Traditional Chinese Medicine, Daily Updates on Herbal Knowledge
Introduction to Chuanxiong
Chuanxiong is the dried rhizome of the plant Ligusticum chuanxiong, belonging to the Apiaceae family. It features compound umbel flowers and pinnate compound leaves, and is a perennial herb. It is harvested in summer when the stem nodes are prominently raised and slightly purplish, cleaned of dirt, sun-dried, and then dried further. It is the first choice for treating headaches, menstrual irregularities, dysmenorrhea, postpartum stasis pain, abdominal masses, chest and flank pain, headaches with dizziness, wind-cold-damp bi syndrome, traumatic injuries, and carbuncles and ulcers.
Herb Name: Chuanxiong
Pinyin: Chuān Xiōng
English Name: Szechuan Lovage Rhizome, Rhizome of Szechuan Lovage
Aliases: Shan Ju Qiong (《Zuo Zhuan》), Xiong Yao (《Ben Jing》), Xiang Guo (《Wu Pu Ben Cao》), Hu Yao (《Bie Lu》), Ma Xian Xiong Yao (Tao Hongjing), Que Nao Xiong, Jing Xiong (《Ben Cao Tu Jing》), Guan Xiong (《Zhen Zhu Nang》), Fu Xiong (《Dan Xi Xin Fa》), Tai Xiong (《Ben Cao Meng Quan》), Xi Xiong (《Gang Mu》).
Plant Kingdom: Plantae
Family: Apiaceae
Source: The rhizome of the plant Ligusticum chuanxiong.
Plant Morphology: Chuanxiong is a perennial herb. The underground rhizome is irregularly nodular and bulbous. The stem is erect, cylindrical, hollow, with longitudinal grooves on the surface. The leaves are alternate, 2-3 times pinnately compound, with 3-5 pairs of leaflets, the edges either irregularly serrated or deeply lobed, with pointed tips, glabrous on both sides except for short soft hairs on the veins; the petiole is 9-17 cm long, forming a sheath at the base. The compound umbel flowers grow at the tips of branches, with short soft hairs; the involucral bracts and the small involucral bracts are linear; the flowers are small and white; there are 5 linear sepals with short soft hairs; 5 oval petals with entire edges and a short pointed protrusion in the center, bending inward; 5 stamens alternate with the petals, with oval anthers that are bilocular and longitudinally dehiscent, the filaments are soft and extend beyond the petals; the ovary is inferior, bilocular, with 2 styles. The double-samaras are oval-shaped. It is distributed in Sichuan, Guizhou, and Yunnan, mostly cultivated. The young leaves of this plant (Mi Wu) are also used medicinally, detailed in a separate section.
Harvesting: Chuanxiong cultivated in plains is best harvested 4-5 days after the Xiaoman solar term, while mountain cultivators often harvest in August-September. The rhizomes are dug up, cleaned of stems and dirt, washed, sun-dried or oven-dried, and then the fibrous roots are removed.
Herb Characteristics: Chuanxiong has a rhizome that is irregularly nodular and bulbous, 4-8 cm long and 4-6 cm in diameter. The surface is dark yellow-brown with prominent nodular elevations, with many round or oval stem scars on the upper side, 5-15 mm in diameter, appearing concave; the lower side and nodes have numerous root scars, appearing as small tuberous elevations. It is firm, with a yellowish cross-section, and the cambium forms a distinct ring, scattered with small yellow oil droplets. It has a distinctive aromatic and bitter scent.
Main Production Areas: Sichuan (Dujiangyan City, Chongzhou). It is also produced in Yunnan, known as “Yunxiong.”
Processing: Chuanxiong: Remove impurities, separate large and small pieces, soak in water, sun-dry, moisten, then slice and dry. Wine Chuanxiong: Take Chuanxiong slices, spray evenly with yellow wine, slightly moisten, and stir-fry in a pot until slightly charred, then cool (for every 100 jin of Chuanxiong slices, use 12 jin of yellow wine).
Identification:
(1) Cross-section of the product: The cork layer consists of over 10 rows of cells. The cortex is narrow, with scattered vascular bundles, and the cambium is distinct. The phloem is broad. The cambium is ringed or irregularly polygonal. The xylem vessels are polygonal or nearly round, mostly in single rows or arranged in a “V” shape, occasionally with xylem fiber bundles. The pith is relatively large. The parenchyma contains numerous oil chambers, which are round, oval, or irregularly shaped, light yellow-brown; the oil chambers near the cambium are small and gradually enlarge outward; the parenchyma cells are rich in starch granules, some containing calcium oxalate crystals, appearing as round clusters or crystalline aggregates. The powder is light yellow-brown or gray-brown. Starch granules are abundant, single granules are oval, elongated, round, oval, or kidney-shaped, with diameters of 5-16 μm, lengths of about 21 μm, and hilum points that are dot-like, long fissured, or Y-shaped; occasionally, compound granules composed of 2-4 single granules are seen. Calcium oxalate crystals are present in the parenchyma cells, appearing as round clusters or crystalline aggregates, with diameters of 10-25 μm. Cork cells are dark yellow-brown, often multilayered, with a polygonal surface appearance and thin walls. Many oil chambers are broken, and fragments of oil chambers can occasionally be seen; the secretory cell walls are thin and contain many oil droplets. The vessels are primarily spiral vessels, with reticulate and scalariform vessels, with diameters of 14-50 μm; some spiral vessels have thickened walls that connect, resembling reticulate spiral vessels.
(2) Take 1 g of the product powder, add 5 ml of petroleum ether (30-60℃), place for 10 hours, shaking occasionally, let stand, take 1 ml of the supernatant, evaporate, dissolve the residue in 1 ml of methanol, then add 2-3 drops of 2% 3,5-dinitrobenzoic acid methanol solution and 2 drops of saturated potassium hydroxide methanol solution, showing a red-purple color.
(3) Take 1 g of the product powder, add 20 ml of ethanol, heat in a water bath for reflux for 1 hour, filter, evaporate the filtrate, and dissolve the residue in 2 ml of ethyl acetate, as the test solution.
Also take the reference herb solution of Chuanxiong.
Conduct thin-layer chromatography tests, applying 1-2 μl of each of the two solutions on the same silica gel G thin-layer plate, using n-hexane-ethyl acetate (9:1) as the developing agent, develop, remove, dry, and examine under ultraviolet light (365 nm).
In the test solution chromatogram, fluorescent spots of the same color appear at the corresponding positions as in the reference herb chromatogram.
Chemical Composition: Contains volatile oil, ferulic acid, 4-hydroxy-3-butylphthalide, senkyunolide, ligustilide, tetramethylpyrazine, chuanxiongol, and sedanic acid, among others.
Properties and Flavor: Pungent, warm.
①《Ben Jing》: “Taste is pungent, warm.”
②《Wu Pu Ben Cao》: “Huang Di, Qi Bo, Lei Gong: pungent, non-toxic, aromatic. Bian Que: sour, non-toxic. Li Shi: raw is warm, cooked is cold.”
③《Tang Ben Cao》: “Taste is bitter and pungent.”
④《Ben Cao Zheng》: “Taste is slightly sweet and pungent, qi is warm.”
Meridian Entry: Enters the Liver and Gallbladder meridians.
①《Tang Ye Ben Cao》: “Enters the hand and foot Jueyin and Shaoyang meridians.”
②《Yao Pin Hua Yi》: “Enters the Liver, Spleen, and Sanjiao meridians.”
Dosage and Administration: Internal use: decoction, 3-6 grams; or in pills or powders; external use: ground into powder for sprinkling or for topical application.
Contraindications: Contraindicated for those with Yin deficiency and excessive fire, as well as those with excess above and deficiency below and weak qi.
①《Ben Cao Jing Ji Zhu》: “Bai Zhi is its envoy. Avoid Huang Lian.”
②《Pin Hui Jing Yao》: “Long-term use disperses true qi.”
③《Ben Cao Meng Quan》: “Avoid Huang Qi, Shan Zhu, and Wolf Poison. Fear Niter, Talc, Huang Lian. Counteract with Li Lu.”
④《Ben Cao Jing Shu》: “For patients with excess above and deficiency below, with fiery deficiency upwards, vomiting, coughing, spontaneous sweating, easy sweating, night sweats, dry throat, thirst, irritability, all should be avoided.”
⑤《Ben Cao Cong Xin》: “Not suitable for qi rising phlegm and asthma.”
⑥《De Pei Ben Cao》: “For severe fire fullness, spleen deficiency with little food, and fire-stagnation headaches, all are contraindicated.”
Effects and Functions of Chuanxiong
Chuanxiong is primarily used to promote qi circulation and relieve stagnation, dispel wind and dampness, invigorate blood and alleviate pain. It treats wind-cold headaches, flank pain, abdominal pain, cold bi syndrome, menstrual disorders, difficult labor, postpartum stasis pain, carbuncles, and ulcers.
①《Ben Jing》: “Mainly treats wind stroke entering the brain, headaches, cold bi, muscle spasms, traumatic injuries, and women’s blood stasis leading to infertility.”
②《Bie Lu》: “Eliminates cold movement in the brain, alleviates facial wind, excessive tears, sudden dizziness, and various cold conditions, abdominal pain, and sudden swelling and pain in the flanks.”
③ Tao Hongjing: “For bleeding at the root of the teeth, hold it in the mouth for healing.”
④《Yao Xing Lun》: “Treats weakness in the waist and legs, hemiplegia, and retained placenta, and alleviates internal cold pain.”
⑤《Ri Hua Zi Ben Cao》: “Treats all types of wind, qi, fatigue, and blood issues, nourishes the five fatigues, strengthens bones, regulates various pulses, breaks up blood stasis, nourishes new blood, promotes flesh growth, and treats nasal bleeding, hemoptysis, hematuria, hemorrhoids, brain abscesses, scrofula, and ulcers, and promotes pus discharge and resolves blood stasis.”
⑥《Yi Xue Qi Yuan》: “Nourishes blood and treats blood deficiency headaches.”
⑦ Wang Hao Gu: “Searches the liver qi, nourishes liver blood, moistens liver dryness, and supplements wind deficiency.”
⑧《Gang Mu》: “Dries dampness, stops diarrhea, and promotes qi circulation and relieves stagnation.”
Images of Chuanxiong
Formulations with Chuanxiong
① For treating various wind attacks, heavy head and eyes, unilateral and bilateral headaches, nasal congestion, body aches, muscle twitching, heat phlegm in the diaphragm, women’s blood wind attacks, temple pain, and wind qi: 8 liang of mint leaves (not heated), 4 liang each of Chuanxiong and Jing Jie (stem removed), 8 liang of Xiang Fu (stir-fried) (some texts say 1 liang of Xi Xin with the roots removed), 1.5 liang of Fang Feng (roots removed), 2 liang each of Bai Zhi, Qiang Huo, and Gan Cao (stir-fried); grind the above herbs into a fine powder, take 1 qian after meals with warm tea, and take regularly for clear head and eyes. (《Ju Fang》 Chuanxiong Tea Powder)
② For treating unilateral headaches: finely chop Jing Xiong, soak in wine and take. (《Dou Men Fang》)
③ For treating wind-cold dizziness, sudden dizziness, external invasion of yang qi, wind-cold colliding, phlegm in the stomach, unilateral and bilateral headaches, and body fatigue: 1 jin of Chuanxiong, 4 liang of Tian Ma. Grind into powder, mix with honey to form pills, 10 pills per 2 liang. Take 1 pill, chew well, and take with tea or wine after meals. (《Xuan Ming Lun Fang》 Chuanxiong Pills)
④ For treating wind-heat headaches: 1 qian of Chuanxiong, 2 qian of tea leaves. Boil with 1 cup of water for 5 minutes, take hot before meals. (《Jian Bian Dan Fang》)
⑤ For treating abdominal pain during pregnancy (placental obstruction): 2 liang of Chuanxiong, 2 liang of Ejiao, 2 liang of Gan Cao, 3 liang of Ai Ye, 3 liang of Dang Gui, 4 liang of Shao Yao, and 6 liang of Gan Di Huang. Combine the seven herbs with 5 sheng of water and 3 sheng of clear wine, boil down to 3 sheng, remove the dregs, and dissolve the gelatin completely, take 1 sheng warm, three times a day, if not healed, prepare again. (《Jin Gui Yao Lue》 Jiao Ai Decoction)
⑥ For women who are 5-7 months pregnant and experience trauma to the fetus, or if the fetus dies in utero, with continuous pain and a closed mouth, 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: 6 liang of Dang Gui (washed, peeled, cut, and dried), 4 liang of Chuanxiong (washed). Grind into a coarse powder, take 2 qian with a small cup of water, boil until it is thick, add a large cup of wine, bring to a boil, remove the dregs, and warm administer; if the mouth is closed, administer as if a person walks 5-7 li, repeat no more than three doses for delivery. (《Ben Shi Fang》 Fo Shou Song)
⑦ For treating postpartum blood fainting: 1 liang of Dang Gui, 5 qian of Chuanxiong, and 2 qian of Jing Jie (stir-fried black). Boil in water to take. (《Qi Fang Lei Bian》)
⑧ For treating postpartum abdominal pain: 1 liang each of Chuanxiong (washed, chopped), Gui Xin (not heated, chopped), Mu Xiang (chopped, dried), Dang Gui (roots removed, washed, chopped, dried), and Tao Ren (peeled, tips removed, and double kernels, stir-fried). Grind into a fine powder. Take 1 qian with hot wine, or if unwilling to drink wine, use 1 cup of water, 2 qian of the powder, boil to 70%, and take hot. (《Wei Sheng Jia Bao Fang》 Chuanxiong Powder)
⑨ For treating postpartum stasis pain: 8 qian of Dang Gui, 3 qian of Chuanxiong, 14 pieces of Tao Ren (peeled, tips removed, ground), 5 fen of black ginger, and 5 fen of stir-fried licorice. Boil with equal parts of yellow wine and children’s urine. (《Fu Qing Zhu Nan Ke》 Sheng Hua Decoction)
⑩ For treating children’s brain heat, with closed eyes, sun pain, or red and swollen eyes: 2 qian each of Chuanxiong, mint, and Puhuang, grind into powder, and blow a small amount into the nose. (《Quan You Xin Jian》)
Clinical Applications of Chuanxiong
Chuanxiong for treating angina pectoris
Take equal parts of Chuanxiong and Honghua, make into tablets (each 12 tablets containing 5 qian of each herb), take 1 tablet, 3 times a day. A treatment course lasts 4-6 weeks. In a study of 84 cases (including 10 cases that added Gegen flavonoid tablets at 20 mg, 3 times a day; and 2 cases that started adding Myrrh tablets after 2 weeks), results showed significant efficacy in 9 cases, improvement in 57 cases, basic ineffectiveness in 17 cases, and worsening in 1 case. Observations indicated no significant relationship between the severity of the condition and efficacy; adding Gegen flavonoids and Myrrh tablets did not show improved efficacy; the impact on blood lipids 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 ECG readings.
Pharmacological Research on Chuanxiong
1. Vasodilation
Chuanxiong Zine
① Relieves smooth muscle (aortic) spasms (induced by adrenaline and potassium chloride).
② Dilates coronary blood vessels, increasing coronary blood flow. Counteracts myocardial ischemia and hypoxia caused by posterior pituitary hormones. Reduces the extent of myocardial infarction caused by coronary artery ligation.
③ Dilates cerebral blood vessels, easily crossing the blood-brain barrier, with a high distribution in the brain; inhibits platelet aggregation; improves microcirculation.
Ferulic Acid
① Increases coronary blood flow.
② Alpha receptor blockade, inhibiting aortic contraction.
2. Antithrombotic effects
Chuanxiong and Compound Coronary Heart II: In vitro antithrombotic effects (reduced thrombus length, reduced wet and dry weight of thrombus).
Chuanxiong Zine increases cAMP levels in platelets, reduces TXA2 activity; lowers platelet surface activity, inhibits platelet aggregation, and causes already aggregated platelets to disaggregate.
Sodium ferulate is a TXA2 synthase inhibitor, inhibiting platelet aggregation.
3. Antispasmodic effects
Ligustilide – smooth muscle spasms in the bronchi;
Ferulic acid, Chuanxiong Zine – smooth muscle spasms in the uterus;
Water or alcohol extracts – small intestine and uterus.
Formulations with Chuanxiong
1. Formula Name: Yi Qi San
Source: 《Yi Chao Lei Bian》 Volume 17.
Ingredients: Dang Gui, Chuanxiong in equal parts (both washed with wine and stir-fried), 5 slices of fresh ginger.
Indication: Postpartum blood deficiency headaches.
Dosage: Roast and decoct together.
2. Formula Name: Yi Nian Jin San
Source: 《Imperial Pharmacy》 Volume 9.
Ingredients: 2 qian of scorpion tail, 1 liang of Chuanxiong, half a liang of Huayin Xixin, and half a liang of fragrant Bai Zhi.
Indication: Toothache.
Preparation: Grind into a fine powder.
Dosage: Take a small amount, apply with a finger to the painful tooth area, spit out saliva, and swallowing is not harmful, no time restriction.
Legends of Chuanxiong
In the early Tang Dynasty, the Medicine King Sun Simiao traveled with his apprentice to Qingcheng Mountain in Sichuan, braving the elements to gather medicinal materials. One day, the master and apprentice 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, 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 apprentice 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 they 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 apprentice 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 often visited the ancient cave with no roof, where a patch of green grew, with flowers and leaves resembling those that had fallen from the crane’s beak. The Medicine King instinctively connected the crane’s recovery with this plant. After experimentation, he discovered that this plant had the effects of invigorating blood circulation, regulating menstruation, and relieving wind and pain, so he instructed his apprentice to take this medicine down the mountain to treat patients according to their symptoms, 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.