Arctium Fruit (Niu Bang Zi)
| Pharmaceutical Name: | Fructus Arctii |
| Botanical Name: | Arctium lappa L. |
| Common Name: | Arctium fruit Burdock fruit |
| Source of Earliest Record: | Mingyi Bielu |
| art Used & Method for Pharmaceutical Preparations: | The fruit is gathered in autumn and dried in the sun. The raw fruit can be used, or it can be baked and smashed and then used. |
| Properties and Taste: | Pungent, bitter and cool |
| Meridian: | Lung and stomach |
| Functions: | To disperse wind-heat and benefit the throat To release toxins and bring rashes to the surface Detoxifies fire poison Moistens intestines |
| Indications and Combinations: | 1. Soar throat caused by invasion of wind and heat. Cough with yellow phlegm. *Platycodon root (Jie geng), Mentha (Bo he) and Schizonepeta (Jing jie) in the formula Niubang Tang. 2. Incomplete expression of measles rash with fever. *To encourage rashes to the surface, Arctium fruit (Niu bang zi) is used with Cimicifuga rhizome (Sheng ma), Pueraria root (Ge gen) and Mentha (Bo he). 3. Toxic heat manifested as swelling, carbuncles and mumps. *Use with Viola (Zi hua di ding) and Wild chrysanthemum flower (Yejuhua). |
| Dosage: | 3-10 g |
| Cautions: | This herb should be used with caution. It is contraindicated in patients with diarrhea with deficient Qi. Do not use where there are open sores or carbuncles. |