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Chaenomelis Fructus
Chaenomeles [fruit]
木瓜 〔木瓜〕 mù guā
Alternate English names: Chinese quince [fruit] Japanese quince [fruit]
Alternate Chinese names: 木瓜实 mù guā shí; 铁脚梨 tiě jiǎo lí; 宣木瓜 xuān mù guā
Kingdom: Plant
Origin in PRC Pharmacopoeia: Chaenomeles speciosa (Sweet) Nakai. [=Chaenomeles lagenaria (Loisel.) Koidz.] (PRC Pharmacopoeia)
Origin in unofficial sources: Chaenomeles lagenaria (Loisel.) Koidz.; Chaenomeles sinensis (Thouin) Koehne; Chaenomeles lagenaria (Loisel.) Koidz. var. cathayensis (Hemsl.) Rehd.; Chaenomeles lagenaria (Loisel.) Koidz. var. wilsonii Rehd.; Chaenomeles thibetica Yü; Chaenomeles speciosa (Sweet) Nakai*
Use: Medicinal
Category: Wind-damp–dispelling agents / Wind-cold-damp–dispelling agents
Properties: Sour; warm.
Channel entry: Liver and spleen channels.
Actions and indications:
- Soothes the sinews and quickens the network vessels: Wind-damp impediment pain, hypertonicity of the sinews, leg qì (jiǎo qì) (beriberi) with swelling and pain.
- Transforms dampness and harmonizes the stomach: Vomiting or diarrhea with cramps due to damp turbidity obstructing the center.
- Additional uses: mù guā has a food-dispersing effect and can be used to treat indigestion.
Dosage and method: Oral: 10–15g in decoctions.
Warnings: Unsuitable for patients with excessive stomach acid. It is contraindicated in internally depressed heat with short voidings of reddish urine, in unresolved exterior patterns, and in initial-stage dysentery.
Notes: The mù guā used clinically in Chinese medicine is unrelated to the papaya fruit, which is also known in Chinese as mù guā.
Product description: The dry fruit is oval, 4–8 cm long, and 3.5–5 cm in diameter, with a purple red, 2–8 mm thick exocarp that has a slight sheen and deep wrinkles. It is often sold cut in half, the pieces curling at the edges. Inside are flat or depressed ovaries, with reddish-brown seeds, which are often missing. The fruit is soaked, steamed, and cut into slices 1–2 mm thick.
Quality: Large wrinkled reddish fruits are the best.
Production area: ānhuī, Zhèjiāng, Húběi, Sìchuān.
Etymology: The name mù guā 木瓜, literally tree melon,
a melon-like fruit that grows on a tree. This name is also a common abbreviation for fān mù guā 番木瓜, the papaya, native to tropical America, now extensively grown in southern China.