Properties: Acrid, bitter, hot
Meridans Entered:
Primary: Heart, Spleen, Stomach, Large Intestine
Traditional Actions/Indications:
- Moves Blood and regulates Qi
Circulatory disorders, heart failure, Reynaud's Syndrome
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Neuropathy of skin, muscles, joints and extremities
Chronic skin diseases
- Clears Heat from the Interior and eliminates Wind, Dampness and Cold
Wind-Cold or Damp-Heat Bi syndrome
Rheumatism, arthritis
Neuralgia
Oedema
Suggested Daily Dosage: 3-12g in decoction.
Cautions: Do not use during pregnancy. Overdosage may result in salivation, increased heart function and blood pressure increase.
Notable Constituents:
- Xanthoxyletin
Coumarin with blood thinning properties isolated from Zanthoxylum americanum.
- Herculin
Protein involved in myogenesis found mostly in Zanthoxylum clava-herculis
- Xanthoxylin
Also known as brevifolin, found most abundantly in pomegranate and believed to have a wide range of health benefits.
- Nitidine
Alkaloid with potential anti-malarial activity.
Notes:
Information is mostly taken from https://www.therapeutika.ch/Zanthoxylum+americanum. Both species are listed in Xie, Zhou and Yan (2011), Encyclopedia of Traditional Chinese Medicines but no properties are given indicating that neither are used in Chinese medicine. The information here is therefore an import from Western herbalists.
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, and A+ Medical Encyclopaedia have 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.
