Osmanthi Fragrantis Flos
Aliases：Osmanthus Flower, Jin Gui, Yin Gui, Yue Gui, Muxi, Jiulixiang, Yangui.
Guihua (Sweet Osmanthus Flower) is a traditional Chinese medicinal herb derived from the dried flower of Osmanthus fragrans (Thunb.) Lour., a plant of the Oleaceae family. Renowned for its enchanting fragrance, it is also a valuable warming herb in TCM. Its warm and acrid properties help warm the lungs and dispel cold. The flowers are harvested in September and October when they are in full bloom. After harvesting, they are cleaned of impurities and dried in the shade. Native to China and widely cultivated, Guihua was recorded in the “Compendium of Materia Medica” and exemplifies a medicinal and edible substance.
Efficacy & Actions
Warms the lungs, transforms phlegm, dispels cold, and relieves pain.
Indications
Used for cough with excessive phlegm, epigastric and abdominal cold pain, bloody dysentery, amenorrhea and dysmenorrhea, cold hernia abdominal pain, toothache, and halitosis.
Modern Pharmacology
Anti-inflammatory and Neuroprotective Effects: Components like jin-gui glycoside A have been shown to inhibit neuroinflammation, indicating potential neuroprotective properties. Hypoglycemic and Lipid-Regulating Effects: Ethanol extract of Sweet Osmanthus Flower can significantly improve dyslipidemia in hyperlipidemic mice, reducing TG, TC, and LDL-C levels. Antioxidant and Anti-Aging Effects: Essential oil from the flower enhances the activity of antioxidant enzymes (SOD, CAT) in aged mice models and reduces MDA levels, exhibiting anti-aging effects. Immunomodulatory Effect: Polysaccharides from Sweet Osmanthus Flower possess anti-tumor activity and can enhance immunity. Antimicrobial Effect: Flavonoids, phenols, and other components contribute to its antimicrobial activity.
Ingredients
Volatile oils: Responsible for its fragrance, including β-phellandrene, nerol, α-ionone, β-ionone, linalool, and its oxides. Flavonoids. Phenols. Phenylpropanoids. Iridoid glycosides: Such as ligstroside and oleuropein. Lignans: Such as forsythiaside and pinoresinol. Triterpenes: Such as oleanolic acid. Waxes: Containing methyl laurate, methyl myristate, methyl palmitate, and methyl stearate.
Usage & Dosage
Oral Administration: Decoction, 3-9 g; or steeped as tea. Topical Administration: Appropriate amount, decocted for mouthwash or steamed for hot compress.
Contraindications
Use with caution in patients with Yin deficiency and internal heat. Contraindicated during pregnancy. Not suitable for individuals with excessive liver fire or a hot constitution.
Selected Formulas
For Halitosis (Bad Breath): Take an appropriate amount of Sweet Osmanthus Flower (Guì Huā). Decoct in water and use the liquid as a mouthwash. For Epigastric Cold Pain: Take 4.5 g each of Sweet Osmanthus Flower (Guì Huā) and Galangal Rhizome (Gāo Liáng Jiāng), and 3 g of Fennel Fruit (Xiǎo Huí Xiāng). Decoct in water and take orally. For Cold Stomach Pain: Take 3 g of Sweet Osmanthus Flower (Guì Huā), 9 g each of Cyperus Rhizome (Xiāng Fù) and Galangal Rhizome (Gāo Liáng Jiāng), and 6 g of Amomum Fruit (Shā Rén). Decoct in water and take orally. For Amenorrhea and Abdominal Pain: Take 12 g each of Sweet Osmanthus Flower (Guì Huā), Hypericum japonicum (Duì Yuè Cǎo), “Dǎo Zhú Sàn” (a folk herb, name retained in pinyin), and Motherwort (Yì Mǔ Cǎo); 9 g of Mugwort Leaf (ài Yè); and 6 g of Chinese Rose Flower (Yuè Jì Huā). Decoct in water and take orally. For Toothache Due to Wind-Heat and Dental Caries: Take Osmanthus Flower (Mù Xī Huā), Gallnut (Bǎi Yào Jiān), and Catechu (Hái Er Chá). Prepare them into a paste or cake and hold it in the mouth.
Daily Consumption
Osmanthus Tea: Place 3 g of dried osmanthus flowers into a cup. Add boiling water, cover, and steep for 5–8 minutes before drinking. Osmanthus Wine: Wash fresh osmanthus flowers and let them dry in the shade for one day. Transfer them into a jar containing white liquor, seal the jar, and store it in a dark, well-ventilated place for three months. Osmanthus Cake: Mix rice flour, sugar, yeast, and other ingredients evenly, then allow the mixture to ferment. Sprinkle osmanthus flowers on top before steaming to make a traditional cake. Stewed Pear with Dried Apricot and Osmanthus Sugar: Core and slice a pear. Steam the pear slices together with dried apricot for 20 minutes. Finally, add osmanthus sugar. This dessert helps dispel cold, moisten the lungs, resolve phlegm, and stop cough.
Medicinal Parts
Dried flower.
Selection & Storage
Osmanthus flower, Gui Hua, warm lung and resolve phlegm, dispel cold and relieve pain, phlegm cough, stomach cold pain, halitosis, toothache