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    Yemama Apothecary

    Bencao Gangmu Reference Library

    First of the Nine Great Immortal Herbs, Stomach-Yin Restorative & Ocular Cataract Monarch (益胃生津 / 滋阴清热 / 养肝明目 / 强筋健骨 / 九大仙草之首 / 石斛夜光丸主药)

    金钗石斛 / 石斛 / 扁金钗 / 黄金石斛 / 九大仙草之首 — Dendrobium nobile Lindl.

    Pinyin: Jīn Chāi Shí Hú / Shí Hú / Biǎn Jīn Chāi · Malay: Bunga Karang / Anggerik Karang / Anggerik Emas / Herba Dendrobii · Family: Orchidaceae (兰科)

    Botanical Illustration

    Energetics

    Cool, Sweet, Bland (微寒 / 甘淡微寒益胃生津养阴明目)

    Flavor

    Sweet, bland, slightly bitter, mucilaginous (大甘、微淡、微咸、微寒、气清香多津粘稠)

    Meridians

    Stomach (胃经), Kidney (肾经), Liver (肝经), Lung (肺经)

    Traditional Edict

    Bunga Karang (Jin Chai Shi Hu). Golden jointed flattened hairpin canes with white-purple orchid blooms. Foremost of the Nine Great Immortal Herbs of China (Jiu Da Xian Cao Zhi Shou / Raja Segala Anggerik, Penawar Rabun Mata & Pulih Tenaga Batin): chewing the thick sweet mucilaginous canes or boiling into golden tea nourishes depleted Stomach Yin, stimulates body fluids to quench unquenchable thirst, clears cataracts and blurred vision, and fortifies brittle elderly bones.

    Cautions & Contraindications

    • Requires prolonged boiling (30-45 min) to extract polysaccharides. Contraindicated in early stages of exterior wind-cold chills and in phlegm-dampness stagnation with thick greasy tongue coating. Safe during pregnancy and lactation.

    Clinical Applications

    • Chronic atrophic gastritis, peptic ulceration, gastric mucosal thinning and diabetic xerostomia (Stomach-Yin deficiency); age-related cataracts, macular degeneration and optic nerve atrophy (Shi Hu Ye Guang Wan); diabetic nephropathy and insulin resistance; senile osteoporosis and lumbar-knee joint weakness.

    Quality Markers

    Dendrobine (石斛碱) >= 0.40%, Dendrobium Polysaccharides (石斛多糖) >= 20.0%, Bibenzyls (Moscatilin/Gigantol) >= 0.50%, Alcohol-Soluble Extractive >= 15.0%

    Mechanism & Phytochemistry

    Dendrobine (>= 0.40%) upregulates gastric mucosal prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and epidermal growth factor (EGF), restoring gastric parietal mucus secretion and downregulating gastric H+/K+-ATPase proton pumps; water-soluble polysaccharides (>= 20.0%) upregulate aquaporin-4 (AQP4) and aldose reductase inhibition in lens epithelial cells, preventing cataractous lens opacification; moscatilin and gigantol inhibit osteoclastogenesis.

    Preparation & Dosage

    Decoction: 6 to 12 g dried sliced canes or maple-twist Feng Dou (boil for at least 30 to 45 minutes first to extract water-soluble polysaccharides). Fresh stems: 15 to 30 g chewed or juiced. Standardized extract (1% Dendrobine): 250 to 500 mg twice daily. Shi Hu Ye Guang Wan formulation.

    Appended Prescriptions

    • 1. The Classical Vision-Brightening Cataract Formula (Shi Hu Ye Guang Wan / 幼幼集成·石斛夜光丸): Jin Chai Shi Hu 15 g, Gou Qi Zi 15 g, Shu Di Huang 15 g, Shan Yao 15 g, Ju Hua 10 g; decocted or taken as honey pills to restore failing vision and clear cataracts. 2. The Sovereign Stomach-Yin Restoration & Diabetes Quencher (Shi Hu Yang Wei Tang): Jin Chai Shi Hu 12 g, Sha Shen 12 g, Mai Dong 12 g, Yu Zhu 10 g decocted in 700 mL water for 40 min; sip warm daily to relieve chronic gastritis and dry mouth.

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    Yemama Apothecary · Petaling Jaya, Malaysia · For educational and clinical reference only