Arnebia is the root of the Arnebia plant from the Arnebia family and Xinjiang Arnebia. It is mainly produced in Liaoning, Hunan, Hubei, Xinjiang, and other regions. The original plant grows in grasslands, meadows, sunny slopes, thickets, or forest edges. It has a sweet taste and a cold nature. It belongs to the heart and liver meridians. Its effects include cooling blood, promoting blood circulation, removing toxins, and outthrusting rashes. The clinical name is Arnebia.
bubble_chart Compendium of Materia Medica
Shennong Bencao Jing: It tastes bitter and is cold in nature. It is used to treat pathogenic qi in the heart and abdomen, five types of jaundice, tonify the middle and replenish qi, benefit the nine orifices, and promote water passage.
Mingyi Bielu: It is non-toxic. It is used to treat abdominal swelling, fullness, and pain. When combined with ointment, it can treat children's sores and facial blemishes.
Yaoxing Lun: It can also be used alone. It tastes sweet and is neutral in nature. It can treat malignant sores, scabies, and tinea.
Kaibao Bencao: It tastes bitter, is cold in nature, and is non-toxic. It is used to treat abdominal swelling, fullness, and pain. When combined with ointment, it can treat children's sores and facial blemishes.
Bencao Tujing: Arnebia was rarely used in ancient prescriptions. Nowadays, doctors often use it to treat cold-damage diseases and to promote the eruption of sores and rashes that do not appear. 《Wei Zhou Duxingfang》 used Arnebia soup to treat smallpox sores, and later generations continued to use it, finding it particularly effective.
《Yao Lei Fa Xiang》: It is used to treat pathogenic qi in the heart and abdomen, five types of jaundice, tonify the middle and replenish qi, benefit the nine orifices, promote water passage, and treat abdominal swelling and fullness.
Tangye Bencao: 《Materia Medica》 states: It is used to treat pathogenic qi in the heart and abdomen, five types of jaundice, tonify the middle and replenish qi, benefit the nine orifices, and promote water passage. It treats abdominal swelling and fullness.Bencao Gangmu: Arnebia is sweet, salty, and cold in nature, entering the pericardium and liver meridians' blood aspect. Its functions include cooling blood, promoting blood circulation, and benefiting the large and small intestines. Therefore, it is suitable for use before the eruption of smallpox when blood heat toxin is severe and constipation is present. It can also be used after the eruption if the sores are purple-black and constipation is present. However, it should be avoided if the sores are red and active, or if there is white depression and smooth bowel movements. 《Zhi Zhi Fang》 states: Arnebia can treat smallpox, promote bowel movements, and make the eruption lighter. When combined with Aucklandia Root and White Atractylodes Rhizome, it is particularly beneficial. 《Huo You Xin Shu》 states: Arnebia is cold in nature and can be used for children with excess spleen qi. However, it can cause diarrhea in those with spleen qi deficiency. Ancient prescriptions only used the young shoots, as they contain yang qi, which is suitable for treating smallpox. Modern people do not understand this principle and use it indiscriminately, which is incorrect.
It treats smallpox toxin, promotes blood circulation, cools blood, and benefits the large intestine.
Bencao Jingshu: Arnebia is endowed with the clear and harmonious qi of heaven and earth, hence it tastes bitter, is cold in nature, and is non-toxic. It enters the foot Shaoyin and Jueyin meridians. It is a sacred medicine for cooling blood, hence it treats pathogenic heat in the heart and abdomen. The five types of jaundice are caused by dampness-heat in the spleen and stomach. Removing dampness and heat and benefiting the orifices will cure jaundice. Pathogenic heat inside can damage middle qi, and when pathogenic heat is dispersed, it can tonify the middle and replenish qi. Its bitter and cold nature is slippery, hence it benefits the nine orifices and promotes water passage. Abdominal swelling, fullness, and pain are caused by dampness-heat stagnating in the spleen and stomach, leading to middle energizer being affected by pathogens. When dampness-heat is resolved and expelled through urine, the aforementioned symptoms will naturally disappear. Combined with plaster, it treats children's smallpox and facial blemishes, all due to its blood-cooling effects.
Contraindications: Arnebia is bitter and cold and can benefit the nine orifices. It is contraindicated for those with qi deficiency, weak spleen and stomach, diarrhea, poor appetite, and clear urine.《Materia Medica Cheng Ya》: Arnebia excels in color, as the liver governs color, and the liver's color is influenced by wind. It is suitable for diseases that manifest in color changes. However, the liver governs the two lower orifices, and taking it can promote urination and defecation as external signs.
Purple is an intermediate color, representing water overcoming fire. It is cold in nature, tastes bitter, has a fragrant smell, and a clean nature, embodying the clear and pure body of water qi and the function of resistance. It treats turbid pathogenic heat in the heart and abdomen, depression leading to five types of jaundice, and qi block in the orifices, with the power to resist and clarify. Bielu It benefits pathogenic qi in the heart and abdomen, treats swelling, fullness, and pain, benefits the nine orifices, and promotes water passage. Children's sores are caused by heat turbidity in the blood; facial blemishes are caused by heat turbidity in qi and color. Qiyang benefits children's sores, smallpox toxin, promotes blood circulation, cools blood, and benefits the large intestine. 《Jing Yan Fang》 states: It is suitable for smallpox on the third day when the eruption is faintly appearing, with red color and constipation. Zeng Shi-rong states: It can be used for spleen excess with heat, but not for spleen deficiency with cold. Be cautious.
Yaoxing Jie: Arnebia, bitter in taste, acrid and cold in nature, non-toxic, enters the heart and small intestine meridians. It primarily treats pathogenic qi in the heart and abdomen, distension and pain, abscesses and various toxins, eliminates the five types of jaundice, benefits the nine orifices, promotes water passage, and is especially important for children with blood-heat smallpox.
Note: Firewood and grass are mainly used for blood heat, originally entering the heart meridian, and the small intestine, which receives and corresponds to the heart, is also included. All pathogenic qi syndromes are fundamentally based on heat, so clearing the heart will naturally cure them.Yaojian: The qi is cold, the taste is bitter, and it is non-toxic. Its color is purple, so it can move blood. Its bitter taste can relieve stuffy orifices and promote diuresis. Its cold qi can treat swelling and toxicity Yongju. When used with Arctium, it is good for speeding up the onset of smallpox. When used with Epimedium Herb, it can promote the recovery of smallpox. To attack blood blisters, it is assisted by Carthamus. To reduce water blisters, it is combined with Poria. With Sichuan Lovage Rhizome and Red Peony Root, adding feather cockscomb seed can treat red eye disorders. Using Forsythia, Coptis, Schizonepeta, and Saposhnikovia, along with Gleditsia Spine, can effectively reduce the redness and swelling of Yongju. It is mostly a blood-related medicine, applicable regardless of smallpox, Yongju disease, or any gender-related disorders, as long as there is purple blood or blood heat, and deep heat toxin, it should be used. However, it is contraindicated in diarrhea, but sticky rice can mitigate its effects.
Jingyue Quanshu: It tastes bitter and is cold in nature, belonging to the blood aspect of the hand and foot Jueyin meridians. Its cold and diuretic nature can cool blood, smooth blood, and promote the movement of the bowels, making it suitable for smallpox patients. In treating smallpox, whether it has erupted or not, if there is severe blood heat toxin, or if the blood is purple or black with severe constipation, it should be used. If the eruption is red and lively, not purple or black, and the bowels are normally functioning, it should not be used. Therefore, Zeng Shi-rong's "Huoyou Xin Shu" states: Arnebia is cold in nature, and can be used in children with cold spleen qi, but those with spleen qi deficiency may experience diarrhea. Ancient formulas only used its down, taking advantage of its light qi and thin taste, with a cooling and pathogen-expelling effect. Additionally, it can be used to resolve jaundice, reduce swelling, and treat all kinds of rashes and malignant sores, as it can benefit the nine orifices, clear water passages, and remove dampness by cooling blood.
Bencao Beiyao: It purges blood heat and smooths the intestines.
It is sweet, salty, and cold in qi, entering the blood aspect of the Jueyin meridian (pericardium and liver). It cools blood, activates blood circulation, benefits the nine orifices, and promotes the movement of the bowels. Its salty and cold nature is slippery. It treats pathogenic qi in the heart and abdomen (which is heat), edema, five types of jaundice, scabies, malignant sores caused by blood heat, and severe blood heat toxin in smallpox with constipation. When blood is hot, toxins are blocked; with Arnebia cooling it, blood moves and toxins are expelled. It is contraindicated in cases of diarrhea. "Huoyou Xin Shu" states: Arnebia is cold in nature, suitable for children with spleen excess, but those with spleen deficiency may experience diarrhea. Ancient formulas only used its down, taking advantage of its initial yang qi to trigger smallpox. Modern people do not understand this principle and use it indiscriminately, which is a mistake. It is contraindicated in cases of diarrhea.
Benjing Fengyuan: Arnebia enters the pericardium and liver meridian blood aspect, specializing in cooling blood and activating blood circulation, benefiting the large and small intestines. Therefore, it is suitable for smallpox that is about to erupt but has not yet erupted, with severe blood heat toxin, severe constipation, dry and withered color, and toxins that cannot escape. It can also be used after eruption if the blood is purple and black with constipation. Arnebia cools blood; when blood is cool, toxins are expelled. It is mistakenly believed by the public to be a pathogen-expelling medicine, which is incorrect. If the eruption is red and lively, it should not be used, or if there is white depression and normal bowel movements. Benjing states that it treats pathogenic qi in the heart and abdomen and five types of jaundice, which is the principle of activating blood circulation and benefiting orifices, and erupting smallpox is a major aspect of activating blood circulation and benefiting orifices. It mentions tonifying the middle and replenishing qi, as when nutrient-blood is harmonized, middle qi benefits.
Bencao Chongyuan: Purple is the color between blue and red; Arnebia is purple, obtaining fire qi. Its seedling with Basil Herb obtains earth qi. Fire and earth generate each other, nourishing the essence of the middle energizer and harmonizing the upper and lower parts, hence its bitter and cold taste, treating pathogenic qi in the heart and abdomen. Malnutrition is dryness, the drying up of body fluids. Five types of malnutrition involve the heart, improper feeding, qi, sinews, and bones. Arnebia, endowed with fire and earth qi, nourishes the triple energizer, hence treating five types of malnutrition in children. Tonifying the middle refers to tonifying the middle earth. Tonifying qi refers to benefiting the qi of the triple energizer. The nine orifices are the qi of water infusion; tonifying the middle earth and benefiting the triple energizer is like mist, foam, and streams, with water qi circulating, hence benefiting the nine orifices.
Bencao Qiuzhen: [Comment] Enters the pericardium and liver, cooling blood to remove toxins.
Arnebia specifically enters the pericardium and liver. It has a sweet and salty taste, cold in nature, purple in color, and smooth in texture, specifically targeting the Jueyin blood aspect to cool the blood. When the blood is cooled, the nine orifices are cleared, and the two excretory passages are facilitated. Therefore, it is used to treat conditions such as blood heat toxin obstruction, which manifests as acute pain in the heart and abdomen, persistent edema, five types of jaundice, scabies, malignant sores, and smallpox with excessive blood heat toxin, as well as constipation and difficulty in urination. By cooling the blood, reducing toxins, and facilitating the excretory passages, Arnebia is effective in these conditions. The "Huoyou Shu" states: Arnebia is cold in nature and can be used for children with spleen excess, but it may cause diarrhea in those with spleen deficiency. Unfortunately, it is often mistakenly used as a medicine to expel pathogens from the exterior, regardless of whether there is toxin obstruction or not, which deviates from its intended use. It is contraindicated for those with diarrhea.
Depei Bencao: Bitter, cold. Enters the hand and foot Jueyin meridians, blood aspect. Mainly treats blood stagnation and heat, removes pathogenic qi from the heart and abdomen, promotes urination and defecation, relieves jaundice, reduces swelling, supports smallpox recovery, resolves purplish macula, benefits the nine orifices, unblocks the meridians, and reaches the skin and hair.
Combined with Aucklandia Root, it treats smallpox toxin and blood heat; combined with Trichosanthis Fruit kernel, it treats Yongju constipation disease; combined with blue leaves, Coptis Rhizome, and Aucklandia Root, it treats fire jaundice with body heat. Those with red and black spots on the body cannot be treated.
Spleen qi deficiency and slippery stools are contraindicated.
Shennong Bencao Jing Hundred Records: Bitter, cold. Mainly treats pathogenic qi in the heart and abdomen, removes pathogenic heat from the heart and abdomen. Five types of jaundice, dampness-heat in the blood. Tonifies the middle and replenishes qi, clears heat from the nutrient aspect, thus harmonizing the middle energizer. Benefits the nine orifices, prevents pathogenic heat from blocking the orifices. Unblocks the water passages. Heart qi connects to the small intestine.
Arnebia is purple and moves to the heart, which governs blood, and its cold nature allows it to treat heat in the blood.
Bencao Fenjing: Cools blood, activates blood circulation, and promotes urination and defecation. Sometimes the young shoots are used, as they initially receive yang qi, to induce smallpox.
bubble_chart Modern Pharmacology
- Arnebia has antibacterial and antiviral effects. Arnebia and its active components, such as arnebin and dimethylallyl arnebin, inhibit Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhi, Shigella, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa in vitro. A 10% saline extract of Arnebia inhibits Trichophyton mentagrophytes and Microsporum canis. In vitro, arnebin at 0.25mg/ml inhibits influenza virus and Jingke-68 virus.
- Arnebia's effects on the cardiovascular system: Arnebia decoction excites isolated toad hearts and in vivo rabbit hearts, increasing contractility and amplitude while slowing heart rate. Ethanol extract contracts blood vessels in isolated rabbit ears and frog hind limbs. Decoction injected intravenously or intramuscularly in cats, rabbits, and dogs causes a sharp drop in blood pressure, sometimes leading to death.
- Arnebia has antifertility effects.
- Arnebia has antipyretic effects.
- Arnebia has antitumor effects.
- Arnebia has hemostatic and blood coagulation-promoting effects. Arnebia water and ethanol extracts have varying degrees of hemostatic effects on tail bleeding in mice. Intraperitoneal injection of arnebin and acetyl arnebin does not affect coagulation time but inhibits heparin's anticoagulant effect, counteracting coagulation inhibitors and promoting thrombosis in conditions like venous varices.
- Arnebia's effects on gastrointestinal smooth muscle: Arnebia decoction increases tension or contraction in rabbit small intestine. At concentrations above 10-4g/ml, arnebin and acetyl arnebin relax intestinal smooth muscle and antagonize acetylcholine, histamine, and angiotensin-induced contractions.
- Arnebia polysaccharides A, B, and C have hypoglycemic effects.
- Arnebia has hepatoprotective effects.
- Arnebia has anti-inflammatory and antiallergic effects.