Pinyin: Suoluozi
Aliases
Xianli, Kaixinguo, Suluozi, Suoluoguo.
Source
Plant of the family Hippocastanaceae, *Aesculus chinensis* Bunge.Aesculus chinensisBge. dried mature seeds.
Botanical Description
Tree, up to 25 m tall. Branchlets cylindrical, with round or elliptic pale yellow lenticels. Winter buds large, resinous. Leaves palmately compound, composed of 5-7 leaflets; petiole 10-12 cm long, with gray pubescence; central leaflet petiolule 1-1.8 cm long, lateral leaflet petiolules 0.5-1 cm long, with gray pubescence; leaflet blades oblong-lanceolate to oblong-obovate, rarely oblong-elliptic, apex acute, base cuneate or broadly cuneate, margin with blunt, sharp serrations, 8-16 cm long, 3-5 cm wide, glabrous above, sparsely pubescent along midrib and base of lateral veins beneath, papery. Inflorescence cylindrical, including peduncle 21-25 cm long, secondary inflorescences often with 5-10 flowers, pubescent, 2-2.5 cm long. Flowers polygamous, staminate and perfect flowers on same plant; calyx tubular-campanulate, externally pubescent, 5-lobed, lobes obtuse, margin with short cilia; petals 4, white, oblong-obovate to oblong-obovate-lanceolate, margin ciliate, base clawed; stamens 6, glabrous; ovary ovoid, style colorless. Fruit spherical or obovoid, apex shortly acute or obtuse-rounded with slightly concave center, 3-4 cm in diameter, yellowish-brown, spineless, with dense spots; pericarp 5-6 mm thick when dry. Seeds subglobose, 2-3.5 cm in diameter, chestnut-brown; hilum white, occupying about 1/2 of seed volume. Flowering April-May, fruiting October.
Habitat and Distribution
Cultivated in southern Hebei, southern Shanxi, southern Shaanxi, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and northern Henan; wild only in the Qinling Mountains region.
Harvesting and Processing
Harvested when the fruit ripens in autumn, remove the pericarp, and sun-dry or dry at low temperature.
Medicinal Properties
This product is subglobose or nearly spherical, resembling a chestnut, with a diameter of 1.5-4 cm. The surface is brown or brownish-brown, mostly wrinkled, uneven, and slightly lustrous; the hilum is lighter in color, nearly round, and accounts for about 1/4 to 1/2 of the seed area; on one side, there is a protruding raphe, which is sometimes not very distinct. The seed coat is hard and brittle, with 2 cotyledons that are thick, hard, and shaped like chestnut kernels, yellowish-white or pale brown, and farinaceous. Odor: faint; Taste: first bitter, then sweet.
Chemical Constituents
This product mainly contains fatty oil, aescin, starch, fiber, and crude protein. The fatty oil is primarily composed of glycerides of oleic acid and stearic acid.
Pharmacology
Has anti-inflammatory and cholesterol-lowering effects.
Properties and Channel Entry
Sweet, warm. Enters the Liver and Stomach channels.
Functions and Indications
Soothes the Liver and regulates Qi, harmonizes the Stomach and alleviates pain. Used for Liver-Stomach Qi stagnation, chest and abdominal distension and fullness, epigastric pain.
Dosage and Administration
Oral: decoct in water, 5-10 g; or burn to ash and infuse in wine.
Precautions and Contraindications
Patients with Qi and Yin deficiency should use with caution.
Prescriptions
1. For stomach pain: 1 piece of *Aesculus chinensis* seed, remove the shell, crush and decoct for oral administration. (Quoted from *Bencao Gangmu Shiyi*, citing *Baicao Jing*) 2. For nine types of epigastric pain: Burn *Aesculus chinensis* seed to ash and take with wine. (Quoted from *Bencao Gangmu Shiyi*, citing *Yang Chunya Yanfang*) 3. For mammary lobular hyperplasia: 9-15 g of *Aesculus chinensis* seed. Steep in water and drink as tea. (From *Zhejiang Medicinal Plant Flora*)
