Decoction

Decoction is a method of extraction by boiling herbal or plant material (which may include stems, roots, bark and rhizomes) to dissolve the chemicals of the material. Decoction involves first mashing the plant material to allow for maximum dissolution, and then boiling in water to extract oils, volatile organic compounds and other various chemical substances.

Decoction is the most common form of administration of herbal medicine. Decoctions are usually taken orally. They can be absorbed quickly and have the strongest action of all of the traditional types of preparation. Decoctions can also be used topically as herbal baths for the whole body or for the affected regions of the body. Decoctions are normally preferred for harder herbs like roots, barks, and seeds. It is helpful to grind or crush the whole root, bark, and seeds before preparing the decoction. This is prepared by heating the required quantity of herbs with water for a period of about 30 min, until about 50% of the water is lost. The vessel must be closed during heating to prevent any essential constituents from being lost through evaporation. The extract is then removed from heat and strained using a filter, and the decoction is used either as a whole or after suitable dilution.