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The Efficacy and Functions of Chuanxiong (Ligusticum chuanxiong)
[Chinese Herbal Name] Chuanxiong (川芎)
[Alias] Shan Ju Qiong, Xiong Ruan, Xiang Guo, Hu Ruan, Ma Xian, Xi Xiong, Guan Xiong.
[Source] The rhizome of the plant Ligusticum chuanxiong from the Umbelliferae family.
[Plant Morphology] The plant height is 0.5 to 1 meter. The rhizome is thick, with significantly swollen nodes and short internodes. The stem is erect, with longitudinal grooves and branches. The basal leaves have petioles 10 to 20 cm long, and the leaf blades are ovate-triangular, 15 to 30 cm long and 10 to 15 cm wide, with 3 to 4 times pinnately compound lobes, 4 to 6 pairs of leaflets, and the terminal lobes are pinnately lobed. The stem leaves are similar to the basal leaves but simplified, without petioles, and once pinnately divided. The compound umbel is terminal or lateral, with a diameter of 6 to 8 cm during fruiting. There are 5 to 6 total bracts, linear, with 15 to 30 rays of nearly equal length, each 3 to 5 cm long. The small total bracts are 5 to 8, linear, shorter than the flower stalks, and reflexed. The calyx teeth are undeveloped, the petals are white, ovate, with a wedge-shaped base, and the style is equal in length to the fruit, bending downwards. The fruit is oval-shaped, 2 to 3 mm long and 1.5 to 2 mm wide, with 1 to 3 oil tubes in the grooves and 4 to 6 oil tubes on the fused side. The flowering period is from July to August, and the fruiting period is from September to October.
[Distribution] Widely cultivated in Sichuan.
[Harvesting and Processing] Harvest in the summer of the second year after planting when the nodes on the stem are significantly protruding. Dig out the rhizome, shake off the soil, remove the stem and leaves, and dry.
[Herbal Characteristics] Irregular, nodule-like, fist-shaped clumps, 2 to 7 cm in diameter. The surface is yellow-brown, rough, and wrinkled, 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 yellowish or grayish-yellow, scattered with yellow-brown oil chambers, and the growth rings are wavy. The aroma is strong, with a bitter and spicy taste, slightly numbing the tongue, and a mild sweetness aftertaste.
[Nature and Taste] Warm in nature, spicy in taste. It enters the Liver (肝), Gallbladder (胆), and Pericardium (心包) meridians.
[Efficacy and Functions] Activates blood circulation and promotes Qi flow, dispels wind, and alleviates pain. It belongs to the category of blood-activating and pain-relieving herbs.
[Clinical Applications] For internal use: decoction, 3 to 10 grams; powdered form, 1 to 1.5 grams per dose; or in pills or powders. For external use: appropriate amount, powdered and sprinkled, or mixed for topical application, or decocted for gargling. Used for chest obstruction and heart pain, stabbing pain in the chest and hypochondria, swelling and pain from falls, menstrual irregularities, dysmenorrhea, abdominal pain from masses, headaches, and rheumatic pain.
[Pharmacological Research] Effects on the cardiovascular and cerebrovascular systems: it has an inhibitory effect on the heart; can dilate blood vessels and lower blood pressure; increases coronary blood flow; protects against myocardial and reperfusion injury; improves microcirculation; enhances cerebral circulation and alleviates cerebral ischemia. It improves the blood system, has diuretic effects, enhances the immune system; can inhibit bronchoconstriction caused by leukotrienes, histamine, and prostaglandin E2; can prevent and protect against epinephrine-induced pulmonary edema in experimental rats; has anti-tumor and anti-radiation effects.
[Chemical Components] The rhizome contains about 1% volatile oil. A total of 40 components have been identified in the oil, accounting for 93.64% of the volatile oil, with the main components being ligustilide (藁本内酯) at 58%, 3-butylidenephthalide (3-丁酜内酯) at 5.29%, and α-pinene (香桧烯) at 6.08%. It also contains ferulic acid (阿魏酸), chuanxiongine (川吲哚), 3-allylphenol (3-亚丁基苯酞), laurene (月桂烯), chuanxiongzine (川芎嗪), palmitic acid (棕榈酸), carotenoids (胡萝卜苷), and β-sitosterol (β-谷固醇).
[Contraindications] Caution in cases of excessive menstruation, pregnancy, and bleeding disorders; contraindicated for those with Yin deficiency and excessive heat.
[Related Formulas] ① For postpartum blood stasis and abdominal pain: 24 grams of Danggui (当归), 9 grams of Chuanxiong (川芎), 14 pieces of Tao Ren (桃仁) (peeled and pointed, ground), 1.5 grams of He Jiang (黑姜), and 1.5 grams of roasted Gan Cao (炙甘草). Use equal parts of yellow wine and children’s urine for decoction. (From “Fu Qingzhu’s Gynecology” – Shenghua Decoction)
② For excessive postpartum bleeding and fainting: 15 grams of Chuanxiong (川芎), 15 grams of Danggui (当归), and 15 grams of JIng Jie (荆芥穗) (stir-fried until black). Prepare as one dose, decoct in water, and take with wine and children’s urine. (From “Song’s Gynecology Secret” – Chuanxiong Decoction)
③ For postpartum Qi and blood deficiency, with wind-cold causing headache: 6 grams each of Danggui (当归) and Chuanxiong (川芎), and 3 grams each of Zisu (紫苏) and dried Kudzu (干葛). Crush and add three slices of ginger, decoct in water. (From “Yideng Xuyan” – Modified Chuan Gui Decoction)
④ For migraine and wind headache: 9 grams each of Gan Ju (甘菊), Shi Gao (石膏), and Chuanxiong (川芎), ground into powder. Take 3 grams each time, mixed with clear tea. (From “Chishui Xuanzhu” – Chuanxiong Powder)
⑤ For nasal congestion and inability to smell: 30 grams each of Chuanxiong (川芎) and Xin Yi (辛夷), 0.9 grams of Xi Xin (细辛) (remove sprouts and leaves), and 15 grams of Mu Tong (木通) (crushed). Combine these four ingredients, pound and sieve into a powder. Use a small amount, wrapped in cotton, to plug the nose, changing when wet. (From “Sheng Ji Zong Lu” – Chuanxiong Powder)
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