What Is cistanche: The Difference Between Desertliving Cistanche And Cistanche Salsa?

Keywords: Desertliving Cistanche, Cistanche salsa, Cistanche

Cistanche is a natural tonic herb that grows in some selected areas such as the Desert in Xinjiang China and Alexa areas. Cistanche has been used as a medicinal herb for a long time from ancient times. there are two main types of cistanche that grow in China, one is the desertliving cistanche and the other is the cistanche salsa. Desertliving Cistanche and Cistanche Salsa are both belong to the species of Cistanche, and both are rare and precious medicinal herbal.

1. Desertliving Cistanche

Desertliving Cistanche is one of the original plants of the traditional Chinese medicine Cistanche in the history of herbal medicine. It is naturally distributed in western Inner Mongolia (Alexa League, Bayannaoer City), Gansu (Minqin, Jinchang, Changma, Jiuquan, Jinta) and northern Xinjiang, Born in a desert area with Haloxylon distribution, 225~1250m above sea level, parasitic on the roots of Haloxylon.

cistanche salsa and cistanche deserticola

The artificial cultivation of desertliving Cistanche was successfully in the Cistanche Cultivation Experimental Field of Alexa League Pharmaceutical Company in 1985, and it was the first Cistanche plant to achieve artificial inoculation and cultivation. In addition, there is also a small amount of desert cistanche cultivation in Gansu and northern Xinjiang.

2. Cistanche Salsa

Cistanche salsa is distributed in Inner Mongolia, Shaanxi, Ningxia, Gansu, Xinjiang, and other provinces (autonomous regions). It is born in desert steppe belts, lake basin lowlands in desert areas, and places with heavier salinity, with an altitude of 700-2650m. This species has a wide range of hosts, and the common hosts include salt claw, twig salt claw, convex pointed salt claw, red sand, pearl wood, and Suaeda phytocarpa.

Modern medical research has confirmed that Cistanche contains phenethyl alcohol glycosides, iridoids, lignans, alkaloids, polysaccharides, and esters. Cistanche has the effects of inhibiting lipid peroxidation, improving antioxidant enzyme activity, enhancing body tolerance, improving memory and anti-radiation.