Feng Yen Cao
StarAilanthus altissima (Mill.) Swingle
Synonyms: Ailanthus glandulosa Desf., Toxicodendron altissimum Mill.
Safety at a glance
No rule in our tables for this herb: pregnancy, breastfeeding, incompatible pairs (十八反 / 十九畏), herb–drug, dose ceiling. This is not a safety clearance.
Not graded — No toxicity grade is recorded. Most herbs in the catalogue carry none.
Traditionally used for
- Bowel health
- Urinary & fluids
- Menstrual & women's health
- Skin
☯ TCM Properties
Eliminates Wind, invigorates the Blood, expels Dampness and controls leukorrhea
Traditional Chinese Uses
Feng Yan Cao (Fructus Ailanthi) is the dried winged fruit (samara) of Ailanthus altissima, the tree of heaven, used in TCM as an astringent, heat-clearing substance. Bitter, astringent and cool, it clears Heat, dries Dampness, binds the intestines and stanches discharge and bleeding. It is applied chiefly to Damp-Heat patterns of the lower burner: chronic dysentery and diarrhea, blood in the stool (hematochezia), and profuse or turbid vaginal discharge (leukorrhea). Its astringency also lends it to uterine bleeding and, topically, to weeping skin lesions.
It is typically decocted 3-9 g, often combined with other astringent, heat-draining herbs such as Bai Tou Weng, Huang Bai or Qin Pi for Damp-Heat dysentery and morbid leukorrhea. Because its action is drying and binding, it is unsuited to bleeding or discharge from deficiency-cold.
Western Herbalism Properties
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Botanical Description
Feng Yan Cao (凤眼草), phoenix-eye herb, is the winged fruit (samara) of Ailanthus altissima (Mill.) Swingle (Simaroubaceae), the tree of heaven, a fast-growing deciduous tree 15-20 m tall native to northern and central China and Taiwan. It bears large, odd-pinnate leaves with numerous lanceolate leaflets that give off a rank odour when crushed. The fruit is a flat, membranous, slightly twisted samara 3-5 cm long, reddish- to yellowish-brown when ripe, with a single seed set at the center — the phoenix eye. The samaras mature in autumn and are collected and dried. Bitter, astringent and cool, they clear heat, dry dampness, check leukorrhea and dysentery, and stop bleeding.
Hillsides, valleys, roadsides and disturbed ground; a hardy pioneer tree of warm-temperate China, now naturalized worldwide.
Active Constituents
Ailanthone
Quassinoid (degraded triterpenoid)The signature constituent of the species and the compound behind most of its documented biology - cytotoxic against a wide range of tumour cell lines, herbicidal, insecticidal and antiviral. It is potent enough that it is being investigated as an anticancer lead, which is the same thing as saying it is a potent general cytotoxin; higher doses of quassinoid-rich preparations of this plant produce toxicity. Note that ailanthone has been characterised chiefly in the bark and root bark, not in the samara that constitutes the drug Feng Yen Cao.
Shinjulactones
Quassinoid (degraded triterpenoid)A family of quassinoids isolated mainly from the root bark, co-occurring with ailanthone and sharing its cytotoxic profile to varying degrees.
Canthin-6-one and related canthinone alkaloids
Canthinone (beta-carboline-derived) alkaloidThe characteristic alkaloids of the genus. Canthin-6-one suppresses inflammatory mediator production through NF-kappaB and AKT pathway inhibition, and is antifungal, disrupting fungal amino acid metabolism and nitrogen utilisation. This is the best-evidenced anti-inflammatory constituent of the plant.
Quassinoid glycosides of the samara
Quassinoid glycosideGlycosylated quassinoids isolated specifically from the samara (the winged fruit that is the drug Feng Yen Cao), reported with antiviral activity against tobacco mosaic virus. These are among the few constituents characterised from the fruit rather than the bark.
Very-long-chain alkylresorcinols
Resorcinolic lipid (5-n-alkylresorcinol)Isolated from the samaras, with reported antifungal activity against Fusarium and Rhizoctonia. Another of the small number of fruit-specific phytochemical findings. Alkylresorcinols as a class are amphiphilic membrane-interacting lipids.
Dosage Calculator
⚖ Dosage Calculator
A weight-based mathematical estimate for Feng Yen Cao. Not a prescription.
Evidence Tier
3 studies on recordRecorded studies by study design, strongest design at the top. This is a study-design tier only, not a GRADE rating: it does not weigh risk of bias, consistency or precision.
Systematic review / meta-analysis
0
Randomized controlled trial
0
Other clinical trial
0
Observational / case report
0
In vitro / animal
3
0 verified · 3 unverified
Other / unclassified
0
Verified: design read from PubMed for a DOI that resolves to the cited paper Unverified: taken from the study's recorded description
Clinical Studies
Two Novel Quassinoid Glycosides with Antiviral Activity from the Samara of Ailanthus altissima
Isolated two previously undescribed quassinoid glycosides from the samara - the plant part used as Feng Yen Cao - and showed antiviral activity against tobacco mosaic virus. One of the few phytochemical studies conducted on the fruit rather than the bark.
Very-Long-Chain Resorcinolic Lipids of Ailanthus altissima Samaras
Characterised two new very-long-chain alkylresorcinol homologues from the samaras and reported antifungal activity against Fusarium and Rhizoctonia species. Fruit-specific chemistry, though the assays are agricultural rather than clinical.
Anti-inflammatory Effects of Canthin-6-one Alkaloids from Ailanthus altissima
Canthin-6-one alkaloids from the plant suppressed inflammatory mediator production in stimulated macrophages through inhibition of NF-kappaB and AKT signalling. The best-characterised anti-inflammatory mechanism reported for this species, though obtained from bark-derived material rather than the fruit.
Historical Texts
Xin Xiu Ben Cao (Tang Materia Medica)
Tang dynasty, 659 CEReferences
- Li X, Li Y, Ma S, Zhao Q, Wu J, Duan L, Xie Y, Wang S. Traditional uses, phytochemistry, and pharmacology of Ailanthus altissima (Mill.) Swingle bark: A comprehensive review . Journal of Ethnopharmacology (2021) [DOI]
- Huang Y, Chen H, Jiang Y, Meng Z, She C, Miao Z, Fan Y. Ailanthone: A multi-targeting Quassinoid from Ailanthus altissima for broad-spectrum cancer therapy - a comprehensive review of mechanisms, pharmacokinetics, and clinical prospects . Journal of Ethnopharmacology (2026) [DOI]
- Chuang L, Liu S, Biedermann D, Franke J. Identification of early quassinoid biosynthesis in the invasive tree of heaven (Ailanthus altissima) confirms evolutionary origin from protolimonoids . Frontiers in Plant Science (2022) [DOI]
This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any herbal remedy, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or taking medications.
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