Mahonia fortunei

Background

Chinese Name (pinyin): Gonglaomu

Chinese Name  :

Common Name  :Chinese Mahonia Stem

Specific Name  : Caulis mahoniae

Scientific Name:
Collection  : The drug is collected all the year round, cut into pieces and dried.

Description  : In irregular pieces, varying in size, externally greyish yellow to dark brown with distinct longitudinal furrows and transversal fine cracks, sometimes the outer bark relatively smooth, lustrous or showing remains of petioles. Fractutre bark thin, dark brown, wood yellow, showing several concentrical rings and radial striations densely arranged. Pith somewhat darkened in colour, texture hard, odourless, taste bitter.

Identification  : 1.Heat 1g of the coarse powder with 10ml of 1% hydrochloric acid solution on a water bath for 30 minutes, filter. To 1ml of the filtrate add 1-2 drops of potassium iodobismuthate TS a reddish brown precipitate is produced. To 5ml of the filtrate add 1ml of 10% sodium hydroxide solution, extract with 5ml of ether, separate the ether layer, evaporate to dryness, dissolve the residue about 0.1g of bleaching powder, cherry red colour is produced.2.To 0.3g of the powder add 5ml of methanol, ultrasonicate for 15 minutes, filter and dilute the filtrate with methanol to 5ml as the test solution. Dissolve berberine hydrochloride CRS and jatrorrhizine hydrochloride CRS in methanol to produce a mixture containing 0.5mg of each per ml as the reference solution. Carry out the method of thin layer chromatography (Appendix Vl B) using silica gell G as the coating substance and benzene-ethylacetate-methanol-isopropanol-concentrated ammonia (6:3:1:5:1:5:0.5) as the mobile phase and the chamber saturated with ammonia vapour. Apply separately to the plate 1µl of each of the two solutions. After developing and removal of the plate, dry it in the air, examine under eltra violet light (365nm) the three fluorescent spots in the chromatogram obtained with the test solution correspond in position and colour to the spots in the chromatogram obtained with the reference solution.Assay: weigh accurately 1.3g of the powder (through no. 3 sieve) in Soxhet's extractor, add an appropriate quantity of hydrochloric acid methanol (1:100) heat under reflux until the extract becomes colourless. Transfer the extract (cvoncentrated if necessary) to a 50ml volumetric flask, wash the container with hydrochloric acid-methanol (1:100) solution, combine the washings in the volumetric flask and dilute to volume. Carry out the method for column chromotography (Appendix Vl C), apply 5ml of the above solution, measured accurately to a prepared aluminum oxide column (glass column, 9mm internal diameter, packed 5g of neutral alumina oxide bu wet method, washed with 30ml of ethanol), elute with 25ml of ethanol in portions, collect the eluate to a 50ml voulumetric flask, dilute with ethanol to volumn. Measure accurately 3ml to a 25ml volumetric flask, add 0.05 mol/L sulfuric acid solution to volumn, mix well. Carry out the method for spectrophytomery (Appendix V A), measure the absorbance at 345nm, calculate the content of C20 H18CINO4, taking 728 as the value of A (1%, 1cm). It contains not less than 1.5% of the alkaloids calculated as beberine hydrochloride (C20 H18CINO4) on the dried basis

Processing  :

Action  : To remove dimp-heat, quench fire, and counteract toxicity.

Indication  : acute dysentery, icteric hepatitis conjunctivitis, ulcers, boils, carbuncles; toothache due to fire in the stomach

Precautions  :

Dosage  : 9 to 15 g; appropriate quantity for external use.

Storage  : Preserve in a dry place.