In the rural hillside wilderness, ditch roadsides, in front of and behind the houses, wild chrysanthemums bloom freely in autumn. The clusters and patches of bright yellow flowers are most ordinary and ordinary. You can smell the faint herbal scent from afar.

Wild chrysanthemums have a strong vitality and require no maintenance. They grow wild and bloom and bloom on their own. They are not very eye-catching. But did you know that this seemingly inconspicuous little wild plant is actually It is an indispensable ingredient in traditional Chinese medicine and has high medicinal value.

As early as the Southern and Northern Dynasties, the famous doctor Tao Hongjing recorded in his "Compendium of Materia Medica": "There are two kinds of chrysanthemums: one has purple stems, fragrant smell and sweet taste, and the leaves can be made into soup, which is true; A kind of large green stem with the smell of mugwort and a bitter taste is called bitter barley, which is not true. It is similar to the flower, but it is distinguished by its sweetness and bitterness. "The "bitter barley" here refers to the plant that grows in the mountains. The wild chrysanthemums in the middle are distinguished from other chrysanthemums. The Ming Dynasty's "Compendium of Materia Medica" recorded: "Coix is ??abundant in the fields and is no different from chrysanthemums, but the leaves are thin and pointed, the flowers are small and have many stamens, like beehives, and the smell is bitter and bitter." It is pointed out more clearly. Its efficacy: "Cure carbuncles, boils, scrofula, and eye congestion."

Wild chrysanthemum is a perennial herbaceous plant of the Asteraceae family. The "Chinese Pharmacopoeia" records: bitter, pungent, and slightly cold in nature. , returns to the liver and heart meridian, has the effects of clearing heat and detoxifying, purging fire and calming the liver, and is used for boils, carbuncles, red and swollen eyes, headaches, dizziness and other diseases.

There have been many studies at home and abroad on the chemical composition and pharmacological effects of wild chrysanthemum. Wild chrysanthemum is rich in terpenes, volatile oils and flavonoids, which have anti-inflammatory and immune regulation, anti-pathogenic microorganisms, treatment of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, protection of the liver system, and anti-tumor effects. More and more modern medical research has found that wild chrysanthemum also has the potential to be antioxidant, analgesic, lower blood sugar and regulate blood lipids, treat or prevent obesity, bone disease, Alzheimer's disease, depression, hyperuricemia, etc. active.

Currently, 108 kinds of prescription preparations containing wild chrysanthemum can be retrieved through the Chinese patent medicine prescription database (/chufang), such as: Shanfengjing Spray, Hepatitis B Qingrejiedu Tablets, Guanxinan Oral Liquid, Shuanghuqing Liver granules, etc., are widely used in diseases.

Wild chrysanthemum is not only included in the "Chinese Pharmacopoeia", but also listed by the Ministry of Health as "the list of Chinese medicinal materials that can be used in health foods". In rural areas, people like to pick wild chrysanthemum flowers and dry them to make tea. It tastes sweet and slightly bitter, with a refreshing taste. It can be drunk all year round to prevent oral ulcers and sore throat. Especially in summer, it can prevent heatstroke, cool down, clear away heat and detoxify. Wild chrysanthemum can not only be brewed and drunk alone, but can also be used in combination with other teas or traditional Chinese medicine, or made into health drinks, making great achievements in the development of the beverage and health product markets. It is worth noting that wild chrysanthemum is cold in nature and may hurt stomach qi if taken for a long time. It is better to use less if the spleen and stomach are weak.

In the cosmetics market, wild chrysanthemum extracts have been widely used as anti-inflammatory agents, whitening agents and sunscreen agents. Relevant studies have shown that the extract of wild chrysanthemum can not only exert its anti-inflammatory effect, but also prevent the accumulation of melanin in the skin and protect the skin from acute skin damage and photoaging caused by outdoor ultraviolet rays. It has broad prospects.

Wild chrysanthemum has been used for thousands of years. It has many active ingredients, great efficacy, few adverse reactions, and high edible and medicinal value. Although wild chrysanthemums are widely distributed and rich in resources in my country, most of them have not been well developed and utilized. With the deepening of research on the pharmacological mechanism of action, the improvement of the product industry chain, and the promotion and continuous expansion of its application scope, the wild chrysanthemum, which was inconspicuous in people's eyes in the past, will play a greater role in the fields of medicine, food, health products and cosmetics. potential to create greater economic value.

Reference materials:

1. "The Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China" (2020 edition)

2. Tao Hongjing of the Southern Dynasties, Materia Medica Collected Notes [M]. Shang Zhijun, Shang Yuansheng, edited and edited. Beijing: People's Medical Publishing House, 1994: 498.

3. Li Shizhen of the Ming Dynasty, Compendium of Materia Medica [M]. Ji Yun. Siku Complete book. Shanghai: Shanghai Ancient Books Publishing House, 1989: 146-147.

4. Editor-in-chief Li Jingwei and others. Dictionary of Traditional Chinese Medicine - 2nd Edition [M]. Beijing: People's Medical Publishing House, 2004: 428.

5. Chen Guoliang, Xie Hua, et al. Experimental study on the external antiviral effect of Ganfengjing Nasal Liquid [J]. Anhui Medicine, 2003, 24(2): 6-8.

6. Song Yanjun, Xu Lijia, etc. Research progress on wild chrysanthemum [J]. Modern Chinese Medicine in China, 2020, 22(10): 1751-6.

7. Yu Mingjie, Liu Furui, et al. Research progress on modern pharmacological effects of wild chrysanthemum on the liver meridian [J]. Modern Chinese Medicine Research and Practice, 2020, 34(5): 77-81.