bi ba

Name: bi ba
Creator: Bencao Index

荜茇·Fructus Piperis Longi

Long Pepper Fruit

About bi ba

Bi Ba (荃茌) is the fruit of long pepper, recorded as Fructus Piperis Longi. It is acrid in flavour and hot in temperature, enters the Stomach and Large Intestine channels, and is filed among the herbs that warm the Interior and expel Cold.

Names

Pinyin	bi ba
Chinese	荜茇
Latin Name	Fructus Piperis Longi
English Name	Long Pepper Fruit
Japanese	hihatsu
Korean	pilbal

Classification

Category: Warm Interior, Expel Cold
Channels: Large Intestine, Stomach
Flavour: Acrid
Temperature: Hot
Part used: Fruit
Family: Piperaceae
Species: Piper Longum
Tags: Chinese Herbs, Common

Actions and indications

Warms the Middle Jiao, disperses Cold, directs Qi downward and relieves pain

Abdominal pain with nausea, vomiting, hiccups, belching, acid reflux and poor appetite, where Cold has congealed and stagnated the Qi of the epigastrium and abdomen
Diarrhea or dysentery when Cold has settled in the Intestines, Spleen and Stomach
Stomach Cold
Nausea and vomiting of a Cold type

Relieves toothache (topical)

Toothache, with the powdered fruit placed on or beside the painful tooth

Combinations

gao liang jiang + pao jiang
Stomach Cold with abdominal pain, vomiting and diarrhea
gao liang jiang + pao jiang + dang shen + huang qi
Weak, deficient Spleen and Stomach
he zi + gan jiang + rou gui
Deficiency Cold with chronic diarrhea
su he xian + an xi xiang
Severe invasion of Cold-Damp with turbid Phlegm
tan xiang + bing pian + xi xin
Angina pectoris
hu jiao
Toothache, applied as a powder
rou gui + gao liang jiang + pao jiang
Spleen and Stomach Cold
ren shen + bai zhu
Spleen and Stomach Deficiency
zhi ban sha + sheng jiang
Cold Phlegm lodged in Spleen and Stomach, causing nausea and vomiting
mu xiang + hou po
Fullness and distention of the epigastrium and abdomen

Dosage

Age	Raw	Granule	Tincture	Concentrate	Frequency
Any 1-5g; Tincture: 0.5-1ml	1-5 g	—	0.5-1 ml	—	—

Cautions

contraindication Heat arising from deficient Yin
contraindication Excess Heat
caution Yin deficiency and dryness in general: the herb dries as well as heats, so avoid long courses where fluids are depleted
caution An already irritated stomach: above modest amounts, pungent peppers can themselves cause burning, reflux or loose stools
pregnancy Pregnancy: only with a qualified practitioner overseeing its use
caution People on prescription medicines: its main alkaloid, piperine, affects how the body handles many drugs (see drug cautions)

Interactions

Drug interactions

Narrow-margin medicines (anticonvulsants, immunosuppressants, some heart and antiretroviral drugs, and anything not to be taken with grapefruit): piperine blocks CYP3A4 and P-glycoprotein and can raise drug levels, while longer exposure may induce CYP3A4 instead. Shown for the isolated alkaloid, not yet for the decocted fruit; tell the prescriber

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