Hawthorn is a name used in traditional Chinese medicine. It refers to the dried fruits of Rosa roxburghii Tratt. and R. roxburghi Tratt. f. normalis Rehd. et Wils., plants belonging to the genus Rosa in the Rosaceae family. It has the effects of strengthening the stomach, aiding digestion, and relieving diarrhea. It is primarily used to treat food stagnation, bloating, and diarrhea.
Prickly Pear
Hawthorn is a name used in traditional Chinese medicine. It refers to the dried fruits of Rosa roxburghii Tratt. and R. roxburghi Tratt. f. normalis Rehd. et Wils., plants belonging to the genus Rosa in the Rosaceae family. It has the effects of strengthening the stomach, aiding digestion, and relieving diarrhea. It is primarily used to treat food stagnation, bloating, and diarrhea.
Chinese Name : 刺梨
Aliases : Zili, Wenguang Fruit, Tuantang II, Youci Fruit
Nature, Flavor & Meridian Tropism : Taste: sour, slightly astringent; Nature: cool; Enters the Stomach, Spleen, and Kidney meridians
Benefits & Efficacy
Benefits
Stomach-strengthening, aids digestion, and relieves diarrhea.
Indications
It is primarily used to treat food stagnation, bloating, and diarrhea.
Usage and Dosage
Internal use: Decocted as a soup, 9–15 g; or eaten raw.
Precautions
The effects of hawthorn’s medicinal properties on fetuses and infants are not yet clear. To be on the safe side, it should only be used after a physician has assessed the benefits and risks; do not take it on your own.
Chemical Constituents
1. The pulp of the rosehip contains vitamins A, B2, C, E, and K, as well as β-sitosterol, potentillic acid, yachun acid, protocatechuic acid, fatty acids (primarily stearic acid and nonacosanoic acid), and rosarin.Unripe fruits contain hyperoside A and B, rosarin F, aristolochic acid, casuarin, kaempferol, jingjiehuaoside, xinsuonaoside, 2,3-O-(S)-hexahydroxybiphenyl-dicarboxy-D-glucose, and (+)-catechol;They contain all eight essential amino acids for the human body, with higher levels of phenylalanine, histidine, isoleucine, leucine, and lysine; they also contain nine fatty acids, primarily linolenic acid, myristic acid, and palmitic acid, while oleic acid and linoleic acid are present in relatively high amounts (11.58% and 6.25%, respectively);It contains 24 mineral elements, including the macrominerals calcium, potassium, sodium, and magnesium, as well as the trace minerals iron, manganese, molybdenum, and cobalt. It also contains tannins and carotenoids. The fruit contains vitamin E and carotenoids. 2. The fresh pulp of ripe single-petaled silk-thread rose fruits contains vitamin C and various other vitamins, such as niacin, vitamin A, vitamin B2, vitamin K, and vitamin E.
Pharmacological Actions
Hawthorn has lipid-lowering, anti-atherosclerotic, antioxidant, antitumor, and liver-protective effects; it promotes the secretion of digestive juices and exerts a certain effect on gastrointestinal smooth muscle; hawthorn polysaccharides significantly enhance immune function, particularly nonspecific immunity and humoral immunity.Hawthorn juice can significantly improve the general condition of patients with chronic fluoride poisoning; it can counteract the damage caused by chronic fluoride poisoning to collagenous tissues, enhance the antioxidant capacity of the body and tissues affected by chronic fluoride poisoning, and reduce the degree of lipid peroxidation, thereby counteracting the damage caused by chronic fluoride poisoning to the body and tissues. This is related to the high content of antioxidants—vitamin C, vitamin E, and SOD—in hawthorn.
Relevant Discussions
1. *Compendium of Sichuan Traditional Chinese Medicine* (1960 edition): “Relieves summer heat and aids digestion. Treats vitamin C deficiency.”
2. *Collection of Guizhou Folk Remedies*: “Stomach tonic; relieves indigestion, bloating, and fullness; also nourishes and strengthens the body.”
3. *Compendium of Hunan Medicinal Substances*: “Stops diarrhea.”
Applications
Clinical Applications
Treatment for autumn diarrhea in infants and young children: Take 3,000 g of fresh hawthorn berries, add 3,000 ml of water, and simmer over low heat until reduced to 1,500 ml. For children under 1 year old, administer 10 ml per dose; for those aged 1–2 years, 15 ml; and for those over 2 years old, 20 ml. Take three times daily on an empty stomach, washed down with warm water. [*Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine*, 1985, (6): 71]
Medicinal Diet Therapy
1. Hawthorn Berry Honey Syrup
(1) Ingredients: 250 g hawthorn berries, 20 g honey.
(2) Preparation: Wash fresh hawthorn berries, remove the skin and seeds, slice them thinly, place them in a bowl, add 20 g of honey, mix well, and let marinate for 1 hour.
(3) Benefits: Softens blood vessels, lowers blood lipids and blood pressure, nourishes the body and promotes beauty, and promotes saliva production to quench thirst.
2. Hawthorn Wine
(1) Ingredients: 500 g of alcohol, 250 g of hawthorn berries.
(2) Preparation: Wash the rose hips, remove the seeds, and drain thoroughly. Pour the liquor into a container, add the dried rose hips, seal the container, and let it sit until the liquor turns golden yellow and develops a rich aroma. Consume the liquor along with the rose hips.
(3) Benefits: Relieves fatigue, promotes beauty, and enhances sexual function.
3. Rose Hip Iced Porridge
(1) Ingredients: 300 grams of hawthorn berries, 100 grams of glutinous rice, 30 grams of rock sugar.
(2) Preparation: Wash the hawthorn berries and mash them, then strain out the pulp (or boil to extract the juice and strain out the pulp), reserving the juice. Add the washed glutinous rice and rock sugar to the hawthorn juice and cook together into a porridge. Place the porridge in the refrigerator to chill, and it is ready to serve.
(3) Benefits: Clears heat, detoxifies, aids digestion, and soothes the stomach.
4. Corn and Hawthorn Porridge
(1) Ingredients: 30 g fresh corn, 60 g glutinous rice, 15 g hawthorn.
(2) Preparation: Wash the corn and glutinous rice; wash the hawthorn, peel it, and slice it. Place all ingredients in a pot, add an appropriate amount of water, and simmer over low heat until a thin porridge forms. Season to taste. Portion size is flexible.
(3) Benefits: Tonifies the middle burner, strengthens the spleen, stimulates the appetite, and aids digestion. Suitable for coronary heart disease, hypertension, loss of appetite, reduced food intake, chest tightness, palpitations, numbness in the limbs, difficulty urinating, and lower limb edema.
5. Hawthorn Glutinous Rice Wine
(1) Ingredients: Hawthorn and glutinous rice wine, each in appropriate amounts.
(2) Preparation: Prepare the rose hips and glutinous rice wine in a specific ratio, then mix thoroughly and seal the container. Store in a cool, dry, and well-ventilated place; it will be ready for consumption after about one week.
(3) Benefits: Relieves fatigue, strengthens the stomach and spleen, nourishes and replenishes blood, tonifies the middle burner and boosts qi, and aids digestion. Suitable for postpartum women and patients recovering from illness—whether consumed as is or used to steep medicinal herbs—to aid in physical recovery.
Notes
Patients requiring treatment with traditional Chinese medicine should first consult a licensed TCM hospital, where a TCM practitioner will conduct a professional pattern differentiation and issue a prescription.
Processing & Preparation
Harvesting & Processing
Harvest from August to November and sun-dry.
Processing Methods
Remove impurities and sun-dry.
Storage Methods
Store in a dry container in a well-ventilated, dry place.
Crude Drug Identification
Properties of Crude Drugs
The fruit is flattened spherical or conical, rarely spindle-shaped, with a diameter of 2–4 cm. The surface is yellowish-brown or yellowish-green, densely covered with spines, and some may have brown spots; the apex often bears five yellowish-brown persistent sepals, which are also covered with lanceolate spines.Longitudinal section: The pulp is yellowish-white; there are numerous seeds attached to a convex receptacle at the base of the calyx tube; they are ovoid, pale yellow, 1.5–3 mm in diameter, and bony. It has a faintly fragrant odor and tastes sour, astringent, and slightly sweet.
Properties of Processed Slices
See “Characteristics of the Medicinal Material.”
Botanical Information
Botanical Classification
Plants of the genus Rosa in the Rosaceae family, specifically *Rosa sinensis* and *Rosa uniflora*.
Morphological Characteristics
1. *Rosa sinensis*: A shrub 1–2.5 m tall; bark grayish-brown, peeling off in patches; twigs often bearing paired thorns. Pinnate compound leaves; 9–15 leaflets, 5–11 cm long including the petiole;petioles and leaf rachis sparsely bearing small thorns; stipules mostly adnate to the petiole; leaflets elliptic or oblong, 1–2 cm long, 0.5–1 cm wide, apex acute or obtuse, base broadly cuneate, margins with fine, sharp teeth, both surfaces glabrous.Flowers are hermaphroditic; 1–3 flowers borne at the tips of short branches; calyx lobes 5, usually broadly ovate, tomentose on both surfaces, densely covered with spines; flower diameter 5–6 cm; double to semi-double, with large outer petals and smaller inner petals, pale red or pink, faintly fragrant; numerous stamens, attached to the margin of the cup-shaped calyx tube;numerous carpels, with free styles. The fruit is flattened-globose, 3–4 cm in diameter, green, densely covered with spines on the outside, with persistent, erect calyx lobes. Flowering period: May–July; fruiting period: August–October.
2. Single-petaled Silk-flower: Flowers of this variant are single-petaled, pink, and 4–6 cm in diameter.
Distribution Area
1. Silk-thread Flower: Distributed in Southwest China, as well as Zhejiang, Anhui, Fujian, Jiangxi, Hubei, Hunan, Tibet, Shaanxi, and Gansu. 2. Single-petaled Silk-thread Flower: Distributed in Southwest China, as well as Fujian, Jiangxi, Hubei, Guangxi, Shaanxi, and Gansu.
Propagation Methods
Propagation by seed or cuttings.
Cultivation Techniques
1. Seed Propagation
Hawthorn seeds do not have a distinct dormancy period. When sown immediately after seed maturation in the fall, they will germinate and grow under suitable conditions, with germination and emergence rates reaching over 90%. Fall sowing is generally conducted in late September, while spring sowing takes place in late February. For seedbed propagation, 15–20 kg of seeds can be sown per 667 m², yielding 200,000–250,000 seedlings per 667 m².However, due to the ossification of the seed coat, which impairs water and air permeability, germination and seedling emergence generally take about one month at temperatures of 15–20°C after sowing. Therefore, high-quality sowing and careful seedling-stage management are required.
2. Propagation by Cuttings
Propagation by cuttings is a simple method that results in rapid seedling growth, early fruiting, and low costs, making it widely applicable for prickly pear seedling production.
(1) Softwood Cuttings: These can be taken in both summer and fall. For summer cuttings in mid-May, when spring shoots have largely lignified, cut them into 8–10 cm long cuttings (preferably with a portion of the parent branch attached); the rooting and survival rate can reach over 90%. The nursery bed should be kept moist, and a shade structure should be erected.
(2) Hardwood Cuttings: This method can be performed in spring, summer, or fall, though spring is preferred.The procedure involves cutting one-year-old branches pruned during winter into 10–12 cm lengths. Make a diagonal cut just below a bud at the lower end and a slanted cut 1 cm above a bud at the upper end. Bundle them in groups of 100 and store them in moist sand. In early to mid-February of the following year, plant them diagonally in the nursery bed with a spacing of 9 cm × 24 cm between plants and rows, leaving one bud exposed, and firm the soil around the cuttings.Bud break occurs in mid-March, with a survival rate of over 90%.
Pest and Disease Control
1. Pests: The main pests include the small leaf beetle, leaf-rolling moth, leafhopper, and fruit borer. The first three primarily damage leaves; when they appear, spray with a mixture of 800–1,000 times diluted DDVP and 1,000 times diluted malathion. The fruit borer damages fruit; when it appears in May–June, spray with 800–1,000 times diluted malathion.
2. Diseases: The main disease is powdery mildew, which generally appears in late April and spreads rapidly from late May to early June, causing severe infections. It can be controlled with a 1,000-fold dilution of methyl thiophanate. In areas prone to high temperatures and drought during July and August, if sunscald occurs on the fruit, spray a 20% lime solution 2–3 times as a preventive measure.