[Morphological and histological studies of Chinese traditional drug "hua jiao" (pericarpium zanthoxyli) and its allied drugs].

The Chinese traditional drug "Hua Jiao" specified in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia 1990 edition is the dried pericarp of ripe fruit of Zanthoxylum schinifolium Sieb. et Zucc. or Z. bungeanum Maxim., family Rutaceae. It has been used for epigastric pain accompanied by cold sensation, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain due to intestinal parasitosis, ascariasis and used externally for eczema. By the investigation of the drug resources in the main producing areas and distributing regions (Sichuan, Guangxi, Henan, Liaoning, Zhejiang, Anhui, Jiangsu and Shandong Provinces or Autonomous Regions), we found that there are pericarps derived from more than 18 spp. of Zanthoxylum used as drugs in China. In this paper, the morphological and histological characters of crude drugs derived from the following 8 species, viz. Zanthoxylum bungeanum Maxim., Z. schinifolium Sieb. et Zucc., Z. armatum DC., Z. simulans Hance, Z. avicennae (Lam.) DC., Z. ailanthoides Sieb. et Zucc., Z. molle Rehd. and Z. nitidum (Roxb.). DC. were described with illustrations. It was discovered that such features as the external characters of pericarp, the occurrence of hairs on fruit stalk, the presence and location of pigment and crystals of hesperidin, the thickness of the cell walls of endocarp and the presence and shape of nonglandular hairs on fruit stalk were important for the identification of these drugs.