Ox Gallstones Mauritania

The ox gallstones are one of the most precious Chinese herbal medicines. They are sold either in their natural form, or as a proprietary Chinese medicine mixed with other ingredients.

They are harvested from the gallbladders of cattle, filtered without special processing, and dried to remove moisture. Prices vary dramatically based on quality, shape and size.

1. Origin

The Australian beef industry has been gripped with a sensational news story about a meatworks employee who was caught stealing gallstones from slaughter cattle. It alleged the stones were worth up to $20,000 per kilogram.

Despite the headlines, however, the reality of gallstone theft is that they are extremely rare and are a by-product of the slaughter process. One source said that the amount of gallstones found at most of Australia’s largest plants was only ‘pea-sized’ compared to the number of cattle killed.

There are many factors which affect the presence, frequency and quality of ox gallstones at a plant. These include access to bore water, climatic conditions and age of the animal being slaughtered.

Gallstones are retrieved on the eviscera table at the abattoir during the bile extraction process and are usually found in older animals, such as cows and bulls. They are separated from the bile and are then washed with cold water to remove blood, impurities and other unwanted items.

They are then dried to remove moisture, stored in a dark and well ventilated environment at a temperature of approx. 20 degrees Celsius, and then packed in hermetically sealed bags. The stones have to be moved regularly to ensure they dry properly and do not stick together.

The value of ox gallstones depends on the dryness, colour, texture and size of each stone. Whole, smooth, golden specimens attract the highest prices. They are less valued for pitted, textured, dark or damaged stones and those with calcium inclusions (white).

The supply of ox gallstones is very limited, and the demand for them is high. The Chinese pharmaceutical industry requires about 100 MT of natural gallstones for various propriety Chinese medicines, but the domestic supply is barely one MT.

2. Processing

In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), animal biles are used for treating a wide range of diseases. For example, gallstones extracted from oxen are a common remedy for hyperpyrexia-induced infantile convulsions. They are also recommended for polydipsia, diarrhea, vomiting “caused by fright,” and nocturnal crying (“induced by fear”)[8,10], as well as bronchitis and bronchial asthma.

During the Qin and Western Han Dynasties, ox gallstones containing high levels of UDCA were widely used for multiple therapeutic purposes. They were considered a superior drug. They were highly regarded as a powerful and effective treatment for many different conditions, including hyperpyrexia-induced infantile convulsions[5,6,8,9], chronic hepatitis, gastrointestinal ulcers, and a number of other diseases.

For these reasons, ox gallstones were among the most expensive and rare drugs available in TCM. This was particularly the case during the Han dynasty.

Since then, ox gallstones have become a popular medicinal substance and are used in a number of proprietary Chinese medicines. However, supply is often inadequate. The shortage has led to the emergence of artificial gallstones.

These artificial gallstones are manufactured based on chemical ingredients, or cultured with fresh ox gallbladder bile, in an attempt to fill the demand for natural gallstones. Although these synthetic gallstones are not considered to have the same pharmacological properties as those obtained from natural ox gallstones, they are still a useful and economical alternative for many Chinese herbal medicines.

To obtain the highest quality ox gallstones, cattle are slaughtered under strict supervision and at a licensed slaughterhouse. The intestines are harvested and the stones are separated from the bile, bile tubes and other waste products. They are then washed with cold water to remove blood clots, impurities and other debris.

After this the ox gallstones are dried for two to three weeks in a dark and well ventilated room at a temperature of 20 degC. They have to be moved regularly during this period of time to prevent them from sticking together, and they are packed into hermetically sealed bags for shipment.

Ox gallstones are highly sought after by pharmaceutical companies, Chinese herbal manufacturers, and other health care providers worldwide. The most important factor in determining the quality of these gallstones is their colour, which must be of light yellow or golden in color and have a sweet odor. They must also be free from bile tubes, mold, and other abnormalities such as mad cow disease.

3. Quality

The ox gallstones are a valuable commodity in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). They have been used as a drug since the early Qin and Han Dynasties. They were regarded as a superior drug with excellent therapeutic effects and were praised for curing several childhood diseases, such as high fever, pneumonia, pyogenic tonsillitis, and bronchitis.

The best quality gallstones have a natural smell of a healthy, BSE-free cattle. They should be of light yellow, golden or orange colour and the stones have to be free from moldy, blood or cholesterol stone.

Ideally the gallstones have to be the size of an egg or smaller. The size of an egg varies, but the average is around 10 grams.

After removing the gallstones from the intestines of the cattle they are washed thoroughly to remove any blood clots and impurities. They are then dried for a period of two to three weeks in a dark and well ventilated room at a temperature of approx 20 degrees Celsius.

They are then packed in hermetically sealed bags. They have to be moved regularly for better drying and to avoid the stones sticking together.

The ox gallstones are the highest quality if they are whole and smooth, with no cracks or breaks in the stone. They should also be golden or white in colour and should have no calcium inclusions.

However, the value of an individual ox gallstone depends on its dryness, colour, texture and size. Whole, smooth, lustrous and golden specimens attract the highest prices.

But if they are dark and pitted, the value is reduced.

A gallstone is a tube-like substance that forms in the bile ducts of oxen. It contains bile acids, phospholipids and other components of bile. They can form in different shapes and sizes, such as round, egg-shaped, square or pyramid shaped.

They are usually found in older slaughter animals, namely cows and bulls. The presence and frequency of gallstones in younger animals is influenced by a variety of factors, such as access to bore water.

The Australian cattle industry produces about 200kg of ox gallstones each year. Its production is a fraction of that produced in Brazil, which is the world leader. But because of their rarity and demand, they are a profitable by-product for beef processors, says broker Jenny Murtagh from Sunshine Trading.

4. Price

A cattle byproduct that looks like river pebbles but is surprisingly light in weight, gallstones have aroused considerable interest after news of theft at a Queensland abattoir. Beef Central’s article on Monday, which suggested they can be worth up to $20,000 a kilogram, has led to a number of inquiries from readers around the globe seeking to trade in these precious gems.

Although there are no hard and fast pricing parameters, the quality of individual stones, their shape, size and other criteria determine their price. Whole, smooth, lustrous golden specimens are worth the most. Dark and pitted stones as well as those with calcium inclusions (white) have a smaller market value.

There is a shortage of natural gallstones, which are in high demand as ingredients for a variety of proprietary Chinese medicines. This has prompted the development of artificial gallstones, which are produced based on chemical or cultured bile salts[5, 6].

According to a study published in a Chinese medical journal, there are more than 154 traditional Chinese herbal preparations that contain this form of calcium bilirubinate as an ingredient. The demand for these valuable medicines is largely met by the production of these synthetic products, but their medicinal value is not considered to be comparable with those of natural ones.

One major challenge in producing these gems is that it is very difficult to obtain them in large enough quantities from a commercially viable source. Therefore, it is essential to find suppliers and distributors in countries that can supply them in sufficient quantities.

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Ox Gallstones Mauritania