Properties: Bitter, cold
Meridans Entered:
Primary: Liver, Gallbladder, Stomach, Large Intestine, Small Intestine
Traditional Actions/Indications:
- Clears Heat, dries Dampness and resolves Toxicity
Abdominal pain, fever, dysentery
Chronic cholecystitis, acute and chronic jaundice
Swelling toxins from sores, rashes, burns and scalds
Mouth sores
Red eyes, hypertension
Suggested Daily Dosage: 5-20g in decoction, or applied externally or as eye drops.
Cautions: Not recommended for pregnant women as it can cause uterine contractions. It is not recommended for children.
Notable Constituents:
- Berberine
Alkaloid with antibiotic, anti-fungal, antidiarrheal, antilipemic, hypoglycemic and antioxidant properties. It also functions as a potassium channel blocker and an antineoplastic agent, among other things. It is slowly soluble in water.
Notes:
The root bark is mainly used in Chinese medicine but other cultures use the berries too with similar effect.
Does not appear in any formulae listed on this site
Research Links & References: (click to display)
Research Links:
Reference Notes:
Individual herb information has sourced mainly from TCM Wiki and American Dragon for basic data and then updated manually with my own notes. Zhou, Xie and Yan (2011): Encyclopedia of Traditional Chinese Medicines, Vol. 5, has been used for entries not available from those sources with additional material searched for and filled in where available. Western herbs not appearing in the Chinese literature have used Ross (2010): Combining Western Herbs and Chinese Medicine: A Clinical Materia Medica, White Rabbit Institute of Healing and therapeutika.ch. Choices of which source to use or combine have been my own.
These pages are intended to assist clinicians and are not intended for self-diagnosis or treatment for which a qualified professional should be consulted. Actions and indications are taken from traditional uses and do not necessarily reflect the evidence base which should be researched independently. Dosages are for guidance only and will vary dependening on the potency of the batch and the tolerance of the individual so should be evaluated by a professional based on individual needs.
