Searching for the leaves of the vằng plant to make medicine to cure diseases

Hundreds of people in Mo Duc district (Quang Ngai) searched everywhere for Vang trees to sell to traders and cook into medicine.

People gather vines to sell to traders.

"A few years ago, this plant grew thickly in the garden near my house. Now I have to go everywhere to find it. ButEvery day I can cut about 50 kg and sell it.over 200,000 VND", Ms. Nguyen Thi Long (residing in Duc Chanh commune) said.From early morning, groups of womenPeople from all over the villages of Mo Duc district spread out to find and cut the Vang tree. They followed the forest paths, cut through the bushes on the hills and mountains to find this type of tree, then gathered it into bundles and brought it back to sell to traders.

The wild vằng tree grows everywhere. It is a small shrub with white flowers growing in clusters at the ends of branches and spherical fruits. This tree has two types: small-leaf vằng (also known as vằng sẻ) and large-leaf vằng (vằng trau) which can be used as medicine.

After being cooked, the vằng tea is condensed into a pure extract for medicinal use.

To distill one kilogram of extract, it takes about 10 kilograms of fresh vằng leaves (depending on the season). Fresh vằng leaves after being harvested from the forest are washed, boiled and filtered many times continuously for more than 10 hours. The processor must be on duty constantly, not letting the fire get too high, the extract will overflow and be difficult to concentrate evenly. Do not mix with any other type of leaves, otherwise no matter how long it is cooked, it will not become vằng extract. According to trader Nguyen Thi Hien, from March until now, she has bought about 15 tons of vằng trees from people and brought them to Cam Lo district (Quang Tri) to sell to establishments that cook and process extracts to create medicinal herbs.

On average, each household produces more than 100 kg of vằng leaf extract per month, some households produce 400 kg. Vằng leaf extract is sold for more than 200,000 VND per kilo and is consumed in the domestic market and exported.

According to Oriental medicine doctors, Che Vang has a slightly bitter taste and has the effect of clearing heat, promoting blood circulation, and reducing inflammation. Che Vang extract supports the treatment of patients with high blood pressure, fatty liver, fatty blood, and diabetes.

Pharmacological research has shown that the leaves of the vằng plant contain alkaloids and flavonoids that have antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and wound-healing effects.

According to VNE