Ephedra sinica Stapf

Ephedrine is rich in alkaloids and is the main resource to extract ephedrine. There are three species of Ephedra: Ephedra Sinica, Ephedra Equisetina and Ephedra Intermedia. All of them are herbaceous shrubs with grass stems and important medicinal plants. Among the three varieties, the content of equine ephedra was the highest, and the content of ephedrine reached more than 1.5%, which was produced in Xinjiang, Shanxi and Inner Mongolia. The second is ephedrine, ephedrine content in more than 0.8%, the main production of Inner Mongolia, the most; Ephedra content in the lowest, mainly produced in Gansu.

Main Values:
There are 11 kinds of ephedra medicinalis in China, and the main varieties in Hexi Corridor are Ephedra mediaense, equisetum ephedra, herba ephedra and ephedra membranaceus. The medium ephedra has large distribution area, high grade and good quality, which is the main acquisition object of ephedra processing plant and also the main variety of cultivation. It is an important medicinal plant with rich alkaloid content, second only to equisetum ephedra. Xylem stem is few and easy to be processed and refined. It is easy to harvest because it is often found in plains, mountain slopes, riverbeds, grasslands and other places. Therefore, the quantity used in medicine is often more than equisephedra, which is the main plant for the extraction of ephedrine in China.

Chemical composition:
The main components are a variety of alkaloids, such as ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, ephedrine, and other essential oil, flavonoids and other compounds.

Pharmacological action:
1, ephedra volatile oil has the effect of sweating, influenza virus has an inhibitory effect. The emulsion has an antipyretic effect.
2, ephedrine can make people under high temperature sweat gland secretion increase, increase. It can relieve the spasm of bronchial smooth muscle. Can excite the heart, constricts the blood vessel, raises the blood pressure; Have apparent excited effect to central nervous, can cause excitement, insomnia, uneasiness. Its methanol extract has anti-inflammatory effects. The decoction has the function of resisting pathogen.
3. Pseudoephedrine can relieve bronchial smooth muscle spasm. It has obvious diuretic effect.
4, xanthine can stimulate the heart, constriction of blood vessels, increase blood pressure; Have apparent excited effect to central nervous, can cause excitement, insomnia, uneasiness. Volatile oil has an inhibitory effect on influenza virus. Its methanol extract has anti-inflammatory effects. The decoction has the function of resisting pathogen.