promote the growth of granulation tissue. Topical treatment of skin cancer, lupus erythematosus, eczema, and burns zoster; chorionic epithelium can be used for Oral cancer, viral hepatitis, liver cancer and lung cancer adjuvant treatment of radiotherapy and chemotherapy. At the same time the price of their color, strong adhesion, but also has the strong ultraviolet radiation absorbed the functions of an ideal natural red pigment, called by the international king of red pigment.

 1.Hard Gromwell Root(Ying Zicao): is the dry root of Lithospermum erythrorhizon Sieb.et Zucc.,slightly distorted cylindrical spindle, distort, branches, about 7 to 15 centimeters,diameter about 0.7 to 2 cm, the head of stem root residues,often lateral roots.Purple or dark purple surface,rough vertical stripes,skin thin,slightly scales, easy peeling. quality light and hard, easy break, flake section,dark purple skin, small hole between the cracks,kibe more obvious, yellow and white.Special smells,taste light sweet and sour.
 

 2.Soft Gromwell Root(Ruan Zicao): is the dry root of Arnenia euchroma (Royle) Johnst.,Irregular cylindrical, slightly distorted, long about 7 to 20 centimeters,diameter 1 to 2.5 cm. Purple or purple-brown surface. Top with the crown.Skin very loose,strip of scales,10 floors crossed, easy-peeling strips vary debris. Quality soft and light and easy to break, a cross-section flake,kibe not obvious, yellow white,ring shape, the center has a large dark purple pulp. Smells special and taste light sour.


 3.Nei Meng Zicao: is the dry root of Arnebia guttata Bunge,A conical or cylindrical, distorted, 6 ~ 22 cm long,diameter of 0.5 to 4 cm. A single stem or branch. Lanceolate leaves or inverted lanceolate, 1 to 2.5 cm long, 0.2 to 0.6 cm wide. Corolla yellow, a segment Purpura.Available from Inner Mongolia, Gansu, and Xinjiang. Root head slightly thick, top with 1 or more stem residue was hard short hair. Surface purple or dark purple, the Department of slightly thin skin, constant layer cross, easy peeling. Quality hard and brittle and easy to break, a neat section,purple skin,kibe smaller, yellow-white. Smells special,astringent flavor.

 4.Dian Zicao: is the dry root of Onosma paniculatum Bur. Et Franch.Cylindrical, about 15 cm long, 1 to 2 cm diameter. Often lower part branches. Purple brown surfaced with dark purple powder,twisted vertical wrinkles. Quality hard and difficult to break, section granular,kibe slightly yellow-white and purple,core part purple. Smells light and flavor light sour.

 Other Species:

 Tian Shan Zicao:root of Lithospermum tschimganicumB. Fedtch.,similar as Arnenia euchroma (Royle) Johnst.,short,cluster-umbrella-shaped inflorescence,spread to Xinjiang province.

 Arnebia thomsonii Clarke:Coarse roots, stems more branches; linear lanceolate leaves; longituba-shaped corolla,color yellow,throat with purpura. Available from the Kunlun Mountains in Xinjiang.

 Onosma hooKeri Clarke ar.Longiflorum Duthie:similar as Onosma paniculatum Bur. Et Franch.Small, 15 to 30 cm high. Corolla about 3 cm.Available from Tibet.


 Microscopic identification:

 Arnenia euchroma (Royle)Johnst.

 Powder: deep purple.

 single-cell non-glandular hairs, broken off more than a diameter of 13-56 um, and expand the base of a horn-like, to 185 um, thickness 5-13 um, non-wood, often small vertical stripes, and some cell cavity containing purple.

 suppository cells of a purple color, often integrated condensate Strip, lumpish, liquid water with chlorine aldehyde gradual dissolution of the pigment cells in brown. Polygonal surface of a round or polygonal, thin wall thickness varying suberin, straight or slightly curved, slightly cell space. parenchyma cells are full of purple pigment, the liquid permeability Chloral Hydrate after the cells was brown or brown, cell boundaries unclear. Netted and bordered pits 7-111 um in diameter catheter, some with mesh or snail-shaped thickening.

 Lithospermum erythrorhizon Sieb.et Zucc.

 Powder: purple.

 suppository cells of a purple color, type of polygonal surface polygonal or long, thin wall or thicker, some were liked with.

 parenchyma cells very wrinkled, and some wall thicker, a single-pit, a small number of cells containing red pigment.tracheid spindle fibers or slender, 9-29 um in diameter, wall thickness 1-4 um, and some bordered pits tandem visit, speckle-shaped orifice inclined cracks intersect or cross-shaped, and often beyond the pits margin. bordered pits, and Netted catheter threaded 9-72 um in diameter.

 Determination:

 Get some amount and dry at 50 Deg C for three hours, and smash (pass 3# mesh screen),precision of 0.5 g, put to 100 ml bottle, add ethanol to scale, shake times within four hours, filtration, precision the filtrate 5 ml, put to 25 ml bottle, add ethanol to scale,shake to equilibrium.According to spectrophotometry,test absorption at 516 nm wavelength, according to L-shikonin (C16H16O5) absorption coefficient (E1% 1cm) 242,got it.The root contains hydroxy-naphthoquinone pigment as to the L-shikonin (C16H16O5) not less than 0.80 percent,quality conform.

Reference:

• 1.Gromwell Root origins,application and research.

This article written and edited via herbalist of MDidea Extracts Professional. They run a range of online descriptions about this herb,including general information related and summarized updating discoveries from findings of professional scientisits this field related.Describe style aimed to form a useful detecting literature space where the intertwined threshold and related questions raise out and visualize themselves.

♣ last edit date:27th,Oct.2010.