Saffron has many uses in traditional Chinese medicine. Generally, saffron is used to activate blood circulation and remove blood stasis, disperse blood stasis and open knots. It is mainly used for women’s irregular menstruation and postpartum lochia. In short, , saffron has very good medicinal value. However, the saffron on the market is often of high quality and substandard, so everyone must pay attention when purchasing. So, how to identify the authenticity of saffron?

1. Identification of traits

Saffron is in the shape of loose threads (if it forms a cluster, it means it is either fake or inferior. There is no need to elaborate on fakeness. Substandard mainly refers to water mixed with water, which is illegal. In order to make profits, profiteers often add water to saffron. If too much water is added or the water is mixed unevenly, it will form clumps). The color of the flowers is dark red, without oily luster. After drying, it is brittle and easy to break (if you buy it before If the flower is very silky and soft and not easy to break, it must be mixed with water. You can point it out at this time and ask him to weigh more when weighing).

2. Paper pressing method

Use a tissue paper to take a little saffron bag and squeeze it hard in the middle. There should be no oil traces on the paper, otherwise it will be adulterated with mineral or vegetable oil.

3. Appearance identification

Fake saffron on the market is generally made of corn silk, plant silk, or even plastic silk to deceive customers. Genuine saffron is dark red, feels a little greasy, has a stigma like a stamen, and has a very special smell.

4. Identification by soaking in water

Genuine products will immediately turn yellow when soaked in water, and then plummet and gradually spread. The water can be washed four times in a row, and the water will still be there after the fourth time. It's yellow. When fake saffron is soaked in water, more of it floats and becomes redder when soaked in water.

5. Petal identification

There is another situation that is difficult to identify. The authentic saffron is used as medicine only for its dried stigma. The stigma has three branches, is often broken, and looks dark red. Some imitations incorporate whole petals of saffron.

The appearance of high-quality saffron after drying is similar to that of saffron, but by soaking it in water you can see that saffron has clear-colored stigmas and three branches, but in fake products you can see small petals, which are similar in color. , but the taste is more astringent.

6. Chemical identification

Saffron and safflower are not the same medicine, but they have similar appearance, but the filaments of saffron are longer than that of safflower and the color is darker than that of saffron. You can also take a little saffron and immerse it in water or alcohol. You can see that the stigmas have a yellow-orange color straight down and gradually stain the water, while the fake ones do not. Second, put the saffron on a glass piece and add a drop of iodine. The genuine product will not change color. Counterfeits turn into other colors.

7. Storage method

1. Moisture-proof storage

Saffron, like other floral Chinese medicines, is very afraid of moisture, and the stigmas of saffron are easily affected by moisture and mildew. Moisture-proof preservation is the key to preserving saffron. Saffron can absorb moisture in the air if placed directly in the air. Mildew will seriously affect its efficacy and shelf life.

2. Store away from light

If many Chinese herbal medicines get damp or get wet during the storage process, their medicinal efficacy will be relatively small after being exposed to sunlight. However, saffron cannot do this. Contains volatile oily ingredients, which will evaporate after being exposed to sunlight, seriously affecting the efficacy of saffron.

3. Refrigerated storage

Low-temperature storage is one of the most common methods of preserving food and medicine in life. The same is true for saffron. It can be refrigerated and stored after being sealed, as long as it is avoided. If it gets damp in a low-temperature environment, low temperature can extend the shelf life of safflower and preserve its medicinal effect more completely.