What Are the Benefits and Effects of Silk Tree Bark?

Update Date: 2024-05-27 Source: Network

If you experience insomnia and frequent dreams, as well as mental unrest, you can use Albizia bark as a daily remedy. Albizia bark is actually a type of dried tree bark that primarily functions to soothe the mind, reduce swelling, relieve pain, promote blood circulation, and alleviate mental unease. However, it is advisable to consult a doctor before consuming Albizia bark to avoid any potential side effects due to incorrect usage. Pregnant women should avoid consuming Albizia bark.

Albizia bark is the dried bark of Albizia plants from the Leguminosae family, which is harvested during the summer and autumn seasons and then dried. It typically appears in a curled tube or half-tube shape, with a length ranging from 40 to 80cm and a thickness of 0.1 to 0.3cm. The outer surface is grayish-brown to gray, and the taste is sweet and neutral. It has the functions of relieving depression, harmonizing blood, calming the mind, and reducing swelling and abscesses. It is effective in treating mental unrest, depression, insomnia, lung abscesses, swelling and abscesses, tuberculosis, and bone fractures. The tree is a deciduous broad-leaved tree with an umbrella-shaped canopy. Its leaves are alternate, and the inflorescence is corymb-like. The stamens have thread-like filaments that are half-white and half-red, giving it the nicknames of "horse cherry blossom" and "velvet flower".

The main components of Albizia bark include saponins and tannins. The bark of Albizia chinensis, a related species, contains triterpenoid saponins known as Albizia oxytocin. Albizia glycosides (All-biside) can be extracted from the pericarp of Albizia pods, which hydrolyze to produce echinocystic acid, glucose, xylose, arabinose, fructose, and rhamnose. Lebbekanin E, a saponin isolated from the wood of Albizia lebbek, consists of acacic acid, glucose, arabinose, xylose, and rhamnose.

Drug compatibility of Albizia bark:

1. It is commonly used for insomnia and mental unrest caused by emotional distress. Clinically, it is often combined with Semen Platycladi, Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae, and Semen Ziziphi Spinosi to enhance its effects on nourishing the heart, relieving depression, and calming the mind.

2. For fractures and swelling caused by trauma, it can be combined with Angelica sinensis and Chuanxiong, which have blood-activating properties. It can also be used with Musk and Frankincense.

Cultivation techniques for Albizia bark:

Propagation is primarily done through seeds. For spring seedling cultivation, the seeds should be soaked for 8-10 hours before sowing. Sow the seeds in rows with a row spacing of 60cm and cover with 2-3cm of soil. Keep the soil moist, and germination should occur within approximately 10 days. The seed rate for 1 hectare is approximately 150kg. After the seedlings emerge, it is important to strengthen management practices such as weed control, soil loosening, and fertilization. Transplantation should be done in the spring or autumn of the second year, with a plant spacing of 3-5m. After transplantation, weeds should be removed and the soil loosened during the spring and autumn of each year for the next 2-3 years to promote growth.