Daily protection and storage methods of Chinese medicinal materials with homologous drugs and foods
**1、 Daily protective precautions**
1. * * Environmental aspect**
-Medicinal and edible herbs should be placed in a clean environment to avoid contamination by dust, impurities, and other contaminants.
-Keep away from items with unpleasant odors, as Chinese medicinal herbs are prone to absorbing odors, which can affect their quality. For example, placing a container containing traditional Chinese medicine in a separate, odorless small space.
2. * * Prevent physical damage**
-When handling and retrieving traditional Chinese medicinal materials in daily life, they should be handled with care. Root and stem medicinal herbs like ginseng have fragile roots, and rough treatment may cause the roots to break, affecting the appearance and quality of the herbs.
**2、 Storage method precautions**
1. * * Dry storage**
-Most medicinal herbs of the same origin as food and medicine need to be kept dry. For example, goji berries contain a lot of sugar and are prone to moisture absorption, dampness, and mold growth. They should be placed in a dry and ventilated place. Desiccants such as silica gel desiccants can be placed in storage containers to absorb excess moisture.
-Regularly inspect Chinese medicinal materials for signs of moisture, especially in seasons or regions with high humidity. Once slight moisture is found, it can be promptly spread out and dried.
2. * * Temperature control**
-Some Chinese medicinal herbs are sensitive to temperature. Like some medicinal herbs containing volatile oils (such as peppermint), if the temperature is too high, the volatile oils are easily lost, affecting the medicinal efficacy of the herbs. This type of medicinal herb can be considered for storage in the refrigerator compartment (2-8 ℃) during high temperatures in summer; But for some nourishing medicinal herbs (such as Astragalus membranaceus), as long as the environment is kept dry and ventilated, they can be stored at room temperature.
3. * * Avoid light storage**
-The active ingredients of many medicinal herbs are easily decomposed under light. Like Angelica sinensis, prolonged exposure to sunlight can damage its active ingredients. Medicinal herbs should be stored in dark containers such as brown glass bottles or wrapped in dark paper before being placed in regular containers.
4. * * Sealed storage**
-Sealed storage can effectively prevent air, moisture, and pest infestations. For medicinal herbs that are prone to moisture and oxidation (such as yam), they can be stored in sealed bags or cans. Ensure that the medicinal herbs have dried and there is no residual moisture or impurities in the container before sealing.
5. * * Classified storage**
-Medicinal and edible herbs of different properties should be stored separately. For example, separating medicinal herbs (such as Codonopsis pilosula) and chrysanthemums to prevent mutual influence. At the same time, medicinal materials that are at risk of insect infestation (such as jujube) should be stored separately from those that have deteriorated or have an unpleasant odor to avoid cross contamination.
6. * * Regular inspection**
-Regularly check whether the stored Chinese medicinal materials have mold, insect infestation, or deterioration. If it is a medicinal herb that is susceptible to insect infestation (such as Job’s tears), you can regularly open the container to check the internal condition. Once problems are discovered, it is necessary to promptly dispose of spoiled or contaminated medicinal materials and adjust storage conditions.
7. Special treatment of special medicinal herbs**
-For some special medicinal and edible herbs with the same origin, such as Gui Yuan Rou, which is prone to insect infestation and mold growth, in addition to sealed storage, a small amount of Sichuan pepper can also be added inside to use the scent of Sichuan pepper to repel insects; For glue like ass hide glue, it should be placed in a cool and dry place to prevent it from being wet, melting or smelling.