Which cooking time is specified for Da Huang?

Which cooking time is specified for Da Huang?

• A. No more than 15 minutes
• B. No more than 10 minutes
• C. No more than 5 minutes
• D. No more than 20 minutes

Answer: (B)

Da Huang has a strong purgative action, so its decoction is kept brief to deliver the desired effect without over-stimulating the GI tract. You typically add Da Huang toward the end of the decoction and boil it only a short time, usually 5–10 minutes. The standard guidance is no more than 10 minutes, which preserves the active constituents responsible for the purgative effect while minimizing irritation and excessive laxation. Longer boiling can alter the preparation and increase adverse effects, so the brief cooking time is the best practice.

Da Huang has a strong purgative action, so its decoction is kept brief to deliver the desired effect without over-stimulating the GI tract. You typically add Da Huang toward the end of the decoction and boil it only a short time, usually 5–10 minutes. The standard guidance is no more than 10 minutes, which preserves the active constituents responsible for the purgative effect while minimizing irritation and excessive laxation. Longer boiling can alter the preparation and increase adverse effects, so the brief cooking time is the best practice.