ABSTRACT
Eucommia ulmoides Oliver (Du-Zhong) (EU), of the family Eucommiacaea, is a large deciduous tree originating in China. The bark of the tree (commonly referred to as cortex eucommiae) has been used as a natural medicine since ancient times in China (1, 2). Currently, the herb is widely used as decoctions or commercially manufactured pills, essences, and extracts in Chinese communities worldwide especially in mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Singapore. In Japan, dried eucommia leaves are consumed commonly as Tochu tea. The trunk bark of E. ulcommia ulmoides Oli is produced mainly in the Sichuan, Yunnan, Guizhou, Hubei, and Shanxi provinces of China. The bark is stripped off between April and June. After the coarse outer corky layer is scraped off, the bark pieces are piled up until the inner surface becomes purplish-brown and then dried in the sun. The large bark is cut into segments and stir-baked with salt. This herb is called fried “eucommia bark” or “eucommia bark charcoal.” The herb appears as flattened pieces that are 3-7 mm thick. The outer surface of the bark is fissured longitudinally. Pieces are easily broken from the bark and such pieces are linked by fine, dense silvery and elastic rubber bands. The tree has been cultivated for its rubber.
