Table 3.
Association of the herbs from 96 formulae with Five Flavors (N = 180 in 96 formulae)
| Five flavors | Number of herbs | Occurrence frequency (%) | Number of formulae | Frequency of use (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sweet | 94 | 52.22 | 93 | 96.88 |
| Bitter | 87 | 48.33 | 86 | 89.58 |
| Pungent | 64 | 35.56 | 80 | 83.33 |
| Salty | 21 | 11.67 | 37 | 38.54 |
| Sour | 18 | 10 | 40 | 41.67 |
Occurrence frequency = number of herbs belonging to each category / total number of recorded herbs (i.e. 180); Frequency of use = number of formulae recording the use of the herbs / total number of selected formulae (i.e.: 96)