SAN QI by Carolyn Mandrusiak

Dr. Pan's Clinic of TCM

Background:

One of China’s most famous herbalist, Li Chih Shen, said that “Tien qi is more valuable than gold”. It has long been recognized as one of China’s best tonic herbs for building the blood, improving the circulation and preventing anxiety. It is close to ginseng.

Research findings indicate that raw San qi positively affects the heart and tributaries. It increases blood flow in the coronary artery, and increases the consumption of oxygen in the middle muscular layer of the heart. Research indicates that san qi can relieve chest pain and or the feeling of oppression in the chest due to angina pectoris induced by coronary insufficiency. It also stops internal and external bleeding, while being able to disperse blood clots.

San qi has been distributed to members of the armed services in several Asian countries to be used in cases of injury. San qi has been demonstrated to reduce cholesterol levels in the blood and coating the arteries, and has the capacity to cause expulsion of blood clots lodged anywhere in the system.

San qi is more scarce than other tonic herbs. It comes as a whole, sliced or powdered form. It can be raw or steamed. For cooking the sliced is preferred as the whole root is very hard to slice. The taste of san qi is not pleasant and is somewhat bitter and takes some getting used to.

Pharmaceutical Name: Radix Notoginseng

Botanical Name: Panax Notoginseng

Also known as Pseudoginseng,

Family: Araliaceae

Grown: Yuman, Guangxi, Sichuan, Guizhou, Jiangxi

When harvested: in autumn or winter of the third or seventh year, either before the flower bloom or after the fruit is ripe.

Alternate Name: Tian Qi, shen san qi

Japanese: sanshichi

Korean: samch’il

English: notoginseng root or pseudoginseng root

Literal Translation: “Three Seven”

Properties: sweet, slightly bitter, warm

Channels entered: Liver, Stomach, Large intestine – heart and kidney

Tonic Action: Yin and Blood

First appeared in the Grand Materia Medica

Actions: stops bleeding and transforms blood stasis

Indications:

· for internal or external bleeding (vomiting, nosebleeds, blood in the urine or stools)

· “This herb can stop bleeding without causing blood stasis”.

· Reduces swelling and alleviates pain and is the herb of choice for traumatic injuries. Used for swelling and pain due to falls, fractures and sprains.

· Effective in invigorating blood, it is used for chest and abdomen pain, as well as joint pain caused by blood stasis.

Contradictions: pregnancy, patients with blood or yin deficiency.

Dose: 1-3 grams as powder and 3-9 grams in decoctions. Used topically as well.
Good quality is large, solid and heavy with cortex and dark color.

Major ingredients:

· Arasaponin A,

· Arasaponin B

· Dencichine

· Sapogenin glucosides (family of triterpenes)

Pharmacological and Clinical Research:

San Qi has double action on the blood clotting system. This is known as dual modulation. The active ingredient saponin activates blood circulation and dissolves stasis. Dencichine and ginseng propanol also possess opposite blood clotting effects. Dencichine increases production of certain clotting factors in the liver and activates them helping to stop bleeding. Ginseng proponal on the other hand increases the cAMP content in platelets, declines the production on TXAz, and prevents thrombosis. Although the body can modulate its own coagulation, anticoagulation system, sand qi imporves this action by its ability to both stimulate and prevent blood clotting with its active ingredients.

Hemostatic Effect: has no “in vitro” hemostatic effect. As long ago as l940’s was shown to significantly shorten bleeding time in animals. This effect is lost if the portal vein is ligated first. It is thought that the Liver plays a large part in herb’s effectiveness. Also shortens thrombin time.

Cardiovascular:

Intervenous injections raise coronary blood flow, reduce blood pressure, and had no effect on heart rate in anethetized dogs. Active ingredient is alkaloid.
Use in cardiology – powdered san qi used in clinical trial of 16 patients with coronary artery disease whose main complaint was angina pectoris, all but l had satisfactory relief of pain. Those on chronic nitroglycerin therapy tapered off, those with hypertension showed significant reduction in blood pressure and in 4 cases, there was mild improvement on ECG.
Effect on cholesterol: in a small study, daily use of powdered san qi was associated with reduced serum lipids and cholesterol.

Antibiotic Effect; preparation of san qi have been shown to have in vitro inhibitory effects on Norwalk virus and some dermatomycoses.

Gastroenterology: in series of 8 patients with acute attack of Crohn’s , powder of san qi helpful in 7 cases. On average, within 2 days the pain lessened, within 4 days, peristalsis restored, and 10 days condition had passed.

Toxicity: Arasaponin is Safe:

San qi hua is the flower of the plant. Sweet and cool in nature, pacifies liver, lower BP, used for dizziness, vertigo, tinnitus due to hypertension and for acute sore throat.

There are two kinds of San qi….Raw and Steamed.

Raw san qi is used internally for swelling, bruising or bleeding in acute trauma. It is useful in other bleeding disorders including postpartum bleeding, nosebleed, blood in urine or stool, bleeding ulcer, and menorrhagia. You can apply topically to stop bleeding wounds and relieve pain. It can also act as an anti-inflammatory. Modern research also indicates it is useful in lowering blood pressure and reducing high blood cholesterol.

Steamed san qi is in its raw state after being steamed. It is used to act as a blood tonic, and is valued for blood tonification immediately following trauma or surgery. Its value is in building blood and dissolving clots without risking hemorrhage. Steamed San qi is rich in iron, calcium, proteins, saponins, flavinoids. It can also reduce blood cholesterol.

San Qi is the main ingredient in the formula Yunnan Bai Yao or Hua Zue Dan.

Last modified: 12/13/10