Exploration on Compatibility between Shanyao and Top Grade Medicinals in the Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing / 世界科学技术-中医药现代化

ABSTRACT

Shanyao (Dioscorea opposita Thunb.) is the one of the conventional herbs in the clinical practice, which is good at nourishing yin, and entering the lung, spleen and kidney meridian. Through analysis on all formulae contain-ing Shanyao in past dynasties, we found out the top 30 kinds of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) herbs for the highest frequency in combination with Shanyao, among which there were 28 herbs recorded in the Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing (Shen Nong's Classic of the Materia Medica) and 23 herbs were considered as the top grade medicinals. This article was focused on the analysis of the compatibility meaning and rules of Shanyao and supplementing medic-inals in order to provide scientific basis for clinical formulae and daily health cultivation so as to make good use of Shanyao.