Recognizing Sanqi(notoginseng)

  Thanks to Mr Zhang Zuming from Taiwan,China who provides us the following abundant and wonderful metarials about Sanqi(notoginseng).

  Long time ago, there were many wonderful herb medicines in the ancient and mysterious China. Like Ginseng, Sanqi ( Latin Name: Panax notoginseng),also named as Tanqi, is one of the most famous and valuable Chinese traditional herbs(46,47,48,49,50,51). It grows wildly in broadleaf forestry under partly shady and moist environment at the boundary between Yunnan and Guangxi Province. We use HPLC (High Performance Liquid chromatograph) to analysis Sanqi, and discover the best quality of Sanqi planted in Wenshan County in Yunnan Provice. The best harvest is between September and October in every autumn(10,49,52). However, there several fake Sanqi such as Loukui(Basella rubra), Ju Ye Sanqi(Gynura segetum (Lour.) Merr.),Jingtian Sanqi(Sedum aizoon L.), Lou Di Sheng Gen(Kalanchoe pinnat(Lan)),Ji Zhao Sanqi(Kalanchoe laciniata),and Zhu Jie Sanqi(Panax japonicum C. A. Mey.)(48,49). In China, it is an important Chinese herb medical theory for food and medicine from the same origin in Chinese meal culture. It has been recorded by Chinese references such as Pen Ts`ao Kang Mu, The Natural Resources Conservation of Dying Pharmaceutical Wild Animals and Plants in China in Ming Dynasty, for about 600 years ago. It is more tonic than Panax Ginseng. Reported in Pen Ts`ao Kang Mu, Tanqi tastes a little bitter but sweet; it is non-poison; it dissolves blood clots in blood vessels; it stops bleeding rapidly, etc.

  Recently, many research laboratories had a lot of reports for Tanqi(Panax Notoginseng)(51). Although they are the same species as Panax ginseng (Asian ginseng), P. quinquefolius (American ginseng) and P. notoginseng (Sanqi ginseng), Sanqi`s effective materials are some different from others` ones from Chinese medical and modern references proving(14, 29,32,34,38,41). Sanqi has a lot of different ginsenosides, notoginsenosides, panaxtriols, dencichines, quercetin and saponins, for example, Rb1, Rb2, Rc, Re, Rg1, Rg2, Rh1, R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, R7, O1, P2, Q3, S4, and T5 (2,7,9,11,12,16,19,20,31,37,46,47,50,54,57,58,60). It also includes Fe, Cu, Mn, Co, Zn, Ni, V, Mo, and F (10,19,20,50).

  In the summary, many laboratories discover new evidences to prove Sanqi benefiting human. We supply for reference to you to read.