Folium Artemisiae Argyi is Folium Artemisiae Argyi, also known as Folium Artemisiae Argyi, Herb, Moxibustion Grass, Yellow Grass, Artemisia argyi, etc. Its dry leaves are bitter, pungent and warm when used as medicine, and can be used in spleen, liver and kidney meridians. It can warm meridians to stop bleeding, dispel cold and relieve pain, regulate menstruation and prevent miscarriage. Artemisia argyi has a strong aroma and high medicinal value, which is widely distributed in China, and the efficacy of Artemisia argyi from different habitats is also different. The application of wormwood has a history of more than 2000 years. The main effective components in Folium Artemisiae Argyi include volatile oil, flavonoids, tannins and polysaccharides.

Effective components of Artemisia argyi leaves

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It mainly includes monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes and their derivatives. The best harvest time is 1~2 weeks after Dragon Boat Festival. During storage, the content of volatile oil decreased with the extension of storage time, which may be due to the oxidation of volatile oil during storage and the production of a large number of oxidation products. Biological activity of volatile oil A large number of pharmacological studies show that the volatile oil of Artemisia argyi has broad-spectrum antibacterial, antioxidant, antiasthmatic, antitussive, expectorant and anti-fatigue effects, and has high biological activity and high utilization value.

2.？ flavonoid

Chemical Composition and Content of Total Flavonoids in Folium Artemisiae Argyi contains a large number of flavonoids, among which total flavonoids have rich biological activities, such as anti-tumor, anti-cardiovascular disease, anticoagulant, antioxidant and anti-aging. Wen Rong et al. found that luteolin, quercetin, naringin and celery flavone in Artemisia argyi have the effect of inhibiting the proliferation of liver cancer cells. Folium Artemisiae Argyi has hemostatic and anticoagulant effects by dissolving anti-fibrin and reducing capillary permeability. Some studies have found that the hemostatic effect of the processing method is remarkable, and the content of volatile components decreases after heating, but the hemostatic effect is obvious after charcoal frying.

3. Polysaccharides

Artemisia argyi is a polysaccharide, which has strong anti-tumor, immune enhancement and antioxidant effects. At present, there is little research on the polysaccharide components of Artemisia argyi in China. Wu Guihua found that Artemisia argyi polysaccharide can inhibit the growth of breast cancer cells and gastric cancer cells. Polysaccharide from Folium Artemisiae Argyi can obviously inhibit the proliferation of liver cancer cells, which can not only resist tumor, but also improve immunity.

4. Other ingredients

Wormwood also contains tannic acid, organic acids, trace elements, alkaloids, protein, cellulose and chlorophyll. The research on the composition of wormwood has become a hot spot, and its composition, content and specific biological activity need further study.

Pharmacological Effects of Combustion Products of Artemisia argyi

Moxibustion therapy is an important part of traditional acupuncture, which has its unique advantages in treating chronic diseases and preventing diseases. At present, it is generally believed that moxibustion is a comprehensive function of meridian regulation, warming effect and chemical composition of combustion products. Among them, the chemical composition of moxa burning products is an important effect link of moxibustion. The research progress of chemical composition, biological activity and safety of combustion products of wormwood is summarized as follows.

1) antibacterial and antioxidant effects: It was found that the anti-free radical active substances in cigarette smoke had inhibitory effects on Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans. The combustion products of moxa sticks stored for a long time have strong anti-free radical activity, which shows that Ai Chen is superior to Aisin in oxidation resistance and safety. 2) Hypolipidemic effect: Moxibustion therapy can prevent atherosclerosis. Animal experiments show that moxa smoke can effectively reduce the levels of triglycerides and low-density lipoprotein, inhibit the growth of atherosclerotic plaques, reduce the accumulation of cholesterol in the liver, and play a role in preventing and treating atherosclerosis. 3) Anti-aging effect: At present, some scholars have found in animal experiments that moxa smoke can improve the learning and memory function by increasing the content of monoamine neurotransmitters in the brain. Moxa smoke can delay brain aging by improving the excitability of the central nervous system, improving the oxidative stress injury in the brain and reducing the expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein.

In recent years, people's concern about the environment and health has gradually increased, and the uncomfortable smoke produced during moxibustion has also received further attention. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and phenanthrene compounds in the combustion products of Artemisia argyi were studied. It is found that long-term inhalation of moxa smoke may enhance people's fatigue and have certain effects on respiratory system and five senses.

To sum up, the functions of Folium Artemisiae Argyi, such as reducing blood lipid, anti-aging, anti-tumor and regulating immunity, are all in the stage of animal experiments, so we should not blindly try. However, moxa smoke has a safe dose. In this range, moxibustion has played a very significant clinical effect, but outside the safe dose range, long-term high-concentration inhalation of moxa smoke is still harmful to the body.