Herb selection Liver

As the sensitivity and selectivity of the above GC/MS methods are for many analytes around 1 pg injected into the GC system, cleanup by SiOa fractionation can be omitted when larger sample sizes (25-100 g) are possible. For difficult dry (e.g. hops, pharmaceutical herbs) or oily (e.g. rape seed, fat, liver) materials which start with smaller sample sizes (5-10 g) and tend to overload the chromatographic cleanup systems, however, cleanup is still an important requirement as the GC injection system is vulnerable when the ratio of co-extracted material to analyte is too high. 

When patients suffer from chronic liver or kidney disease, the selection of the herbs and their dosages should be determined carefully to avoid placing an unnecessary workload on these weakened organs. At the same time, herbs that protect these organs and promote their function should also be included. For instance, acute or chronic liver diseases are mainly differentiated into a syndrome consisting of Spleen-Qi deficiency, damp-heat and heat-toxin accumulation, and herbs that treat this syndrome can be used. Chronic kidney diseases are mainly differentiated as Kidney-Yang and Spleen-Yang deficiency, dampness accumulation and heat-toxin in the blood. Herbs that treat this syndrome should be used in appropriate doses to help restore kidney function. 

Sang Ye and Ju Hua are bitter, sweet and cold, and enter the Lung and Liver meridians. They are often selected as chief herbs in the formula to treat a mild wind-heat syndrome when the wind-heat mainly affects the Lung. 

Herbs that activate Qi movement in the Stomach, Large Intestine and Liver are selected. Herbs that regulate the blood, clear heat, remove phlegm, soothe the Stomach-Qi and tonify the weakness of Qi, blood, Yin or Yang can be added if these disorders are present. 

Lu Hui is very bitter and cold, and enters the Liver, Heart, Stomach and Large Intestine meridians. It is a very strong herb to purge the bowels and reduce excess heat. It directly drains Liver-fire and Heart-fire. It is selected when the heat of Heart and Liver affects the Stomach and Large Intestine. 

Second, herbs that are sweet and slightly warm, enter the Heart, Spleen and Liver meridians, are able to nourish the blood, calm the mind and improve sleep are often selected. Third, herbs that promote the Qi movement and blood circulation so as to maintain the proper function of the Heart are often used. 

First, herbs that enter the Liver meridian and are able to tonify the Liver-blood directly are selected. 

Third, sour and astringent herbs which can soften the Liver, relax the tendons and moisten the dryness are selected. 

Ji Xue Teng is bitter, slightly sweet and warm, and enters the Kidney and Liver meridians. It is a special herb for tonifying the blood as it is also able to promote the blood circulation and relax the tendons. It is therefore selected in formulas to relieve stiffness, tingling, numbness, pain and an uneasy feeling in the body, such as in Bi syndrome and in restless leg disorder due to blood deficiency with Qi and blood stagnation. 

Suan Zao Ren is sweet, sour and neutral, and enters the Liver, Gall Bladder and Heart meridians. Since sweet and sour may generate the Yin and stabilize the body fluids, it is also able to nourish the Liver blood. It is a perfect herb to calm the mind and improve sleep. It is often selected in the formula to treat anxiety, sweating, restless sleep and dream-disturbed sleep due to Liver-blood deficiency. 

First, herbs that enter the Heart, Spleen and Liver meridians, and can directly tonify the Heart-blood are selected. 

Sheng Di Huang is sweet and cold, and enters the Kidney, Heart and Liver meridians. It is a quite powerful herb to nourish the Yin of these organs and can sufficiently reduce heat. Sheng Di Huang is also a very important herb to relieve anxiousness, chest pain and palpitations because it can cool the blood. As a result, it is often selected as chief in the formula to nourish the Heart-Yin. 

Third, herbs that regulate the Liver-Qi are selected. 

Bai Shao Yao is bitter, sour and slightly cold, and enters the Liver and Spleen meridians. It is able to nourish the Yin and therefore soften the liver. In addition, it can reduce the empty-heat from the Liver, which is often caused by Yin deficiency. Thus it is considered an effective herb to soften and pacify the liver, and is used to treat cramping pain due to Yin deficiency that fails to nourish the tendons and muscles. It is also selected in emotional disturbances such as stress, anger, frustration, resentment and irritability. 

Nu Zhen Zi is sweet, cold and bitter, and enters the Liver and Kidney meridians. The characteristic of this herb is that it can nourish the Yin and reduce the empty-heat without any cloying side effect, which arises in many of the herbs that nourish the Yin. It is particularly suitable for use in the formula for patients who suffer from Yin deficiency when the Stomach is too weak to bear the heavy herbs. It is often used for heavy menstruation in the menopause due to empty-heat in the Liver and Kidney meridians and organs. It is also selected in formulas to treat dry eyes, blurred vision and tinnitus. 

Generally speaking, blood, Yin and essence all belong to the Yin because of their substantial form. In a syndrome of Liver-Yin deficiency, liver-blood deficiency is often the initial stage of Liver-Yin deficiency liquid-Yin deficiency is the second stage, and essence deficiency of the Liver and Kidney is the last stage. Thus, to tonify the Liver-Yin, herbs that tonify the blood and nourish the liquid-Yin and the essence are all selected. 

First, herbs that are sweet and neutral, sweet and slightly warm, or sweet and cold, enter the Kidney and Liver meridians, and are able to tonify the Kidney-essence, the Liver-blood and the body fluids are selected. 

Herbs that regulate the Liver-Qi are often selected as Liver-Yin deficiency commonly coexists with Kidney-Yin deficiency and frequently causes Liver-Qi stagnation. 

Chen Pi, Mu Xiang and Sha Ren are all aromatic herbs and warm in nature. They can promote digestion and Qi movement and reduce distension. Chen Pi is particularly selected for treating Qi obstruction in the Stomach Mu Xiang is for stagnation in the intestines and Liver and Sha Ren is for Qi obstruction in the Large Intestine. 

First, herbs that are pungent and warm, enter the Liver meridian and can spread the Liver-Qi are selected. 

It is also necessary to select herbs that enter the Liver, Heart and Lung meridians, and can improve sleep and calm the mind if depression and frustration are present. 

If the Liver-Qi is disturbed by Liver-fire, or uprising of Liver-Yang or Liver-wind, it is important to select herbs that can treat these disorders, thereby allowing the Qi to move smoothly. 

Herbs that tonify the Spleen-Qi and nourish the Liver-blood and Liver-Yin are selected when deficiency of these organs leads to stagnation of the Liver-Qi. 

Chuan Lian Zi is very bitter and cold. It can intensively drain the Liver-fire and direct the Liver-Qi downwards. It is selected in formulas for treating syndromes where Liver-fire flares up and Liver-Qi movement is disturbed. The disorder is manifested as irritability, distension in the hypochondria, insomnia, quick temper, red eyes, headache, red tongue with a yellow coating and a forceful, wiry and rapid pulse. Because Chuan Lian Zi is very bitter and cold, it easily injures the Stomach. This herb should not be used for a long period of time or in large dosage, because it is a toxic herb. Overdose may cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, dyspnea and arrhythmia. 

These herbs are selected to promote blood circulation. Mei Gui Hua has the function of harmonizing the Qi of the Liver and Stomach, and treating the syndrome of Liver-Qi attacking the Spleen and Stomach. Its function is quite similar to that of Xiang Yuan (Citri fructus) and Fo Shou [Citri sarcodactylis fructus). However, this herb can promote both Qi and blood circulation and is an appropriate herb to treat disorders due to both Qi and blood stagnation, such as in irregular menstruation and dysmenorrhea. 

Chuan Xiong, Yu Jin and Yan Hu Suo are herbs that promote blood circulation. As they are able to move the Qi in the blood, they are considered as the Qi-moving herbs in the blood. In formulas that regulate the Liver-Qi, they may be selected in conditions of Qi and blood stagnation, or for the purpose of activating the blood in order to accelerate the Qi movement. As Chuan Xiong and Yan Hu Suo are warm in temperature and Yu Jin is cold, they should be selected according to the nature of the syndrome. 

These herbs are selected to relax tendons. Gan Cao is sweet in nature and enters all meridians. It is often used together with sour herbs such as Bai Shao Yao (Paeoniae radix lactiflora) and Mu Gua to generate Yin to soften the Liver, ease the muscles and tendons, relieve cramp and reduce high tension in the body. 

If there is heat in the blood with blood stagnation, the first priority is to select pungent, bitter and slightly cold herbs that enter the Heart, Pericardium, Liver and Gall Bladder meridians, and can circulate the blood and clear heat. 

As well as the above-mentioned functions, this herb has other functions that can be used as a reference in selecting herbs in a formula. It is an aromatic herb, and is able to penetrate damp-heat, clear damp-heat and promote bile secretion. It can be used as deputy in a formula when there is damp-heat in the Upper- and Middle-Jiao, the symptoms of which are fullness in the chest and epigastric region, jaundice and reduced appetite, such as in malaria and hepatitis. In addition, Yu Jin can spread the Liver-Qi, clear the Liver-heat and eliminate irritability. It can be selected to treat headache and a tight sensation in the chest caused by Qi and blood stagnation and damp-heat obstruction. 

In the composition, in addition to using the blood-moving herbs in general, Wu Ling Zhi and Yan Hu Suo are selected. They enter the Liver meridian and are particularly used to treat blood stagnation in the hypochondriac region. 

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