Scrophularia, a name in traditional Chinese medicine, refers to the dried root of Scrophularia ningpoensis Hemsl., a plant belonging to the genus Scrophularia in the family Scrophulariaceae.This product has the effects of clearing heat and cooling the blood, nourishing yin and reducing fire, and detoxifying and dispersing nodules. It is primarily used to treat heat invading the营血, warm toxins causing rashes, yin deficiency due to febrile diseases, a crimson tongue with restlessness and thirst, constipation due to fluid depletion, bone-steaming consumptive cough, red eyes, sore throat, diphtheria, scrofula, and abscesses, swellings, and toxic sores.
Scrophularia
Scrophularia, a name in traditional Chinese medicine, refers to the dried root of Scrophularia ningpoensis Hemsl., a plant belonging to the genus Scrophularia in the family Scrophulariaceae.This product has the effects of clearing heat and cooling the blood, nourishing yin and reducing fire, and detoxifying and dispersing nodules. It is primarily used to treat heat invading the营血, warm toxins causing rashes, yin deficiency due to febrile diseases, a crimson tongue with restlessness and thirst, constipation due to fluid depletion, bone-steaming consumptive cough, red eyes, sore throat, diphtheria, scrofula, and abscesses, swellings, and toxic sores.
Chinese Name : 玄参
Latin Name : Scrophulariae Radix
Aliases : Chongtai, Zhengma, Xuanta, Luchang, Guicang, Fucao, Heishen, Yezhima, Yuanshen, Shandangui, Shuiluobo
Authentic Producing Area : Zhejiang
Nature, Flavor & Meridian Tropism : Slightly cold in nature; sweet, bitter, and salty in taste; enters the Lung, Stomach, and Kidney meridians
Benefits & Efficacy
Benefits
Clears heat and cools the blood; nourishes yin and reduces fire; detoxifies and disperses nodules.
Indications
Mainly used for heat invading the营血, warm toxins causing rashes, yin depletion due to febrile diseases, a crimson tongue with restlessness and thirst, constipation due to fluid depletion, bone-steaming consumptive cough, red eyes, sore throat, diphtheria, scrofula, and abscesses, swellings, and toxic sores.
Usage and Dosage
Internal use: Decocted, 9–15 g.
Precautions
1. Should not be used in combination with Lycopodium. 2. Use with caution in cases of spleen-stomach deficiency-cold with poor appetite and loose stools.
Chemical Constituents
The main chemical constituents of this product include cycloether terpenoids (such as habaglycosides, haboroglycosides, scrophularin, coralline glycosides, and methoxy-scrophularin) as well as phenylpropanoids (such as phenylpropanoid glycosides).
Pharmacological Actions
This product has antipyretic, anti-inflammatory, and antiplatelet aggregation effects.
Relevant Discussions
1. *Shennong’s Classic of Materia Medica*: “Treats cold and heat accumulations in the abdomen, postpartum and lactation disorders in women, tonifies kidney qi, and improves eyesight.”
2. *Compendium of Materia Medica*: “Nourishes yin and reduces internal heat, neutralizes toxic rashes, soothes the throat, and relieves blood stasis in the urinary tract.”
3. *Explanation of Medicinal Properties*: “It treats accumulations of cold and heat in the abdomen, postpartum and lactation-related disorders in women, tonifies kidney qi, relieves restlessness, improves eyesight, alleviates headaches, treats throat ailments, eliminates goiters, disperses abscesses and swellings, and clears heat toxins.”
4. *Ben Cao Zheng Yi*: “Xuanshen possesses the nature of the utmost yin and is specifically indicated for febrile diseases. Its bitter taste promotes drainage, descent, and downward movement, thus treating conditions such as heat accumulation in the viscera.Its flavor is also pungent and slightly salty, so it directly penetrates the blood system to resolve blood stasis. It can also travel externally along the meridians to disperse heat and resolve abscesses and swellings caused by heat accumulation. It is cold without being harsh, moisturizing without being greasy; its nature is similar to that of Zhi, Bai, and Shengdi, but it is milder and has fewer adverse effects.”
5. *A Synthesis of Chinese and Western Medicine*: “It has a sweet and slightly bitter taste, with a cool nature and abundant moisture. Originally used to clear and tonify the Kidney meridian, its hollow center and white color allow it to also enter the Lung meridian to clear dry heat, detoxify, and dispel fire; it is most suitable for pulmonary tuberculosis and coughs caused by lung heat.”
Applications
Clinical Applications
1. For treating warm diseases where heat has entered the营分 (ying level), presenting with fever that worsens at night, restlessness, thirst, a crimson tongue, and a rapid pulse, it is often combined with raw Rehmannia, Salvia miltiorrhiza, and Forsythia, as in the Qingying Decoction (*Treatise on the Differentiation of Warm Diseases*);For treating warm diseases where the pathogenic factor has penetrated the pericardium, presenting with mental confusion and delirium, it may be combined with Ophiopogon tuber, rolled bamboo leaves, and Forsythia fruit, as in the Qinggong Decoction (*Treatise on the Differentiation of Warm Diseases*); for treating warm-heat diseases where both qi and blood are scorched, resulting in macules and rashes, it may be combined with Gypsum and Anemarrhena rhizome, as in the Huaban Decoction (*Treatise on the Differentiation of Warm Diseases*).
2. To treat heat diseases causing yin deficiency and fluid depletion leading to constipation, it is often combined with Sheng Di Huang and Mai Dong, as in Zeng Ye Tang (from *Treatise on the Differentiation of Warm Diseases*); to treat lung and kidney yin deficiency with bone-steaming fever and chronic cough, it can be combined with Bai He, Sheng Di Huang, and Bei Mu, as in Bai He Gu Jin Tang (from *The Remaining Writings of Shen Zhai*).
3. To treat excessive heat in the Liver Meridian, resulting in red, swollen, and painful eyes, it can be combined with Gardenia, Rhubarb, and Antelope Horn, as in the Xuan Shen Decoction (*Shenshi Yaohan*); to treat intense epidemic toxin heat, sore throat, and diphtheria, it can be combined with Scutellaria, Forsythia, and Isatis Root, as in the Pu Ji Disinfection Decoction (*Dongyuan Shixiao Fang*);Given that this herb is salty and cold in nature, with the ability to clear fire, eliminate toxins, soften hardness, and disperse nodules, it can be combined with Zhebei Mu and oyster shell to treat scrofula caused by stagnant phlegm-fire, as in the Xiao Jue Pill (from *Insights into Medicine*); to treat abscesses, swellings, and toxic sores, it can be combined with honeysuckle, forsythia, and dandelion;For the treatment of gangrene, it can be combined with Lonicera, Angelica sinensis, and Glycyrrhiza, as in the Si Miao Yong’an Decoction (*New Compilation of Proven Formulas*).
Related Compatibility
1. Scrophularia combined with Atractylodes: Scrophularia is mild and moisturizing, with the effects of nourishing yin, tonifying the kidneys, and reducing internal heat; Atractylodes is strong and drying, capable of strengthening the spleen and stomach and eliminating dampness stagnation. When these two herbs are combined, their complementary properties—softness and strength, moisturizing and drying—ensure that the removal of dampness does not harm spleen yin, and that tonifying the spleen does not hinder the elimination of dampness. This combination has a relatively mild effect in tonifying spleen qi, consolidating spleen essence, and stopping turbid urine.Indicated for turbid urine and sticky dysuria resulting from deficiency of central qi, instability of the lower jiao, and failure to distinguish between clear and turbid substances.
2. Scrophularia combined with Peony Bark: Scrophularia excels at clearing heat, reducing fire, and eliminating heat toxins in the blood; Peony Bark is effective at clearing latent heat in the blood, cooling the blood, dispersing stasis, and eliminating rashes. When used together, the effects of clearing heat, cooling the blood, invigorating blood circulation, and resolving rashes are enhanced.Indicated for warm-heat diseases and conditions such as vomiting, nosebleeds, and skin rashes caused by uncontrolled blood heat.
3. Scrophularia combined with Isatis root: Scrophularia has a sweet, bitter, and salty taste; it is cold in nature and moist in quality, primarily entering the Yin aspect of the body. Its main functions are to nourish Yin, reduce fire, detoxify, and disperse nodules; it can be used for conditions such as heat-toxin and excessive fire, as well as Yin deficiency with internal heat. Isatis root is bitter and cold, possessing strong effects in clearing heat, detoxifying, soothing the throat, and reducing swelling.When used together, these two herbs enhance their ability to clear heat, detoxify, relieve sore throat, and reduce swelling, while also nourishing yin and reducing fire. They can be used for sore throat and swelling caused by either deficient fire or excess fire.
Medicinal Identification
Xuanshen and Dihuang: Both are herbs that clear heat and cool the blood; they enter the Kidney meridian and are capable of clearing heat, cooling the blood, nourishing yin, and generating body fluids. They are used to treat conditions such as heat invading the营血 (ying-blood), yin depletion due to febrile diseases, and internal heat due to yin deficiency, and are often used in combination. However, Xuanshen has a stronger ability to purge fire and detoxify, so it is more commonly used for sore throat, phlegm-fire, and scrofula.Rehmannia has a stronger ability to clear heat and cool the blood, so it is more commonly used for conditions such as bleeding due to blood heat and thirst caused by internal heat.
Related Medicines
Xuanmai Ganjie Lozenges (Granules), Nourishing Yin and Clearing the Lungs Paste (Syrup, Oral Solution, Pills), Clearing Epidemic Fever and Detoxifying Tablets (Pills), and Wufu Huadu Pills.
Related Prescriptions
Qingying Decoction (*Treatise on the Differentiation of Warm Diseases*), Huaban Decoction (*Treatise on the Differentiation of Warm Diseases*), Zengye Decoction (*Treatise on the Differentiation of Warm Diseases*), Baihe Gujin Decoction (*The Posthumous Writings of Shen Zhai*), and Simiao Yong’an Decoction (*New Compilation of Proven Formulas*).
Medicinal Diet Therapy
Braised Scrophularia with Pork Liver:
1. Benefits: Nourishes the liver and improves eyesight. Suitable for symptoms such as dry and sore eyes, blurred vision, night blindness, and chronic liver disease caused by liver yin deficiency.
2. Ingredients: 15 grams of Scrophularia, 500 grams of pork liver, and appropriate amounts of minced scallions, ginger, soy sauce, white sugar, cooking wine, and cornstarch slurry.
3. Preparation: Wash the pork liver and place it in an aluminum pot with the Scrophularia root. Add an appropriate amount of water. Simmer for 1 hour, then remove the pork liver, slice it into small pieces, and set aside.Add vegetable oil to the pot, then add the scallions and ginger and stir-fry briefly. Add the pork liver slices, a small amount of soy sauce, sugar, and cooking wine, along with a little of the original broth. Thicken the sauce with the cornstarch slurry to reduce the liquid. Pour the clear sauce over the pork liver slices, toss to coat evenly, and serve.
4. Usage: Serve as a side dish.
Notes
Patients requiring treatment with Chinese herbal medicine should first consult a licensed Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) hospital to receive a prescription following a professional TCM differential diagnosis.
Processing & Preparation
Harvesting & Processing
Harvest when the stems and leaves wither in winter; remove the rhizomes, young shoots, fibrous roots, and soil; sun-dry or oven-dry until half-dry; pile up for 3–6 days; repeat this process several times until completely dry.
Processing Methods
1. Scrophularia: Remove any remaining rhizomes and impurities, wash thoroughly, moisten thoroughly, slice thinly, and dry; or soak briefly, steam thoroughly, air-dry slightly, slice thinly, and dry.
2. Salted Scrophularia: Mix Scrophularia slices with salt water, let stand until the salt water is fully absorbed, then place in a pan and gently stir-fry over low heat until dry; remove and let cool. For every 100 kg of Scrophularia slices, use 2 kg of table salt and an appropriate amount of water to dissolve and clarify the solution. Alternatively, take cleaned Scrophularia, boil in salt water until thoroughly blackened and the salt water has fully permeated the material, sun-dry until half-dry, let stand until thoroughly moistened, remove the rhizome, and slice.For every 100 kg of Scrophularia root, use 2 kg of table salt and an appropriate amount of water. Alternatively, mix cleaned Scrophularia root with salt water, let it sit until the salt water is fully absorbed, then place it in a steamer and steam for about 12 hours until the interior appears jet-black, lustrous, and glossy. Remove, air-dry until half-dry, and slice crosswise or lengthwise into 1–1.2 mm thick slices, then dry.For every 100 kg of Scrophularia root, use 12 kg of table salt and an appropriate amount of water; dissolve until clear.
3. Black Bean Salt-Processed Scrophularia Root: Take cleaned Scrophularia root, boil it in black bean brine, then air-dry, remove the root base, and slice. For every 100 kg of Scrophularia root, use 10 kg of black beans, 1 kg of salt, and an appropriate amount of water.
4. Sesame Oil and Honey-Processed Scrophularia: Take equal parts sesame oil and honey, place them in a container, and mix until a white foam forms. Then pour the mixture over the cleaned Scrophularia, mix thoroughly, and let it soak until moistened. Place the mixture in a steamer and steam until the Scrophularia is jet-black and glossy inside and out. Remove, and cut into diagonal slices 1–1.2 mm thick. For every 100 kg of Scrophularia, use 6 kg each of sesame oil and honey, along with an appropriate amount of water.
Storage Methods
Store in a well-ventilated, dry place to prevent mold and insect infestation.
Crude Drug Identification
Identification
1. Cross-section of this product: The cortex is relatively wide; stone cells are either solitary and scattered or grouped in clusters of 2–5. They are polygonal, circular, or square in shape, with relatively thick walls and distinct layered patterns. The phloem rays contain numerous fissures. The cambium forms a ring.The xylem rays are broad and also frequently fissured; vessels are few in number, polygonal in shape, with a diameter of up to approximately 113 μm, and accompanied by wood fibers. Parenchyma cells contain nucleoid structures.
2. Take 2 g of the powdered sample, add 25 mL of methanol, soak for 1 hour, subject to ultrasonic treatment for 30 minutes, filter, and evaporate the filtrate to dryness. Dissolve the residue in 25 mL of water, extract twice with 30 mL of water-saturated n-butanol each time, combine the n-butanol extracts, and evaporate. Dissolve the residue in 5 mL of methanol to prepare the test solution.Separately, take 2 g of Scrophularia root reference material and prepare a reference material solution using the same method.Next, take a reference standard of haba-o glycoside and dissolve it in methanol to prepare a solution containing 1 mg per mL; use this as the reference standard solution. Perform the test according to the Thin-Layer Chromatography method (General Chapter 0502). Pipette 4 μL of each of the three solutions mentioned above and apply them separately onto the same silica gel G thin-layer plate. Use a mobile phase of chloroform–methanol–water (12:4:1) as the developing agent. Place the plate in a developing chamber pre-saturated with the developing agent for 15 minutes, allow it to develop, remove it, air-dry it, spray it with a 5% vanillin-sulfuric acid solution, and blow it with hot air until the spots are clearly visible. In the chromatogram of the test sample, spots of the same color appear at positions corresponding to those in the chromatograms of the reference herbal material and the reference standard.
Properties of Crude Drugs
This product is subcylindrical in shape, slightly thicker in the middle or thicker at the top and thinner at the bottom; some specimens are slightly curved. It measures 6–20 cm in length and 1–3 cm in diameter. The surface is grayish-yellow or grayish-brown, with irregular longitudinal grooves, transverse lenticular protrusions, and sparse transverse cracks and root scar marks. It is firm in texture and difficult to break; the fracture surface is black with a slight luster. It has a characteristic odor resembling caramel and a sweet, slightly bitter taste.
Properties of Processed Slices
1. Scrophularia: This product consists of thin, round or oval slices. The outer surface is grayish-yellow or grayish-brown. The cross-section is black with a slight sheen; some may have fissures. It has a distinctive caramel-like odor and a sweet, slightly bitter taste.
2. Salted Scrophularia: Resembles Scrophularia in shape, but with a darker color and a slightly salty taste.
3. Scrophularia Processed with Black Beans and Salt Water: Resembles Scrophularia in shape, but is jet-black, lustrous, and bright, with a slightly salty taste.
4. Scrophularia Processed with Oil and Honey: Resembles Scrophularia in shape, has a fragrant aroma, and a slightly sweet taste.
Botanical Information
Botanical Classification
Scrophulariaceae family, Scrophularia genus, Scrophularia.
Morphological Characteristics
A tall, perennial herb that can grow to a height of over 1 m. It has several lateral roots that are spindle-shaped or carrot-shaped, with the swollen portions reaching a diameter of over 3 cm. The stem is square, with shallow grooves, wingless or bearing very narrow wings, and glabrous or covered with white curly hairs.Leaves are mostly opposite; alternate leaves are sometimes found on the upper part of the stem. Petioles can reach 4 cm in length and become progressively shorter toward the apex. Leaf blades are ovate to lanceolate, up to 30 cm long and 19 cm wide, with a wedge-shaped, rounded, or nearly cordate base and finely serrated margins.Terminal and axillary corymboid panicles merge into large, loose panicles; flower pedicels are 3–30 mm long and bear glandular hairs; the calyx is 5-lobed, with rounded lobes 2–3 mm long, membranous margins, and persistent;The corolla is brownish-purple, 8–9 mm long, and bilabiate; the lobes are rounded, with the upper lip bearing 2 lobes and the lower lip bearing 3 lobes, the upper lip being distinctly longer than the lower lip; there are 4 stamens, 2 of which are robust, with thick filaments attached to the corolla, and 1 reduced stamen that is scale-like and adnate to the corolla tube;The ovary is superior, and the style is slender and elongated, approximately 3 mm long. The capsule is ovoid with a short beak at the apex, 8–9 mm long. Flowering occurs from June to October, and fruiting from September to November.
Distribution Area
It is distributed in Anhui, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian, Jiangxi, Hunan, Hubei, Guizhou, Shaanxi, and other regions. It is widely cultivated in Zhejiang and is also grown in other areas.
Growth Habits
It is not particularly demanding in terms of environmental conditions, prefers a warm and humid climate, is cold-tolerant and drought-tolerant, but is sensitive to waterlogging. It can be cultivated on plains, in hilly areas, and on low mountain slopes. It is not particular about soil type, but thrives best in deep, loose, fertile, well-drained sandy loam. It should not be grown in the same field consecutively. It can be rotated with grasses.
Propagation Methods
Propagation by lateral buds.
Cultivation Techniques
1. Propagation by offshoots: At the time of Scrophularia harvest, select disease-free, vigorous, white offshoots 3–4 cm long and snap them off the rhizome to use as propagation material.In southern regions, winter planting is practiced, with planting conducted from mid- to late December through early to mid-January of the following year. Dig holes with a row spacing of 40–50 cm and a plant spacing of 35–40 cm; each hole should be 8–10 cm deep. Place one bud in each hole with the bud facing upward. In northern regions, spring planting is the primary method, conducted from late February through early April, using the same procedure as for winter planting.
2. Field Management: During the growing season (April–June), perform weeding and cultivation 3–4 times. In addition to applying sufficient base fertilizer, apply topdressing and hill up the plants in mid-June to prevent lodging. Irrigate during droughts, applying small amounts frequently to keep the soil moist; drain promptly during periods of heavy rain or waterlogging. In southern regions, remove the terminal inflorescences during the flowering period to promote root enlargement.
Pest and Disease Control
1. Diseases include leaf spot and leaf blight. Control measures include cleaning the field, practicing crop rotation, and increasing the application of phosphorus and potassium fertilizers. At the onset of infection, spray with a 1:1:100 Bordeaux mixture 3–4 times. For white rot, implement crop rotation, remove diseased plants, disinfect affected areas with lime water, select disease-resistant and disease-free buds, and use Trichoderma harzianum for biological control.
2. Pests include the cotton red spider mite; control this by spraying a 0.2–0.3° Baumé lime-sulfur mixture at the onset of infestation. Snails can be manually removed or controlled by spraying a 1% lime water solution.