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    Yemama Apothecary

    Bencao Gangmu Reference Library

    Middle-Warming, Spleen-Awakening & Daybreak Diarrhea-Arresting Monarch (温中涩肠 / 行气消食暖脾止泻安神镇痛开胃消胀 — 脾肾虚寒久泻五更泻第一花衣君药)

    肉豆蔻衣 / 豆蔻花 / 夫利 / 肉果衣 / 顶豆蔻 — Myristica fragrans Houtt. (arillus)

    Pinyin: Ròudòukòuyī / Dòukòuhuā / Fūlì · Malay: Bunga Pala / Bunga Buah Pala / Macis · Family: Myristicaceae (肉豆蔻科)

    Botanical Illustration

    Energetics

    Warm (温 / 辛温)

    Flavor

    Pungent, slightly bitter, intensely sweet-spicy aromatic with floral warmth (大辛、微苦、大香、芬芳浓郁)

    Meridians

    Spleen (脾), Stomach (胃), Large Intestine (大肠), Kidney (肾)

    Traditional Edict

    Banda Mace (Bunga Pala / Rou Dou Kou Yi). Lacy scarlet-crimson aril cured into golden blades. More refined and uplifting than nutmeg kernel. Sovereign monarch for warming Spleen-Kidney cold deficiency, arresting chronic Daybreak Diarrhea (Wu Geng Xie), inducing sleep.

    Cautions & Contraindications

    • CRITICAL MYRISTICIN OVERDOSE WARNING: Single doses exceeding 5.0 g mace cause anticholinergic poisoning (hallucinations, tachycardia, delirium). Adhere strictly to 1.5-3.0 g daily. CONTRAINDICATED in acute damp-heat dysentery with fever.

    Clinical Applications

    • Chronic Daybreak Diarrhea (Wu Geng Xie), IBS-D, chronic non-specific colitis, functional gastric cold colic with nausea, generalized anxiety disorder, and primary insomnia.

    Quality Markers

    Macelignan >= 1.00%, Myristicin >= 10.0%-15.0% & Volatile Essential Oils >= 7.0%-12.0% (HPLC/GC-MS IP/BP standard)

    Mechanism & Phytochemistry

    1. Macelignan downregulates colonic NF-kB/TNF-a and upregulates tight junction proteins (Claudin-1, ZO-1), while myristicin blocks smooth muscle L-type calcium channels to halt dawn diarrhea. 2. GABA-A neuro-sedation. 3. Dual PPAR-a/g activation.

    Preparation & Dosage

    THE SOVEREIGN BANDA MACE DAYBREAK DIARRHEA FORMULA: 3 to 5 g cured golden mace blades paired with Bu Gu Zhi (Psoralea), Wu Wei Zi, and Halia Bara simmered in 400 mL water for 15 min; taken warm before sleep. Stomach-warming tea: 1.5-3 g.

    Appended Prescriptions

    • 1. Sovereign Spleen-Kidney Cold Dawn Diarrhea Synergy with Psoralea corylifolia (Bu Gu Zhi) and Schisandra. 2. Aromatic Gastro-Spasmolysis Tisane with Cymbopogon citratus (Serai) and Chenpi.

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