It is formed by combining sugar and non-sugar substances. The commonness of glycosides lies in the sugar part. Different types of aglycones have different physiological activities and have various functions. For example, the leaves of digitalis contain cardiac glycosides which have a cardiotonic effect, and ginseng contains ginsenosides which have the effect of invigorating qi, promoting body fluid and soothing the nerves.
Volatile oil
Also known as essential oil, it is an oily liquid with aroma and volatility. It is a mixture of multiple compounds. It has physiological activity and has many medical effects, such as relieving cough, relieving asthma, sweating, relieving the surface, expectorating, and repelling Wind, analgesia, antibacterial, etc. The volatile oil content of medicinal plants is richer in Platycladus orientalis, Magnolia officinalis, Xinyi, camphor tree, cinnamon evodia, Angelica dahurica, Chuanxiong, Angelica, peppermint and so on.
Tannin
A mixture of polyphenols. It exists in a variety of plants, especially in the Willow family, Fagaceae, Polygonaceae, Rosaceae, Leguminosae, Myrtaceae and Rubiaceae plants. The insect gall medicinal material that grows on the medicinal plant Salvia officinalis is called gallnut, which contains gallnut tannins, which has astringent, antidiarrheal and antiperspirant effects.
Other ingredients
Such as carbohydrates, amino acids, proteins, enzymes, organic acids, oils, waxes, resins, pigments, inorganic substances, etc., each has a special physiological function, many of which are clinically important drugs.
Based on the legislative scope and concepts and usage conditions of various countries, the concept of plant extracts can be accepted and recognized by various countries, and it is also a common way of expression for spreading herbal medicines in various countries. China’s export of plant extracts exceeded that of proprietary Chinese medicines as early as 1999. In European and American countries, plant extracts and their products (plant medicines or food supplements) have broad market prospects and have developed into a new industry with annual sales of nearly 8 billion US dollars.
China's plant extracts are generally intermediate products and have a wide range of uses. They are mainly used as raw materials or auxiliary materials for medicines, health foods, tobacco, and cosmetics. There are also many types of raw material plants used for extraction, and currently there are more than 300 plant varieties entering industrial extraction.
