Curcumae Longae Rhizoma
Official name: Curcumae Longae Rhizoma
English name: Turmeric
Scientific name: Curcuma longa L.
Chinese name: 薑黃
Chinese phonetic name: Jianghuang
Source
Dried rhizome of Curcuma longa L. (Fam. Zingiberaceae). [1]
Place of origin
Turmeric is mainly produced in Sichuan, Fujian. [2]
Properties
Turmeric is pungent and bitter in flavor, warm in nature, and mainly manifests its therapeutic actions in the spleen and liver meridians. [1]
Major Chemical Constituents
Major active components in Turmeric include diarylheptanoids, sesquiterpenes, volatile oil etc. [3][4][5]
Drug actions in TCM
Turmeric eliminate blood stasis, promote the flow of qi, stimulate menstrual discharge and relieve pain.[1]
Traditional Uses in TCM
Traditionally, Turmeric is used to treat various pain caused by Qi stagnation in heart, chest or abdominal; rheumatics pain; toothache, gum swelling pain; sore and ulcer; psoriasis, itching.
Turmeric can relieve pain by activate blood and move qi
Due to its pungent, bitter flavor which related to disperse and descend qi characteristic, turmeric can relieve pain by activate blood and move qi. It can used in chest pain which caused by heart yang deficiency, heart vessel obstruction/ liver and spleen qi stagnating and cold congealing; dysmenorrhea or postpartum abdominal pain caused by blood stasis due to qi stagnation; traumatic injuries, pain caused by ecchymoma etc.
Disperse wind cold dampness pathogen, move qi and blood
Turmeric is warm in nature and pungent, bitter in flavor. Can Disperse wind cold dampness pathogen, move qi and blood, especially good in unblock the meridian to relieve pain.
Using for arthralgia aggravated conditions on limbs, such as “wǔ bì tang”. For toothache, gum swelling pain, turmeric is often used in combination with Dahurian Angelica Root and Manchurian Wildginger root. Matching with Rhubarb and Dahurian Angelica Root use externally, aims to cure sore and ulcer. Tropically apply turmeric use for pain conditions caused by ecchymoma.
Pharmacological effects
Studies showed that turmeric has effects like anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antioxidant, lower blood lipids and blood sugar, anti-tumor, liver protection and anti-fibrosis, neuroprotective etc. [6]
Administration and dosage
Decoction, 3-10g. Appropriate amount for topical application [1]
Reference
[1]國家藥典委員會編《中華人民共和國藥典》2015年版，中國醫藥技術出版社，2015年6月
[2]雷載權主編《中藥學》上海科學技術出版社，2006年6月
[3]崔語涵,安瀟,王海峰,馮寶民,陳剛,裴月湖,. 薑黃化學成分研究[J]. 中草藥,2016,(7).
[4]趙秀玲,. 薑黃的化學成分、藥理作用及其資源開發的研究進展[J]. 中國調味品,2012,(5). [5]張天錫,史磊,劉雯,張美玲,楊建昕,李峰,. 連翹化學成分、藥理活性現代研究. 遼寧中醫藥大學學報,2016,(12)
[5] Li S Y, Yuan W, Deng G R, et al. Chemical composition and product quality control of turmeric (Curcuma longaL.) [J]. Pharm Crops, 2011, 5(1): 28-54.
[6]段白露,. 薑黃藥理作用研究進展[J]. 實用中醫藥雜志,2015,(10).