bubble_chart Source

This product is the mature peel of the evergreen small tree plant tangerine (Citrus reticulata Blanco) from the beautiful steetgum resin family and its cultivated varieties. It is mainly produced in Guangdong, Fujian, Sichuan, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, and other regions. The peel is harvested when the fruit matures in late autumn and early winter, then sun-dried or dried at low temperatures. The older the peel, the better its quality, hence it is called Dried Tangerine Peel. The peel produced in Xinhui, Guangdong, is known as Xinhui Peel, also referred to as Guangdong Dried Tangerine Peel. It is used in its raw form.

bubble_chart Properties and Meridians

Acrid and bitter, warm. act on spleen and lung channels.

bubble_chart Efficacy

Regulating qi and invigorating spleen, drying dampness and resolving phlegm.

bubble_chart Indications

1. is used for spleen-stomach disharmony syndrome/pattern. This product is pungent and warm in nature, with the functions of moving qi to relieve pain, strengthening the spleen, and harmonizing the middle. Due to its bitter taste, it dries dampness, making it particularly suitable for cases where cold-dampness obstructs the middle, leading to spleen-stomach qi stagnation, epigastric distension and fullness, pain, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. It is often used in combination with Atractylodes Rhizome, Magnolia Bark, etc., such as in Stomach-Calming Powder. For spleen deficiency qi stagnation, abdominal pain relieved by pressure, poor appetite, postprandial abdominal distension and fullness, and loose stools with a pale tongue, it can be used with Tangshen, White Atractylodes Rhizome, Poria, etc., such as in Extraordinary Efficacy Powder. If spleen-stomach qi stagnation is severe, with intense epigastric distension and fullness pain, it is often combined with Aucklandia Root, Immature Orange Fruit, etc., to enhance the effect of moving qi to relieve pain.
2. It is used for damp phlegm and cold phlegm cough. It can both dry dampness and resolve phlegm, as well as warm and resolve cold phlegm. Its pungent and bitter properties allow it to ventilate the lung and relieve cough, making it an essential medicine for treating phlegm. For damp phlegm cough, it is often used with Pinellia, Poria, etc., such as in Two Old Ingredients Decoction. For cold phlegm cough, it is often used with Dried Ginger, Asarum, Schisandra Fruit, etc.

bubble_chart Documentation

1. Benjing: "It governs chest fullness and heat, counterflow qi, and promotes the movement of water and grains. Long-term use eliminates foul odors and lowers qi."
2. Bencao Gangmu: "It treats vomiting, hiccups, regurgitation, epigastric upset, occasional clear water vomiting, stuffiness, cough, malaria, severe constipation, and acute mastitis in women. When used in food, it neutralizes the fishy odor of seafood." Haogu said: "Tangerine peel is best when it is red and aged, hence it is called red peel or Dried Tangerine Peel. The one with the white part removed is called red tangerine exocarp."

bubble_chart Usage and Dosage

Decoct and take 3-10g.

bubble_chart Modern Pharmacology

This product contains volatile oil, flavonoids (such as hesperidin), nobiletin, and vitamins B1, C, etc. The volatile oil in tangerine peel mainly contains limonene.

1. The decoction of this product has inhibitory effects on the isolated intestines of rabbits and mice, as well as on the stomach and intestinal movements of anesthetized rabbits and dogs, and on the isolated uterus of mice; it causes tonic contraction of the in situ uterus in anesthetized rabbits.
2. A small amount of decoction can enhance cardiac contractility, increasing cardiac output; a large dose can inhibit the heart.
3. Fresh tangerine peel decoction has a bronchodilatory effect.
4. The hesperidin contained has a vitamin P-like effect, reducing capillary permeability and preventing microvascular bleeding;
5. it can antagonize the increase in vascular permeability caused by histamine and lysolecithin;
6. it can enhance fibrinolytic activity and prevent thrombosis;
7. it has a choleretic effect.

bubble_chart Supplementary Medicinals

Tangerine Seed: The seed of the tangerine. It has a bitter and neutral taste. It belongs to the liver meridian. Its functions include soothing the liver to dissipate binding and relieving pain. It is used for hernia pain, testicular swelling and pain, and breast lumps. Decoction, 3-10g.

Tangerine Pith: The fibrous bundle group between the mesocarp and endocarp of the tangerine. It has a sweet, bitter, and neutral taste. It belongs to the liver and lung meridians. Its functions include moving qi to unblock collaterals, resolving phlegm, and relieving cough. It is used for chest pain and cough due to phlegm stagnation in the meridians. Decoction, 3-5g.

Tangerine Leaf: The leaf of the tangerine tree. It has a pungent, bitter, and neutral taste. It belongs to the liver meridian. Its functions include soothing the liver and moving qi, dissipating nodules, and reducing swelling. It is used for pain in the hypochondriac region, acute mastitis, and breast lumps. Decoction, 6-10g.