Pulsatillae Radix

also known as Pulsatilla Chinesis Regel

has a long history of medication

and was found in Sheng Nong's Herbal Classic. In Eastern Han Dynasty

‘Medical Sage’ Zhang Zhong-jing wrote in Treatise on Febrile and Miscellaneous Diseases

‘Pulsatillae Radix Tang is an antipyretic and purgative medicine’. Ancient herbal literatures and records are different in descriptions of ‘white velvet nearby root’ and ‘white velvet nearby head’. Through the study of herbal medicine of Pulsatillae Radix

we reviewed and analyzed previous herbal literatures

studied its basic

origin and efficacy

and summarized and compared Chinese Pulsatilla sect samples. According to taxonomic studies for Chinese Pulsatilla sect

we made a textual research for the basis of Chinese herb Pulsatilla sect and provide the basis for further development and utilization of Pulsatillae Radix. Through the analysis of ancient herbal researches and literatures

we only identified it as a Ranunculaceae Pulsatilla sect plant

but could not identify it as P. chinensis. Because the medication of Pulsatillae Radix greatly varies in different places in China

we could not identify it based on characteristics. Worse still

there are many confused and counterfeit products in the market

which seriously affects people medication safety. With the characteristics of accuracy

simplicity and rapidity

modern molecular biological DNA bar code technology provides a new method for the identification of plant species and the discovery of new species and reliable basis for identifying the authenticity of botanicals. DNA bar code technology can help identify the wide variety of Pulsatilla sect plants. A large number of experiments show that Pulsatilla sect plants (such as P. cernua

P. dahurica) have similar chemical components and index components with P. Chinensis

and their medicinal value shall be determined through preparation and pharmacology-based analytical techniques.