chuan xin lian

Name: chuan xin lian
Creator: Bencao Index

穿心莲·Herba Andrographis

Andrographis

About chuan xin lian

Chuan Xin Lian (穿心莲) is andrographis, recorded as Herba Andrographitis and known in English as green chiretta. It is bitter in flavour and cold in temperature, entering the Lung, Stomach, Small Intestine and Large Intestine channels. The catalogue files it among the herbs that clear Heat and relieve toxicity.

Names

Pinyin	chuan xin lian
Chinese	穿心莲·穿心蓮
Latin Name	Herba Andrographis·Herba Andrographitis
English Name	Andrographis·Andrographis Paniculata·andrographis; green chiretta; kariyat·green chiretta·kariyat
Japanese	senshinren·senshiren
Korean	cheonsimyeon

Classification

Category: Anti-inflammatory, Alteratives, Antioxidant, Antirheumatic, Clear Heat, Relieve Toxicity, Anthelmintic, Antimicrobials
Channels: Lung, Large Intestine, Stomach, Small Intestine
Flavour: Bitter
Temperature: Cold
Family: Acanthaceae
Species: Andrographis paniculata
Tags: Chinese Herbs, Common

Actions and indications

Clears Heat, resolves Fire toxicity and benefits the throat

Heat in the Lungs and throat, with a sore, swollen throat, cough or wheezing
Lung abscess
Encephalitis B
Acute gastrointestinal infection
Carbuncles, toxic sores (Chuang Yung) and skin disorders from toxin

Clears Damp-Heat and stops diarrhea

Acute diarrhea or dysentery from Damp-Heat in the Intestines
Gallbladder Heat
Viral hepatitis
Herpes zoster
Hot, painful urinary dysfunction (Lin), including urinary tract infection

Cools the Blood

Nosebleed

Resolves Phlegm

Phlegm-Heat with pus in the sputum

Clears Heat toxin when applied externally

Eczema and itchy, weeping skin lesions from Damp-Heat, as a powder, wash or ointment
Snakebite, with the fresh herb applied to the skin, and insect bites in folk use

Combinations

chen pi
Lung Heat with cough
yu xing cao + jie geng
Lung abscess; cough from Lung Heat, as in pneumonia or bronchitis; sore throat
jin yin hua + niu bang zi + ju hua
Early-stage Warm-Heat pathogen with sore throat and fever
chong lou + ye ju hua
Applied topically for snakebite and for toxic sores and swellings
ma chi xian + jin yin hua
Dysenteric disorder Diarrhea
hu zhang + bai mao gen + che qian zi
Hot, painful urinary dysfunction
jin yin hua + ye ju hua
Carbuncles and skin sores; snakebite; used both internally and topically for each
yu xing cao + jie geng + gua lou
Lung Heat with asthma and a cough bringing up yellow sputum

Dosage

Age	Raw	Granule	Tincture	Concentrate	Frequency
Any 6-20g; Powder: 0.6-1.5g; Tincture:2-5ml	6-20 g	—	2-5 ml	—	—

Cautions

caution Meant for short courses in acute Heat patterns, not long-term use or high doses: its bitter cold nature can damage Stomach Qi over time, leading to nausea, loose stools, a poor appetite and abdominal discomfort
contraindication Weak, debilitated patients
contraindication Patterns without Fire toxin
contraindication Deficiency Cold of the Spleen and Stomach (poor appetite, loose stools, feeling the cold), unless warming herbs that protect digestion are added
pregnancy Pregnancy: traditionally avoided, and at the least used only with caution
caution Men trying to conceive: animal studies report reversible effects on male fertility, although a short human study of a combination product found no change in semen quality
caution Mild stomach upset and skin rash are the side effects most often reported in trials
caution Autoimmune disease or immunosuppressive treatment: use under practitioner supervision, as the herb acts on the immune system in laboratory models

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