shen qu 神麴

Edited by: Joe Hing kwok Chu

A manuscript... writing and translation in progress

Pharmaceutical name: 英文藥名﹕	Medicata Fermentita Fujianensis Massa
Pron. in Japanese: 日語發音﹕	shinkyoku
Pron. in Korean: 韓語發音﹕	singok
Pron. in Cantonese: 粵音﹕	san kok
Other Names: 別名﹕	liu shen qu 六神麴，jian shen qu 建神麴, hong qu, 紅麴。
Common Name: 英文名﹕	medicated leaven
Distribution: 產地﹕	throughout China, originally from Fujian thus called jian shen qu. Jian is short for Fujian.
Properties (characteristics)﹕ 性味﹕	sweetm acrid, warm. 味甘、辛，性溫。
Channels (meridians) entered:   歸經﹕	spleen, stomach
Medical functions: 藥理﹕	The product of metabization of Aspergillus terreus, a reductase can inhibit the activity of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) and maintain the balance of cholesterol in the body. 紅麴真菌菌株產生的代 謝產物，能抑制HMG-CoA 還原酵素的活性，維持體內膽固醇平衡。
Actions & Indications: 主治﹕	For weak digestion, lack of appetite, flatulence, diarrhea due to pixu (spleen deficient), stomach flu, reducing xue yu (blood stasis). 功能﹕健脾胃止瀉，消食助消化，行氣，解表。 主治﹕ 消化不良，食慾不振，飲食積滯，胸腹脹滿，脾虛 泄瀉，胃腸流行性感冒﹐ 血瘀  。
Chemical ingredients: 化學成份﹕	monacolin K, yeast, glycosides, vitamin B
Dosage: 用量﹕	10 to 20 g. Concentrated extract: 0.5 to 2 g. 10～20克。濃縮中藥：0.5～2克。
Samples of formulae :處方舉例﹕	to be loaded
Modern Research: 現代研究﹕	In 1997, a professor of School of Agriculture of Tokyo University of Japan,  Akira Endo discovered that monacolin K, a by product during the fermentation process of shen qu,  can inhibit the synthesis of cholesterol in human body and can promote circulation. [1] 在 一九七七年，日本東京農工大學的遠藤教授 從紅麴發酵的代謝物中發現一種成分, 紅麴素 ，可以抑制人體內膽固醇的合成，還可以促進血液循環。 [1]
Toxicity & Cautions: 毒素與禁忌﹕	Use caution during pregnancies. Not to use in cases with stomach fire. Use caution if the liver function is low. During the the fermentation process, it can be contaminated by citrinin, which is produced by fungi of the species Aspergillus, Penicillium and Monascus. . Citrinin is a renal toxin and can also induce cell mutation. Long term use of citrinin contaminated shen qu (hong qu) may damage kidneys. When using statins, one should avoid using the following substances: antibiotics, Erythromycin cholesterol lowering drugs: gemfibrozil (Lopid), niacin grapefruit or grapefruit juice citrus soda Cyclosporine (examples: Sandimmune, Neoral, SangCya. Before there is enough information, when using hong qu, one may also have to avoid the above substances. 發酵過程中，有 可能受到黴菌毒素──檸檬素 (citrinin) 的污染。紅麴所含的檸檬素，能誘發依賴性突變反應，同時檸檬素也是腎毒性物質，長期服用過度遭受污染檸檬素的紅麴，可能造成腎的傷害 。 [1] Statins 可 能 與 下 列 物 質 相 畏 ﹕ 抗生素﹕  紅黴素( Erythromycin) 降膽固醇藥 物 ﹕  gemfibrozil (Lopid). 維生素B3 (niacin) 葡萄柚 (grapefruit)。  會讓statins  作 用 升高.  柑橘類的汽 水 Cyclosporine (如 : Sandimmune, Neoral, SangCya ) 沒 有 夠 足 質 料 前 ﹐ 所以吃紅麴時 ﹐  最 好 不 要  同 時 用 以 上 物 質 。

Statin drugs :

[1] http://www.bio-era.com.tw/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=871