... uses of dendrobium orchids include a cure
for dryness, thirst and inflammation, protection of the stomach, cleansing of
the liver, and improvement of eyesight...
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News
Taipei
(ANTARA News) - The Council of Agriculture (COA) on Wednesday unveiled a new
orchid species for use in traditional Chinese medicine, saying it took eight
years to breed and contains high levels of polysaccharides that are good for
people in chemotherapy.
The Golden
Emperor Number 1, a crossbreed between Dendrobium tosaense and Dendrobium stem,
contains more polysaccharides than the premium orchid species Dendrobium huoshanense
that originated in China's Anhui Province, the council said.
Polysaccharides
play a role in stimulating the immune system and can aid the recovery of
patients in chemotherapy, said Wen Chi-luan, a research assistant at the
council's Taiwan Seed Improvement and Propagation Station.
Patients
recovering from eye surgery can also benefit from polysaccharides, as they
activate the retinal cell layers, Wen said. Golden Emperor Number 1, to be mass
produced soon, will take only two years to grow and will yield 8 to 12 grams of
dried polysaccharides annually, he said.
In other
words, the new species matures in half the time as the premium orchid species
Dendrobium houshanense and its yield is five times higher, Wen added.
One of the
most expensive types of orchids in Chinese medicine, 600 grams of dried
dendrobium huoshanense herbal medicine can cost NT$8,900 (US$300).
Dendrobium
orchids are recorded as a high class Chinese medicine, similar to ginseng, in
the traditional Chinese medical journal "the Divine Farmer's Herb-Root
Classic," which was written by legendary ruler Shengnong some 5,000 years
ago, Wen noted.
Some
medical uses of dendrobium orchids recorded in the journal include a cure for
dryness, thirst and inflammation, protection of the stomach, cleansing of the
liver, and improvement of eyesight, Wen said.
Editor: Ade Marboen
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