Dendrobium officinale, as a nourishing yin medicine, is commonly used for symptoms such as yin deficiency, fever, Tianjin injury, restlessness, thirst, and blurred vision. Since the first record in the "Shennong Bencao Jing", after more than two thousand years of development, Dendrobium officinale has involved dozens of plant sources. According to the "Pharmacopoeia" (2020 edition), its sources mainly include two types: Dendrobium officinale and other Dendrobium officinale. Dendrobium officinale is the highest quality among Dendrobium officinale, with the best nourishing yin and removing heat, making it an ideal raw material for developing health products.
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Literature records on the health benefits of Dendrobium officinale
The first appearance of Dendrobium officinale is recorded in the "Shennong Bencao Jing". It belongs to the category of top-grade medicines that "nourish the life to respond to the heavens, are non-toxic", can be "taken multiple times and for a long time" without harming the body, and can "lighten the body and benefit qi, and not age and prolong life". It has the function of "main injury in the middle; eliminate Bi, lower qi; supplement the deficiency and weakness of the five organs, and strengthen yin. Long term consumption thickens the intestines and stomach; lighten the body and prolong life", and can nourish the body and prolong life. From this, it can be seen that Dendrobium has multiple effects such as tonifying the kidney, benefiting the lungs, strengthening the spleen, and promoting gastrointestinal function. In the "Compendium of Materia Medica," Zhou Yan of the Qing Dynasty explained: "Dendrobium grows by borrowing water and stones. If a stone injects water to irrigate the dendrobium, the dendrobium absorbs water because of the stone. The stone belongs to gold and should be in contact with the lungs. Qi is also in contact with the lungs, while water should be in contact with the kidneys. It is in contact with the kidneys to divert kidney yin to supply the lungs, and the lungs can regulate and lower it without confusion. Dendrobium does not originate from fibrous soil, but its sweet and light taste leads to the correctness of the middle soil, and its yellow color is mainly related to the price of hardware. It is in line with the stomach being Wu soil and belongs to the Yangming dry gold, which is responsible for the descending function of the lungs. Therefore, it is used, and is connected to the lungs and stomach. Given the inherent virtue of the earth, how can one have no connection with the spleen? Both the lungs, stomach, and large intestine have the same qi, and how can one have no connection with the large intestine? This dendrobium enters the kidneys, lungs, stomach, and spleen, as well as the large intestine.
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The main active ingredients and health benefits of Dendrobium officinale
In recent years, many scholars have studied the effective ingredients and effects of Dendrobium officinale, which contains polysaccharides, amino acids, and various inorganic elements, and has anti-aging, anti-tumor, and hypoglycemic effects. 2.1 Polysaccharide components of Dendrobium officinale Polysaccharide components are the main active ingredients of Dendrobium officinale. Polysaccharide components can eliminate free radicals, have antioxidant activity, regulate the body's immune system, prevent and treat sub-health, reduce the occurrence of diseases, inhibit tumors, and delay aging. Yang Hong used methods such as sugar composition analysis and methylation analysis to study the structure of polysaccharides in Dendrobium officinale. For the first time, DT2 and DT3 were isolated from them, mainly containing glucose, galactose, xylose, and a small amount of arabinose and mannose. 2.2 Amino acids and other components In addition to polysaccharides, Dendrobium officinale also contains 17 amino acids and various minerals such as Mg, Ca, Fe, Mn, and Zn. Amino acids can become peptides and proteins through peptide bonds, which are the basic components of living tissue cells; Minerals also play an important role in the regulation of human physiological functions and the prevention and treatment of various diseases, and are essential nutrients for the human body. From this, it can be seen that Dendrobium officinale has obvious body regulatory functions and disease prevention effects, and can be used as one of the main raw materials for health food.
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Research on the Development of Health Products for Dendrobium officinale
In the "Compendium of Materia Medica" of the Qing Dynasty, there are relevant records of the iron bark maple bucket. Dendrobium officinale, as a health Chinese medicine, has a long history of being used as a substitute for tea brewing and drinking. In particular, Dendrobium officinale is one of the best raw materials for health food. 3.1 Development scope of Dendrobium officinale health food According to the ingredients and efficacy of Dendrobium officinale, the development scope of Dendrobium officinale health food mainly includes three categories: One is elderly health care. Related foods suitable for elderly people with weakened immunity and low antioxidant levels can be developed to improve their physical fitness, prevent and treat elderly diseases such as osteoporosis. The second category is healthcare for middle-aged and young people. In response to the characteristics of high work pressure, fast pace of life, and frequent staying up late among middle-aged and young people, health foods can be developed to enhance physical fitness, improve the body's stress capacity, and maintain vigorous energy. Thirdly, it is related to the health care of certain specific populations. Starting from the function of Dendrobium officinale, develop health foods that nourish the stomach, protect the lungs and throat, resist radiation, and fight cancer. 3.2 Processing forms of Dendrobium officinale health food The dosage form of health food can also affect the effectiveness of health care. There are four main processing forms of Dendrobium officinale health food: One is the beverage type. This mainly includes bottled or canned liquid and solid beverages, such as alcoholic beverages, tea preparations, various granules, and other types of beverages. The second type is oral liquid. Using appropriate methods to concentrate and extract Dendrobium officinale into an oral solution has the characteristics of fast absorption, rapid efficacy, and small dosage. The third is ointment. Due to the light chewy and sticky nature of Dendrobium officinale, it is most suitable for making ointments. The fourth is the natural color type. Fresh or processed iron maple leaves can be taken directly or used as ingredients for dietary therapy. 3.3 Development status and prospects of Dendrobium officinale health food With the exploration of the efficacy of Dendrobium officinale and the development of modern preparation technology, health products made from Dendrobium officinale have also begun to enter the market, with gradually diversified forms. In addition to Fengdou, there are also various health products such as Dendrobium officinale lozenges, Dendrobium officinale crystals, and Dendrobium officinale granules. But currently, many product development is at a low level of repetition, with a lack of new and deeply processed products, and the market is mixed with good and bad, exaggerating the facts and promoting, which has led to the decline of the Dendrobium officinale health food market. In fact, Dendrobium officinale, as a traditional Chinese medicine, has the effects of benefiting the stomach and generating fluids, nourishing yin and moistening dryness. Related health foods made from Dendrobium officinale have certain effects in improving immunity, antioxidation, delaying aging, and clearing throat and moistening throat; It also has a certain auxiliary therapeutic effect on cancer, especially for symptoms such as thirst, dry throat, and retching that cancer patients may experience after radiotherapy and chemotherapy, and has a good therapeutic effect. With the acceleration of modern life pace and the increase of life pressure, more and more people are in a sub healthy state of "not being sick but not healthy". Health foods that can regulate body functions will inevitably play a certain role and become a new pivot for the development of the food industry. Dendrobium officinale contains various effective ingredients such as polysaccharides, amino acids, minerals, etc. It has functions such as enhancing immunity and antioxidation. As long as the market supervision of Dendrobium officinale health products is appropriate and it develops towards standardization, there is still room for survival and development, serving human health and creating more economic and social value.
