| ChuanxiongChuān Xiōnɡ | |
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| Alias | Qiangxiong, Xiaoye Chuanxiong, Shanjuqiong, Xiangguo, Huyuan, Maxian Qiangxiong, Quenao Qiong, Jingxiong, Guanxiong, Fuxiong, Taixiong, Xixiong, Maxian |
| Functions | Invigorates blood circulation and promotes qi flow, dispels wind and alleviates pain. Used for irregular menstruation, dysmenorrhea, abdominal pain, stabbing pain in the chest and hypochondria, swelling and pain from falls, headaches, and rheumatic pain. |
| First Recorded In | “Tangye Bencao” |
| Toxicity | Non-toxic |
| Meridians Entered | Gallbladder Meridian, Liver Meridian |
| Nature | Warm |
| Taste | Pungent |
Introduction
Chuanxiong:Chuanxiong
Traditional Chinese herb
This product is the dried rhizome of the Apiaceae plant Chuanxiong.It is harvested in summer when the nodes on the stem are prominently protruding and slightly purple, cleaned of soil, sun-dried, and then dried in a kiln, removing the fibrous roots.
Characteristics
This product is an irregular, nodule-shaped mass, with a diameter of 2-7 cm.The surface is yellow-brown, rough and shriveled, with many parallel raised nodes, the top has a depressed round stem scar, and the underside and nodes have many small tuberous root scars.The texture is solid and not easily broken, with a cross-section that is yellow-white or gray-yellow, scattered with yellow-brown oil chambers, and the growth rings are wavy.It has a strong aroma, with a bitter and pungent taste.It has a slight numbing sensation on the tongue and a mild sweetness aftertaste.
Preparation
Remove impurities, separate by size, soak slightly, wash clean, moisten thoroughly, slice thinly, and dry.
Taste and Meridian Entry
Pungent, warm. Enters the Liver, Gallbladder, and Pericardium meridians. This species is recorded in the Chinese Plant Atlas Database as a toxic plant, with a toxicity level of 328 mg/kg for the volatile oil when injected into the peritoneum of mice, causing reduced activity, ataxia, and loss of righting reflex, with death occurring 4-5 hours later; the symptoms of the weak alkaline components are similar, while the strong alkaline components can cause paroxysmal seizures, vasoconstriction, and respiratory distress; the lethal dose of the ethanol extract when injected into mice is equivalent to 14-23.8 g/kg of the rhizome. The volatile oil, when injected into dogs, causes salivation, vomiting, defecation, hind limb weakness, tremors, spasms, and paralysis, with doses exceeding 150 mg/kg resulting in immediate death.
Functions and Indications
Invigorates blood and promotes qi, dispels wind and alleviates pain. Used to calm the nerves, treat headaches, abdominal pain, stabbing pain in the chest and hypochondria, swelling and pain from falls, headaches, and rheumatic pain.
[Dosage] 3-9 g.
[Storage] Store in a cool, dry place, protect from pests.
[Nature and Taste] Pungent, warm.
1. “Shennong Bencao Jing”: “Taste is pungent, warm.”
2. “Wupu Bencao”: “Huangdi, Qibo, Leigong: pungent, non-toxic, fragrant. Bianque: sour, non-toxic. Li’s: raw is warm, cooked is cold.”
3. “Tang Bencao”: “Taste is bitter and pungent.”
4. “Bencao Zheng”: “Taste is pungent with a slight sweetness, aroma is warm.”
[Meridian Entry] Enters the Liver and Gallbladder meridians.
1. “Tangye Bencao”: “Enters the hand and foot Jueyin and Shaoyang meridians.”
2. “Yaopin Huayi”: “Enters the Liver, Spleen, and Sanjiao meridians.”
[Indications and Contraindications]
Indications: Suitable for headaches due to wind-cold, wind-heat, migraines, and vascular headaches.
Contraindications: Not suitable for hypertension headaches, brain tumor headaches, liver fire headaches, and those with yin deficiency and excess fire.
[Functions and Indications] Promotes qi and relieves stagnation, dispels wind and dries dampness, invigorates blood and alleviates pain. Treats wind-cold headaches, dizziness, hypochondriac pain, abdominal pain, cold bi syndrome, dysmenorrhea, difficult labor, postpartum stasis pain, and abscesses.
1. “Shennong Bencao Jing”: “Treats wind stroke entering the brain, cold bi, muscle spasms, traumatic injuries, and women’s blood stasis leading to infertility.”
2. “Bielu”: “Eliminates cold movement in the brain, facial wind, excessive tears, sudden dizziness, various cold symptoms, abdominal pain, and sudden swelling and pain in the hypochondria, alleviating internal cold.”
3. Tao Hongjing: “For bleeding from the gums, hold it in the mouth for healing.”
4. “Yaoxing Lun”: “Treats weakness in the waist and legs, hemiplegia, retained placenta, and abdominal cold pain.”
5. “Rihua Zibencao”: “Treats all wind, all qi, all strains, all blood, nourishes the five fatigues, strengthens muscles and bones, regulates various pulses, breaks up blood stasis, nourishes new blood, promotes flesh growth, nasal bleeding, hemoptysis, and hematuria, treats hemorrhoids, brain abscesses, and skin ulcers, and promotes pus discharge and resolves blood stasis.”
6. “Yixue Qiyuan”: “Nourishes blood, treats blood deficiency headaches.”
7. Wang Haogu: “Regulates liver qi, nourishes liver blood, moistens dryness, and supplements wind deficiency.”
8. “Gangmu”: “Dries dampness, stops diarrhea, and promotes qi and relieves stagnation.”
[Dosage] Internal use: decoction, 1-2 qian; or in pills, powders; external use: ground into powder for sprinkling or for topical application.
[Indications and Contraindications] Not suitable for those with yin deficiency and excess fire, those with upper excess and lower deficiency, and those with weak qi.
1. “Bencao Jing Jizhu”: “Bai Zhi is a guiding herb. Avoid Huanglian.”
2. “Pinhui Jingyao”: “Long-term use disperses true qi.”
3. “Bencao Mengquan”: “Avoid Huangqi, Shanzhuyu, and Langdu. Be cautious with Niaoshi, Huashi, and Huanglian. Antagonistic to Lilu.”
4. “Bencao Jingshu”: “For patients with upper excess and lower deficiency, excess fire rising, vomiting, coughing, spontaneous sweating, night sweats, dry throat and mouth, fever, thirst, and irritability, avoid using it.”
5. “Bencao Congxin”: “Not suitable for qi rising phlegm and asthma.”
6. “Depai Bencao”: “For severe fire in the middle, spleen deficiency with little appetite, and fire stagnation headaches, avoid using it.”
[Selected Formulas] 1. For various wind attacks, heavy head, migraines, nasal congestion, and fever: Bohe leaves (not heated) 8 liang, Chuanxiong, and Jingjie (stems removed) each 4 liang, Xiangfu (stir-fried) 8 liang (another version uses Xixin without the root 1 liang), Fangfeng (stems removed) 1.5 liang, Baizhi, Qianghuo, and Gancao (stir-fried) each 2 liang; grind the above herbs into fine powder, take 1 qian after meals with tea. Regular use clears the head. (“Jufang” Chuanxiong Tea Tiao San)
2. For migraines: Jingxiong finely chopped, soaked in wine and taken. (“Doumen Fang”)
3. For wind dizziness, sudden dizziness, external invasion of yang qi, wind-cold clash, phlegm in the stomach, migraines, and body fatigue: Chuanxiong 1 jin, Tianma 4 liang. Grind into powder, mix with honey to form pills, each the size of a marble. Take 1 pill, chew, and wash down with tea or wine after meals. (“Xuanming Lunfang” Chuanxiong Pills)
4. For wind-heat headaches: Chuanxiong 1 qian, tea leaves 2 qian. Boil in 1 cup of water for 5 minutes, take hot before meals. (“Jianbian Danfang”)
5. For abdominal pain during pregnancy (placental obstruction): 2 liang of Chuanxiong, 2 liang of Ejiao, 2 liang of Gancao, 3 liang of Ai Ye, 3 liang of Danggui, 4 liang of Shaoyao, and 6 liang of Dihuang. Combine the seven herbs with 5 sheng of water and 3 sheng of clear wine, boil down to 3 sheng, strain, and dissolve the gelatin, take 1 sheng warm, three times a day, if not healed, make again. (“Jinkui Yaolue” Jiao Ai Decoction)
6. For women in pregnancy 5-7 months, if there is a bump or if the fetus dies in the womb, with continuous pain and inability to speak, use this medicine to probe; if there is no damage, the pain will stop, and both mother and child will be safe; if the fetus is damaged, it will be expelled immediately: Danggui 6 liang (washed, peeled, cut, and dried), Chuanxiong 4 liang (washed). Grind into coarse powder, take 2 qian with a small cup of water, boil until it is dry, add a large cup of wine, bring to a boil, strain, and take warm, if unable to speak, administer as if walking 5-7 li, repeat no more than three doses. (“Benshi Fang” Foshou Song)
7. For postpartum blood stasis: Danggui 1 liang, Chuanxiong 5 qian, and Jingjie (stir-fried black) 2 qian. Boil in water and take. (“Qifang Lei Bian”)
8. For postpartum abdominal pain: Chuanxiong (washed, chopped), Guixin (not heated, chopped), Muxiang (chopped, dried), Danggui (remove fibrous roots, washed, chopped, dried), and Taoren (remove skin, tips, and double kernels, stir-fried) each 1 liang. Grind into fine powder. Take 1 qian with hot wine, or if unwilling to drink wine, use 1 cup of water with 2 qian of powdered medicine, boil to 70%, and take warm. (“Weisheng Jiabao Fang” Chuanxiong San)
9. For postpartum stasis pain: Danggui 8 qian, Chuanxiong 3 qian, Taoren 14 pieces (remove skin, tips, grind), and black ginger 5 fen, stir-fried licorice 5 fen. Use equal parts of Huangjiu and children’s urine to boil and take. (“Fu Qingzhu Nanke” Shenghua Decoction)
10. For children’s brain heat (likes to close eyes, or has pain in the temples or red swollen eyes): Chuanxiong, Bohe, and Puxiao each 2 qian, grind into powder, take a small amount to blow into the nose. (“Quanyou Xinjian”)
“Indications”
1. Qi deficiency headaches. Use finely ground Chuanxiong, take 2 qian, and mix with tea soup.2. Postpartum headaches. Use equal parts of Chuanxiong and Tiantai Wuyao, grind into powder, take 2 qian, and mix with scallion tea.Another formula: add Baizhu, boil in water.3. Wind-heat headaches. Use 1 qian of Chuanxiong, 2 qian of tea leaves, add water to boil until 50% remains, take hot before meals.4. Migraines. Use Chuanxiong, finely chopped, soak in wine.5. Dizziness and vertigo. Use Chuanxiong and Huai Zi each 1 liang, grind into powder, take 3 qian with tea soup.Another formula: Chuanxiong 1 jin, Tianma 4 liang, grind into powder, mix with honey to form pills the size of a marble. Take 1 pill, chew, and wash down with tea soup.6. Pregnancy test (three months without menstruation, check for pregnancy). Take raw Chuanxiong, finely ground, take 1 teaspoon on an empty stomach, wash down with Ai soup. If there is a slight movement in the abdomen, there is a fetus; if not, there is no fetus.7. For falls or fetal movement, or if the fetus dies in the womb. Use finely ground Chuanxiong, take 1 teaspoon, wash down with wine. Take two doses, and the dead fetus will be expelled.8. Continuous bleeding during menstruation, day and night without stopping. Use 1 liang of Chuanxiong, 1 bowl of clear wine, boil until 50% remains, drink slowly.Another formula: same as above, add raw Dihuang juice and boil together.9. Children’s brain heat (likes to close eyes, or has pain in the temples, or red swollen eyes). Use Chuanxiong, Bohe, and Puxiao each 2 qian, grind into powder, take a small amount to blow into the nose.10. Tooth decay and bad breath. Use Chuanxiong to boil water, gargle at any time.11. Toothache. Use a large piece of Chuanxiong, dry it, and add Xixin, grind into powder to rub on the teeth.12. Various sores and swellings. Use Chuanxiong, calcined and ground finely, add an appropriate amount of mercury powder, mix with sesame oil to apply to the affected area.13. Postpartum breast suspension (after childbirth, the breasts become thin and long, sometimes drooping to the abdomen, causing unbearable pain). Use Chuanxiong and Danggui each 1 jin, mix together, take out half a jin, slice, add water to boil strongly, drink at any time without limit. The remaining 1.5 jin, chop into small pieces, burn to smoke, and let the patient inhale through the mouth and nose. After the medicine is used up, it can be made again.
[Clinical Application] Treatment of Angina Pectoris
Take equal parts of Chuanxiong and Honghua, make into tablets (each 12 tablets contain 5 qian of Chuanxiong and Honghua), take 1 tablet, 3 times a day. A course of treatment lasts 4-6 weeks. In a study of 84 cases (including 10 cases that added Gegen flavonoid tablets for the entire course, 20 mg each time, 3 times a day; 2 cases started adding Myrrh tablets after 2 weeks of medication), results showed significant efficacy in 9 cases, improvement in 57 cases, and 17 cases with no effect, and 1 case worsened. It was observed that the severity of the condition had no significant relationship with efficacy; adding Gegen flavonoids and Myrrh tablets did not show improved efficacy; the impact on blood lipid levels was minimal. Among 60 patients who had been taking nitroglycerin, 20 stopped during treatment, and 15 reduced their dosage, with some cases showing improvement in electrocardiograms.
[Pharmacological Research]
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Vasodilation
Chuanxiongzine
1. Relieves smooth muscle (aortic strip) spasms (induced by adrenaline and potassium chloride).
2. Dilates coronary blood vessels, increases coronary blood flow. Counteracts myocardial ischemia and hypoxia caused by posterior pituitary hormones. Reduces the severity of myocardial infarction caused by coronary artery ligation.
3. Dilates cerebral blood vessels, easily penetrates the blood-brain barrier, distributes abundantly in the brain; inhibits platelet aggregation; improves microcirculation.
Ferulic Acid
1. Increases coronary blood flow.
2. Alpha receptor blocker, inhibits aortic contraction.
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Antithrombotic
Chuanxiong, Compound Coronary Heart Disease Formula II: In vitro antithrombotic effect (thrombus length ↓, thrombus dry weight ↓).
Chuanxiongzine increases cAMP levels in platelets, reduces TXA2 activity; decreases platelet surface activity, inhibits platelet aggregation, and causes already aggregated platelets to disaggregate.
Sodium ferulate is a TXA2 synthase inhibitor, inhibiting platelet aggregation.
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Antispasmodic
Gao Ben lactone ── bronchial smooth muscle spasms;
Ferulic acid, Chuanxiongzine ── uterine smooth muscle spasms;
Water or alcohol extracts ── small intestine and uterus.
[Formulas]
Formula Name: Yiqi San
Source: “Yichao Lei Bian” Volume 17.
Composition: Danggui, Chuanxiong in equal parts (both washed with wine, stir-fried),5 slices of fresh ginger.
Indications: Postpartum blood deficiency headaches.
Dosage: Roast and decoct together.
Formula Name: Yinian Jin San
Source: “Imperial Pharmacy” Volume 9.
Composition: Scorpion tail 2 qian, Chuanxiong 1 liang, Huayin Xixin 0.5 liang,and fragrant Bai Zhi 0.5 liang.
Indications: Toothache.
Preparation Method: Grind into fine powder.
Dosage: Take a small amount, dip a finger in the medicine, and apply to the painful tooth, spit out saliva, swallowing is not harmful, no time restriction.
Legends of Chuanxiong
In the early Tang Dynasty, the Medicine King Sun Simiao traveled with his disciples to Qingcheng Mountain in Sichuan, braving the elements to collect medicinal materials. One day, the master and disciple were tired and rested in a dense pine forest. Suddenly, they saw a large female crane playing with several chicks near a cave in the forest. The Medicine King was captivated, but suddenly heard the chicks cry out, and saw the large female crane with its neck lowered, trembling legs, and continuously mourning. The Medicine King immediately understood that the female crane was suffering from a sudden illness.
The next morning, at dawn, the Medicine King and his disciples returned to the pine forest. Not far from the crane’s nest, the moans of the sick crane were clearly audible. After another day, when the Medicine King and his disciples returned to the pine forest, the moans from the white crane’s nest were no longer heard. Looking up, several white cranes soared in the sky, dropping a small white flower and several leaves that resembled carrot leaves. The Medicine King instructed his disciple to collect and preserve them.
Days passed, and the female crane had completely recovered, leading the chicks to play as usual. The Medicine King observed that the white cranes loved to visit the ancient cave with no roof, where a patch of green grass grew, and the flowers and leaves were the same as those that had fallen from the crane’s beak. The Medicine King instinctively linked the crane’s recovery to this plant. After experimentation, he found that this plant had the effects of invigorating blood circulation, promoting menstruation, and dispelling wind and alleviating pain, so he instructed his disciple to take this medicine down the mountain to treat patients, and it proved to be effective. The Medicine King excitedly recited: “Qingcheng is the most secluded in the world, the first cave in western Sichuan. Where the immortal cranes pass, good medicine descends from the heavens. This medicine shall be called Chuanxiong!” Thus, it was named Chuanxiong.
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