Pinyin: Suanzaoren
Aliases
Zao Ren, Suan Zao He.
Source
1. Rhamnaceae plant *Ziziphus jujuba* var. *spinosa* (sour jujube).Ziziphus jujubaMill.var.spinosaDried mature seeds of (Bunge) Hu ex H.F.Chou.
Botanical Description
Deciduous shrub, 1-3 m tall. Old branches grayish-brown, young branches green; a pair of spines at the base of branch forks, one needle-like and erect, up to 3 cm long, the other curved downward, about 0.7 cm long. Leaves simple, alternate; stipules needle-like; leaf blade oblong-ovate to ovate-lanceolate, apex obtuse, base rounded, slightly oblique, margin finely serrate. Flowers small, 2-3 clustered in leaf axils; calyx 5-lobed, lobes ovate-triangular; petals 5, yellowish-green, alternate with sepals; stamens 5, opposite to petals; disc conspicuous, 10-lobed; ovary ellipsoid, embedded in the disc, style 2-lobed. Drupe fleshy, subglobose, dark reddish-brown when mature, pericarp thin, sour taste. Flowering period June-July, fruiting period September-October.
Habitat and Distribution
It grows on sunny or dry slopes, valleys, hills, plains, roadsides, and wastelands. It is distributed in North China, Northwest China, and Liaoning, Shandong, Jiangsu, Anhui, Henan, Hubei, and Sichuan.
Harvesting and Processing
Harvest the ripe fruit in late autumn and early winter, remove the pulp and shell, collect the seeds, and dry them in the sun.
Medicinal Properties
This product is suborbicular or flat-elliptical in shape, 5-9 mm long, 5-7 mm wide, and about 3 mm thick. The surface is purplish-red or purplish-brown, smooth and lustrous, with occasional cracks. Some are raised and rounded on both sides; others have one side relatively flat with a prominent longitudinal line in the middle, while the other side is slightly raised; one end is concave with a linear hilum visible, and the other end has a small, protruding chalaza. The seed coat is relatively brittle, the endosperm is white, with two cotyledons that are light yellow and rich in oil. Odor: faint; Taste: bland.
Chemical Constituents
This product contains components such as sanjoinine, quercetin, alphitolic acid, betulin, betulinic acid, tannins, and jujuboside.
Pharmacology
It has central inhibitory effects: sedative-hypnotic, analgesic, anticonvulsant, and reduces body temperature; antiarrhythmic and anti-myocardial ischemia; lowers blood pressure; reduces blood lipids and prevents atherosclerosis; anti-hypoxia and anti-platelet aggregation; prevents and treats burns; enhances immunity; stimulates uterine contractions.
Properties and Channel Entry
Sweet, sour, neutral. Enters the Liver, Gallbladder, and Heart channels.
Functions and Indications
Nourishes the Heart and tonifies the Liver, calms the Spirit and tranquilizes the Mind, astringes perspiration, and generates body fluids. Used for restless insomnia due to deficiency, palpitations with excessive dreaming, excessive sweating due to physical weakness, and thirst due to fluid injury.
Dosage and Administration
Oral administration: decoction, 6-15 g; ground into powder, 3-5 g per dose; or in pills or powders.
Precautions and Contraindications
For patients with excess pathogens or diarrhea, use with caution.
Prescriptions
1. For consumptive disease with restlessness, insomnia, and inability to sleep: Suanzaoren (Sour Jujube Seed) 2 sheng, Gancao (Licorice) 30 g, Zhimu (Anemarrhena) 60 g, Fuling (Poria) 60 g, Chuanxiong (Sichuan Lovage) 60 g. Decoct the above five ingredients in 8 sheng of water. First decoct Suanzaoren until 6 sheng remain, then add the other herbs and decoct to 3 sheng. Take warm in three divided doses. (Suanzaoren Tang from *Jinkui Yaolüe*) 2. For sweating during sleep: Suanzaoren, Renshen (Ginseng), and Fuling, equal parts. Grind into powder. Take 6 g per dose with rice water. (From *Zhizhi Xiao'er Fang*) 3. For bone-steaming and restlessness with inability to sleep: Suanzaoren 60 g, decoct in 2.5 large cups of water, strain to obtain the juice. Cook 2 he of rice with the juice to make porridge. When nearly done, add 1 he of fresh Dihuang (Rehmannia) juice and simmer briefly. Take at any time regardless of meals. (Suanzaoren Zhou from *Shenghui Fang*) 4. For gallbladder deficiency with restless sleep and palpitations: Suanzaoren 30 g. Stir-fry until fragrant, pound into fine powder. Take 6 g per dose with Zhuye (Bamboo Leaf) decoction, at any time regardless of meals. (From *Shenghui Fang*) 5. For consumptive disease with fever and inability to sleep: Suanzaoren (lightly stir-fried), Yuye (Elm Leaf), and Maimendong (Ophiopogon, core removed and dried) 60 g each. Grind the above into powder, mix with refined honey and pound over 100 times. Form into pills the size of *wutong* seeds. Take 30 pills at any time regardless of meals, with sticky rice porridge. (Suanzaoren Wan from *Puji Fang*)
