TABLE 1.

Basic information on botanical drugs in Dachaihu decoction.

Common English name	Botanical Latin name	Authorities	Family	Parts and form used	Processing of botanical drugs	Dosage (grams)	Main bioactive compounds	Medicinal source (Pharmacopoeia)
Bupleuri radix	Bupleurum chinense DC.	Augustin Pyramus de Candolle	Apiaceae	Root and dried root	Remove impurities and remaining stems, wash thoroughly, moisten until fully softened, slice thickly, and dry	15	Saikosaponins, flavonoids, essential oils, and phytosterols	China Pharmacopoeia (2015)
Chinese skullcap root	Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi	Johann Gottlieb Georgi	Lamiaceae	Root and dried root	Remove impurities and boil in water for 10 min. Take out and let it fully soften, then slice thinly, and dry. Alternatively, steam for 30 min, then slice thinly, and dry (avoiding direct sunlight)	9	Baicalin, baicalein, wogonin, and wogonoside	U.S. Pharmacopoeia USP 43 (2020)
Citron fruit	Citrus aurantium L.	Carl Linnaeus	Rutaceae	Fruit and dried ripe fruit	Remove impurities, wash thoroughly, moisten until fully softened, slice thinly, and dry	9	Synephrine, naringin, hesperidin, and limonin	China Pharmacopoeia (2010)
Banxia	Pinellia ternata (Thunb.) Makino.	Carl Peter Thunberg	Araceae	Tuber and dried tuber	Separate Pinellia ternata by size and soak in water until fully softened. Remove and set aside. Boil Glycyrrhiza uralensis twice, combine the decoctions, and mix with lime solution. Add the soaked Pinellia, stir 1–2 times daily, keeping pH above 12. Soak until the cross section is uniformly yellow and slightly tingling to taste. Remove, wash, and dry	9	Pinellia alkaloids, pinellin, polysaccharides, and volatile oils	China Pharmacopoeia (2015)
Rhubarb	Rheum officinale Baill	Henri Ernest Baillon	Polygonaceae	Rhizome, root, and dried root and rhizome	Remove impurities, wash thoroughly, moisten until softened, cut into thick slices or chunks, and air-dry	6	Anthraquinones, rhein, chrysophanol, emodin-8-glucoside, and aloe emodin	European Pharmacopoeia, 7th edn. (2012)
Chinese peony	Paeonia lactiflora Pall	Peter Simon Pallas	Paeoniaceae	Root and dried root	Wash thoroughly, moisten until softened, slice thinly, and dry	9	Paeoniflorin, albiflorin, and catechins	U.S. Pharmacopoeia USP 39 (2016)
Ginger	Zingiber officinale Roscoe	William Roscoe	Zingiberaceae	Rhizome and dried rhizome	Remove impurities and wash thoroughly. Slice thickly before use	15	Gingerols, shogaols, zingerone, volatile oils, and flavonoids	U.S. Pharmacopoeia USP 43 (2020)
Ba	Ziziphus jujuba Mill	Philip Miller	Rhamnaceae	Fruit and dried ripe fruits	Remove impurities, wash thoroughly, and sun-dry. Break open or remove the seeds before use	9	Polysaccharides, saponins, and vitamin C	U.S. Pharmacopoeia USP 39 (2016)

Note: According to the Chinese Pharmacopoeia, the decoction preparation method for traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is as follows: weigh Bupleurum chinense DC. [Apiaceae; Bupleuri radix], Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi [Lamiaceae; Scutellariae radix], Citrus aurantium L. [Rutaceae; Citri aurantii fructus immaturus], Pinellia ternata (Thunb.) Makino [Araceae; Pinelliae rhizoma], Rheum officinale Baill. [Polygonaceae; Rhei radix et rhizoma], Paeonia lactiflora Pall. [Paeoniaceae; Paeoniae radix alba], Zingiber officinale Roscoe [Zingiberaceae; Zingiberis rhizoma], and Ziziphus jujuba Mill. [Rhamnaceae; Ziziphi jujubae fructus], according to the specified dosages (grams). Remove any impurities and wash thoroughly. Place the botanical drugs in a clean container, add sufficient water, and soak for approximately 30 min until softened. Transfer both the botanical drugs and soaking liquid to a clay or stainless-steel pot, add 6–10 times the herb weight in water, bring to a boil, and then simmer for 30 min. After the initial decoction, strain the liquid, add more water to the residue, and decoct again for 20–25 min. Combine and mix the two decoctions and then filter through a fine sieve or cloth for clarity. Pour the decoction into a clean container while hot, seal tightly, and consume within 24 h. For longer storage, reboil to sterilize and refrigerate. It should be taken warm, in divided doses, with dosage and frequency adjusted based on medical advice.